Buyer Beware!!

As this Christmas season approaches I have been researching toys for my kids. I am a BIG fan of educational toys and my kids really love learning. I was looking into the new Leapfrog learning systems and found that another blogger had written a review on the didj, their system for kids 5-10. I was excited because my son picks up on things pretty fast and I wanted a system that would grow with him. I don't mind buying him new games, I just don't want to buy a new system. They are expensive!

This blogger said that her child has one and she was disappointed because the older kid games were more like the Nintendo DS games, and didn't have a lot of education in them. Man. How sad. Why can't we make learning more fun for our older kids, not just our younger kids. Sure it is easier to have them jump along a given path with their ABC's then to create a program where they find the value of x or use a digital protractor to determine which triangles are right angles before they can go through the castle door to slay the dragon after answering his questions about a passage they read earlier.

Many games claim to be educational but really aren't. Talk to someone before you buy the game or look closely at what you are getting before you spend the money.

Here are some truly educational board games that I used in my classroom.

Totally Tut- This is a game that can be played with children as young as 8 but can be challenging for adults too. Your goal is to make every line in your pyramid equal to the number at the top. Younger kids use addition and subtraction, older kids use multiplication and division.

Doubles Wild - My second graders LOVED this game. They all fought over who would get to play it. This game teaches grid coordinates, and for older kids multiplication facts (which are very important to memorize!!!)

Bananagrams - This is game is just like Scrabble. It just doesn't have a board. Anyone can play. This would also be an easy game to make with your computer by just putting letters in boxes and cutting them out. Make their spelling words worth extra points!

Timing it Right - This game helps kids learn to tell time. You first role the dice, move your piece, make the clock show that time and then read what you get to do from the book. This is great for second graders. This is a difficult concept for them!!

Bike Racers - This great game helps build reading comprehension skills. It's works for up to 15 people and is a lot of fun.

Around the Garden - This is kind of like sorry. You have to guess the vocabulary word with the clues given. The less clues you use the more spaces you get to move. I had a parent make cards for this game so it fit with my students vocabulary words. It was great.

I found the last two games on the Lakeshore Learning site. I only wrote about the games I have played from this site but the others look great too.

Remember educational is a loosely used term to get people to buy something. It is easy to say the game is educational because it teaches strategy. While this is important it's not always what you are looking for. Make sure you do your homework so you aren't disappointed when you open that game for the first time and find out the education the game is teaching is colors for your 10 year old.

What educational games have you found that have helped your child learn something? What games have you found that claim to be educational but really weren't?

Kabongo.com

I found this as an ad on facebook. See it pays to look at those ads once in a while. You have to register for this site and give your child a name and password. The site was created by Dr. Martin Fletcher, a graduate from Michigan's School for Professional Psychology. He has created a fun world of brain-boosting games that help young kids get excited about learning.

This site teaches the reading basics. My son and I had fun exploring the free sections. There are two other sections that we weren't able to get into because we didn't pay the fee. What we did see was pretty neat though.

Kabongo begins by having a parent help register the child. This way the games cansee what they have mastered and can make the activities more difficult.

My son was excited to play and earn the rewards. I loved that the first reward was immediate. After the game is explained the child then gets that chance to prove they know what they are doing. As soon as they do it right they receive a reward ( a sticker for their comic book, a section of their skate park).

My son really enjoyed these games. I also found the subscription very cheep. They are doing a deal where you can unlock galaxy garden for just 7.95. You pay once and play forever.

I haven't seen how difficult this site gets yet but I recommend this site for Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st. Some second graders would also benefit reviewing with these games.

Squanky the Tooth Taker Tooth Tally

My son and I found this game on the Game Goo site. It helps kids identify synonyms using a character that many of them know. The "Tooth Fairy." Each one of the Goo Games begins with a little story to get the kids interested. They then teach them what they want them to do and show them how to do it. This is great because they can be independent and so that Parents aren't guessing while their kids wait patiently (whining) as Mom figures it out so she can show them what to do.

Squanky the Tooth Taker Tooth Tally starts with a story of the tooth fairy coming to get the tooth of a group of children camping that have just lost some teeth. The goal of the game is to get as many teeth as you can for the tooth fairy without the kids seeing him. If the child picks the wrong word on the tooth the game teaches them what the answer should have been.

Kids need to have a basic understanding of vocabulary to play this game so they can they also need to be able to read fairly well.

The game has 2 different levels and in each game to make sure the child knows what they are talking about they have added antonyms in as one of the choices so the child has to think "Does this word mean the same as the word in the box or is it the opposite?" At the end of each level the child gets to put the 5 teeth they collected in a beavers mouth. To find out what happens once his mouth is full you will just have to play it yourself. I will tell you that it is pretty funny.

I love that this game is educational, free, and that it it entertaining. I don't like that there are so few words in their word bank that it is easy for kids to just memorize the answers so they can get the reward. If they would add more words and levels that became more challenging as thy went on this game would be amazing.

I recommend this game for an advanced 1st grader, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade. Some 4th graders might even enjoy just playing and reviewing.

Volunteers

I just saw this article on KSL and thought it was very appropriate. It is very important that we volunteer and help out in our children's or even local elementary schools. The kids need us.

Due to the fact that more and more parents are being forced to work outside the home due to financial strain schools are shouldering the burden of raising the kids in many situations. This puts teachers in difficult positions as they try to mass raise children who will be able to contribute to society. We need to help more. I do not currently have children in school but I help out where I can. I can't go in because I come with little ones and from a teacher's stand point that generally is not a good thing. It's too much of a distraction to the kids who need to be learning. I have however told the teachers at the local school that I am willing to help them from home by cutting and preparing things for them so they will have more time to work with and teach the kids.

My local school has even asked for grandparents to come and read with the kids. You don't have to have a child in the schools to help out. Remember it's your community and you make it what you want it to be. The more you help and contribute the better off it will be.

Local PTA asks for more help

October 20th, 2010 @ 9:15am

By Mary Richards

DAVIS COUNTY -- A Davis County PTA is begging parents to step up. It says it's in danger of losing valuable programs for schools.

The Davis Central Council PTA has eight schools in the Layton and Kaysville area. But the dues are down considerably because there isn't a high enough percentage of PTA membership at some of those schools. That means it may lose its standing with the national PTA organization.

Those dues go to great programs like Red and Green Ribbon weeks, Battle of the Bands, and Reflections, says Nicole Miller, the president of the Central Council PTA.

"I know our Legislature often can't find enough money for arts and education, and I think it's great that the PTA can bring this to children," says Miller about Reflections.

She says Red Ribbon Week teaches valuable information about drugs.

"Sometimes we as a society leave it up to others to teach the dangers of drugs and alcohol. What a wonderful thing to come to the school and discuss it for a whole week," she says.

That's why she's worried about the situation. Miller says she knows it's hard for many families to pay even just $5 in dues right now, so it is asking for volunteers too.

"If that's all parents can afford right now is time, we'd love the gift of time," she says. "Sometimes that's even more precious than the money."

It is asking for three hours over a school year, which could mean 15 minutes here and there helping with a booth or reading in a classroom.

She hopes this is also a call for parents and grandparents anywhere in Utah to help out at their schools too.

"I would love for you to come out in swarms, and even if you've already paid dues maybe you can pay an extra $5 to sponsor a family that can't afford it. If you can't do that, then give of your time," says Miller.

Food Pyramid

Eating healthy is important but not always an easy thing to convince your kids to do. I somehow got lucky. My kids favorite vegetable is broccoli. Many of my friends didn't though. My son's friend won't eat anything unless it is one of 5 things, and not many of them are fruits and vegetables.

I found this neat website with a game that teaches kids what happens when they eat healthy. If they do it right their rocket blasts off to a planet where they can print off a certificate saying that they know how to eat healthy. It plans their meals for the day and lets them choose what they would like to eat. It's pretty fun. It won't entertain them for a long time but it will help start a discussion on health eating or reinforce what was taught.

website: http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/kids_game.html#

Grade: B

Ages: K-3

Parent Teacher Conference

I wanted to post this last week because I know that Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up but we have been dealing with sick children. We love cold and flu season. Send extra tissues and hand sanitizer with your kids for the next few months. Teacher burn through these like crazy this time of year.

Parent teacher conferences is a stressful yet fun time. The kids never know what the teachers are going to say, the teachers have to spent HOURS preparing, and then there are the parents nerves wondering what they are going to tell you about your child.

Let me start by saying the teacher generally sees a very different child in school than you see at home. When I talk to parents and tell them I have a hard time getting their child to answer questions at school they looked shocked because I have the child that is never quiet at home. This is normal. Kids act different in different situations. Just make sure their behavior isn't a problem.

When I was a new teacher I had a principal tell me that parent teacher conference was a time to celebrate the child and their accomplishments which is what I strived to do with each child. We saved important papers to show parents and just had fun. We also addressed minor problems in the goals that we set.

It's also a chance to talk about their grades. Most schools send home the grades either before the conference or ask you to look at them on-line. I suggest you do this weekly not just at the end of the term. By the end of the term it's too late to fix the problems like missing work or poorly completed projects. I really wish they would hold these conferences at mid-term, not the end of the term. So many problems could be avoided.

When I was student teaching a child had gone from all 4's (or A's) in 4th grade to 2's (or D's) in 5th. It wasn't because she didn't understand the work but because everything was late and the teacher I was working with had a strict late policy. If it was late they received half credit. The parent's were not pleased. Make sure you know the teacher and the school's policies to avoid this problem. It wasn't pretty for me or the teacher.

Remember be kind to the teacher. They are in for a LONG, LONG week because not only do they have kids all day (or half the day) they also have to be at the school until 7:00 at night then go home and take care of their own families. If there is a major problem schedule a different time to discus it. Maybe the teacher made a mistake (Yes, this does happen. I have made many on grades as I attempted to get everything in quickly sometimes something get missed.). Give them time to fix or look up these problems. You are your child's advocate but that doesn't mean you can abuse and yell at the teacher.

Which brings me to my next point. Be kind and respectful to the teacher!!!! Do not tell your student how stupid the teacher is, how horrible they are when they make a mistake or do something you don't agree with in front of the teacher or in front of the student. Everyone needs to vent. Vent to another adult not your child!!!! If you say it to your child it gives them a reason not to listen or respect the teacher which ultimately will hurt your child because if they aren't listening, they aren't learning. If you have a problem with the way the teacher is doing something, first talk to them, if that doesn't work take it to the principal.

I understand that not all teachers are perfect. I have worked with teachers and said to my husband that my child will never be in their class. I also know that for some people I was that teacher because they didn't like how I did things. That's just life. You can't please everyone.

Finally, listen to the teacher. If they are bring up something like "they like to talk to their neighbor" or "we are having a problem with name calling" it is a BIG problem. Teacher's know that kids need to be kids and don't normally bring up the little things. All kids talk to their neighbor, all kids call names, and all kids hit once in a while. If the teacher brings it up at parent teacher conference it's a big problem and it's time to get involved with your child at home. There are easy ways to do this. You can start by asking your child how much of a problem it really is and then set a goal to work on it. It helps to have a relationship with your child where they feel comfortable telling you the truth so don't yell at them. If it's something that needs a consequence do so but tell them it's to help them remember not to do it again. Ask them about their goal daily. Put a note in the car or by the door to remind you to ask them about it each day. Don't try to fix it for them make them own the problem and have them be responsible for fixing it (with your help and guidance of course). Discuss how they did each day and how they can do better. This works with any goals that will be made at parent teacher conference. Why make a goal if you aren't going to work on it?

Website Review - Game Goo

I found this site with my son as I was looking for a phonic site that he could play on. This site makes lots of weird noises that or course my little boy just loves. It is full of fun educational games. I love the fact that it has different levels that challenge the kids. It goes from basic matching capital and lowercase letters to spelling words that they hear. It has funny creatures that go with teach game. The best part is there are NO AD's on this site so there aren't any crazy things for them to click on that will take them to a different site without you knowing.

I wish I could pull over a picture of the site but my computer did an update and it won't let me do that anymore so until I figure out how to take screen shots on a mac you will just have to view them for yourself.

Ages: pre-K - 2

Grade: A+

Cost: Nothing

http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/gooey.html