Have you found yourself having the ‘talk” with your kids about spending too much time on the computer or game console playing video games? It seems as parents we spend more time policing this pastime, which we provide the vehicle for in the first place, than thinking of it as a viable way to help our kid s learn. In the hunt for more entertaining ways to help hone our kids’ skills and help them learn new ones, we can look to these seemingly-useless sources of entertainment and kill two birds with one stone.
Video games as learning tools are considered to have high success rates due to their social acceptance, the interactivity that helps kids learn by doing and incorporation of story lines and goals so kids can celebrate milestones as they develop a skill.
Get Ahead with JumpStart
Jumpstart educational games are great for kids of any age, up to 6th grade. The website,
http://www.jumpstart.com/Wii/Default.aspx, houses interactive-#D learning games on a safe and secure portal that kids and parents can play together to learn and enhance skills. JumpStart also offers Wii-based games for kids to play on their own at home.
Leapster
Offering kids age 4 to 10 a way to learn one the go, the Leapster educational game product line includes interactive books, toys and handheld video games. Kids can work on math skills, learn to read, as well as learn geography and language skills.
My First Book of…
A series of educational computer games offered by Kumon Publications, the “My First Book of” series includes:
• Number Games
• Tracing
• Uppercase Letters, and much more. Preschool and kindergarten age kids can play the games to learn new skills.
Check out your local retailer for education games that your child can relate to. If your kid likes dinosaurs, check out
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/... Whatever their interests, add a learning element to keep them focused on obtaining their goals.
Posted By: Paul Adams
Monday, May 3rd 2010 at 6:34PM
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