Educational Software

One of the leading methods in which gifted children are identified is through their vocabulary.  It’s a fact that children who are designated as ‘gifted’ by educational standards often have a vocabulary that’s far beyond the reach of their age.  For this reason, improving a child’s vocabulary while they’re young can be of great benefit to their future.  While reading to your child is a good way to enrich their vocabulary, another good way is through vocabulary games on the computer.  These games can teach children vocabulary at their level of education, and also more advanced vocabulary even up to college level. 

You might be surprised to learn that your child is gifted given the right triggers and the right environment for advancement.  In addition, improving vocabulary is a great activity for children of all ages, as it improves their ability to read, write, and understand language.  Having a robust vocabulary will also garner a child welcome social attention from teachers and even other parents.

While toys and games are fun for children, they also help develop valuable skills including imagination, creativity, problem solving and confidence.  From an early age, infants use play to develop motor skills, recognize shapes and colors, and improve hand-eye coordination.  As children grow, they become more interested in formal games with rules and opponents to test their skills against.

“Parents know that toys and games can have a strong developmental impact on their children –” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “This is why it’s so important for parents to find quality educational toys that stimulate development and are also fun to play.”

With toy store shelves flowing of the latest gadgets, the search for the perfect toys or games that are fun and educational can be a daunting task for parents.  When selecting educational toys and games, parents are encouraged to consider gifts that are appropriate for their children’s age and skill level as well as their specific interests. 

For Preschoolers, games that include hand and eye coordination are fun and challenging.

Elementary age children like to test their strategy and understanding of the world around them.  Build a dinosaur, make a volcano, play monopoly just to name a few.

High School students are learning to master their world.  Monopoly, Life, and Risk mixed in with soccer, baseball and football build confidence and teamwork.

Chances are if you were in school in the last decade, you’ve heard of the educational math program Number Munchers.  While this rudimentary effort in interactive math games wasn’t all that brilliant, it did make math fun for kids who didn’t think the subject could be.  When it comes to interactive math games, it’s more about generating interest in math than it is teaching it.  Children learn through study and through a process like osmosis, in which knowledge is absorbed into the brain through mere contact with the subject matter.  Like immersion in a foreign language, children might find themselves understanding math they didn’t even know they could because of subconscious memory of the subject matter. 

Number Munchers pit the protagonist against the evil Troggles who would attempt to capture him at every turn.  The protagonist would ‘munch’ the correct numbers, and then gain access to some amusing scenes where those devious Troggles would be tricked.  While not innovative in the sense of modern games, this first effort into interactive math games had children interested in the game as well as the math, and through that osmotic process, were able to learn a great deal.

When it comes to education, it’s hard to break down a child’s skills just based on how well they perform in certain subjects.  In fact, the key to better learning is to address those fundamental areas where a child might be struggling.  The three fundamental skills of education are memorization, problem solving, and deduction.  When a child masters these skills, they can become much more efficient at learning.  Often the best way to start a child on building fundamental education skills is with fun games.  You might consider memory games, puzzle games, or even educational software games. 

With all of these games, your child is sure to learn valuable skills and advance their ability to think.  By mastering the fundamental skills, you’ll be amazed at how fast your child improves in other areas like reading and math.

This is a great article on how to use your computer for educational purposes.  Sshh don’t tell the kids.

By Nicole Munoz

Computers have become a common and needed part of life in today’s society, making computer education imperative for children. Young children will typically begin to show an interest in the home PC by their toddler years. While it is may be a good idea to begin introducing your toddler to the computer in very short sessions, most children can began to learn and understand a computer’s functionality by preschool age.

Preschool age children can learn to turn the computer on by themselves and will quickly learn to operate the mouse. Simple games that teach and reinforce basic school readiness skills are great for this age. Computer education for preschool age children should be limited to short sessions of about 30 minutes a few times a week.

Kindergartners are normally still exploring the basics of computer use and will probably do best with activities that reinforce simple skills. As children become more comfortable with the computer, more complex games and activities can be introduced. Computer education for kindergartners typically consists of short sessions of no more than an hour, playing games that correlate with their classroom learning material.

By first grade, children have usually gained a good understanding of how to use a mouse and they are learning to use keyboard letters to type. Games that focus on keyboard skills can help young children become fast and efficient computer users. Early elementary age children are ready to move beyond simple reinforcement and skill drill activities to the many different functions of a computer.

First through third graders should use the computer as a supplement for their classroom work. A student studying about stars and planets can use the internet to search for pictures and information about constellations. An assignment about Africa can include a search for videos of African animals. Allow your child to work on their own, but stay close by to prevent access to inappropriate content and to answer any questions.

Software programs that allow children to create, like an art or publishing suite designed specifically for kids, can boost creativity along with providing exposure to technology. Grade level skills can also be practiced and enhanced with math, reading, and spelling computer games.

Computer education for children should also include writing and creative writing activities. First graders are beginning to familiarize themselves with the keyboard and can write short letters or emails. By second and third grade, children can use word processor programs or writing software designed for children to write and publish their own short stories and poems, as well as use email to write to relatives.