Educational Software

It’s my personal belief that our culture has promoted a dumbing-down effect for many years, and that’s why I pledged to give my child every academic advantage possible. If you look at the correspondence and speeches of early American heroes, you’ll be shocked at the level of intellect that was on display in that relatively primitive age. Even without access to quality public education, people pursued knowledge on their own.

In recent years, the incentive has been removed. We have little reason to learn anything about the world around us. Whereas most Canadians are familiar with the United States’ political climate, few Americans take the time to learn about Canada, Mexico or any other countries for that matter. When I found some learning games online, I quickly sought out a program featuring a world atlas and encyclopedia of world history all in one.

Conventional wisdom states that actions speak louder than words, and this is especially true when applied to children. Few kids have the patience or presence of mind to tolerate rote memorization and other forms of “traditional” phonics education. In order to be effective, the learning process needs to be interactive. Capturing a child’s interest isn’t easy, but once you’ve captivated him the process takes care of itself.

Word pronunciation games keep the child from losing attention and interest. As a conscientious parent, you can complement these computer games with physical materials such as flash cards. Try implementing an element of humor into the phonics sessions, perhaps incorporating a child’s favorite nursery rhyme or bedtime story.