Oh what fun, I love playing games. I chose to do story problems in math. Unfortunately there is not a choice for grade level or age, so some games might be too easy or too hard for certain students. I also felt like the pop up that came on the screen when a correct answer was produced contained too much information. Not only did it give positive reinforcement that the answer was right but gave reasons why the other answers were wrong. Valuable information but maybe should have been in a different box or different colored text might have helped sort through information for a quick understanding.
I also tried the animal sort. Again there was no designation for level and it was pretty easy. Although you need to know how to read the animals name to play. It would be nice to have a way to read it for younger kids who are not readers yet. Just to see what would happen if you got an answer wrong, I tried to put the mosquito in the bird treasure chest and it bounced back in place saying "uh oh" which is a nice way to let the child know they are wrong but gives them the opportunity to try again.
Not sure I should admit this, but I also tried the Australian crossword since I taught a thematic unit on it in the late 90's to third graders. The bad part is I pretty much failed it. Hopefully if I was a student learning this I would know the answers. In all fairness some of those questions are not things I would have had in a third grade unit :). These games would not only be a great way to sharpen skills youngsters are having trouble with, especially over long breaks like summer, but what a great way to study for tests.
We've had good feedback on these games from all kinds of people--parents, teachers, librarians, grandparents, etc. These games work well on interactive white boards, too. The best part is that kids can have fun while they learn. Thanks for your good report, busymom.
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