Age 5-8 years
20200
£19.99
LetterPillar
HOW TO PLAY
It’s an insect. It’s a caterpillar.No, it’s a LetterPillar! Using the arrow pad, players help LetterPillars eat letters to spell words and turn
into butterflies. But watch out! There are enemies all around. Players get the power to defeat them by “eating” fruit supplied by their butterfly
friends and “drinking” milkweed juice to break through rocks.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Phonics/Spelling: An understanding of the relationship between letters and their sounds; an understanding that a word is made up of several sounds; the ability to segment sounds in words to spell them, and blend sounds together to read them.
Level 1: Players identify sounds by their letters and place the letters in the right order to make words with short vowels (bed, sit) in the CVC (consonant- vowel-consonant) pattern; words with consonant blends (flag, band) in the CCVC and CVCC patterns; and words with silent e (game, bike) in the CVCe pattern.
Level 2: Players make words with consonant digraphs (chip, when, mash, and bath) in the CCVC and CVCC patterns and vowel digraphs (boat, sheep, and beach) in the CVVC, CCVVC and CVVCC patterns.
Level 3: Players make words in which the letter y stands for the long-vowel sound of i, as in fly; words with the diphthongs ou, ow and oo, as in mouth, frown, and mood; and words that form their plurals by adding the letter –s, as in cats and kites.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Rote memorization of spelling words is not for every child. While some children are strong visual learners, others are not. Unlike rote learning, phonetic spelling provides a strategy, allowing children to identify common spelling patterns and internalise spelling rules. Phonetic spelling begins with regular patterns, as in c-a-p, in which each letter stands for its own sound. Rules are then applied. For example, silent e serves as a signal that the preceding vowel will make its long-vowel sound.Thus, cap becomes cape; pin becomes pine; and so on.
HOW TO PLAY
It’s an insect. It’s a caterpillar.No, it’s a LetterPillar! Using the arrow pad, players help LetterPillars eat letters to spell words and turn
into butterflies. But watch out! There are enemies all around. Players get the power to defeat them by “eating” fruit supplied by their butterfly
friends and “drinking” milkweed juice to break through rocks.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Phonics/Spelling: An understanding of the relationship between letters and their sounds; an understanding that a word is made up of several sounds; the ability to segment sounds in words to spell them, and blend sounds together to read them.
Level 1: Players identify sounds by their letters and place the letters in the right order to make words with short vowels (bed, sit) in the CVC (consonant- vowel-consonant) pattern; words with consonant blends (flag, band) in the CCVC and CVCC patterns; and words with silent e (game, bike) in the CVCe pattern.
Level 2: Players make words with consonant digraphs (chip, when, mash, and bath) in the CCVC and CVCC patterns and vowel digraphs (boat, sheep, and beach) in the CVVC, CCVVC and CVVCC patterns.
Level 3: Players make words in which the letter y stands for the long-vowel sound of i, as in fly; words with the diphthongs ou, ow and oo, as in mouth, frown, and mood; and words that form their plurals by adding the letter –s, as in cats and kites.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Rote memorization of spelling words is not for every child. While some children are strong visual learners, others are not. Unlike rote learning, phonetic spelling provides a strategy, allowing children to identify common spelling patterns and internalise spelling rules. Phonetic spelling begins with regular patterns, as in c-a-p, in which each letter stands for its own sound. Rules are then applied. For example, silent e serves as a signal that the preceding vowel will make its long-vowel sound.Thus, cap becomes cape; pin becomes pine; and so on.
Bubble Doubles
HOW TO PLAY
Lily’s not just blowing bubbles. She’s making words, and players can too! Players use the pen to “burst” bubbles with word parts that combine to make new words.The object of the game is to make as many words as possible before the time runs out.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Word Building/Structural Analysis: An understanding of how word parts, including base words, inflectional endings, prefixes, suffixes, and words within a compound, are combined to form new words.
Level 1: Players match one-syllable words in order to form compound words.
Level 2: Players match one- and two-syllable words in order to form compound
words; and match the prefixes un-, re-, and dis- to base words to form new words.
Level 3: Players match words to form compound words; match –s to a
noun in order to form its plural; and match the prefixes un-, re- and dis-,
the inflectional endings –s and –ed, and the suffixes –er and –est to base
words in order to form new words.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Once children are able to identify the parts of a word and how they go together, they can begin to use this skill as a way to unlock the meaning of new words. For example, if children understand that to “rise” means “to come up,” they can figure out that “sunrise” is the time when the sun comes up.“Sunrise” means morning. Similarly, if they know that the prefix un- means “not” or “the opposite of,” and they know the meaning of the base word happy, they are likely to understand that when people are
“unhappy” they are not happy but sad.
HOW TO PLAY
Lily’s not just blowing bubbles. She’s making words, and players can too! Players use the pen to “burst” bubbles with word parts that combine to make new words.The object of the game is to make as many words as possible before the time runs out.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Word Building/Structural Analysis: An understanding of how word parts, including base words, inflectional endings, prefixes, suffixes, and words within a compound, are combined to form new words.
Level 1: Players match one-syllable words in order to form compound words.
Level 2: Players match one- and two-syllable words in order to form compound
words; and match the prefixes un-, re-, and dis- to base words to form new words.
Level 3: Players match words to form compound words; match –s to a
noun in order to form its plural; and match the prefixes un-, re- and dis-,
the inflectional endings –s and –ed, and the suffixes –er and –est to base
words in order to form new words.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Once children are able to identify the parts of a word and how they go together, they can begin to use this skill as a way to unlock the meaning of new words. For example, if children understand that to “rise” means “to come up,” they can figure out that “sunrise” is the time when the sun comes up.“Sunrise” means morning. Similarly, if they know that the prefix un- means “not” or “the opposite of,” and they know the meaning of the base word happy, they are likely to understand that when people are
“unhappy” they are not happy but sad.
Wild Word Waves
HOW TO PLAY
Dare to ride Wild Word Waves, the wackiest log flume in town! All you need is one sentence and a little courage to ride! The loading station is filled with signs that have words and punctuation on them. Players move the signs with the pen to put them in the right order to make sentences.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Grammar and Usage: An understanding of sentence structure—that all sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark; an understanding of the
parts of speech and how words go together to form sentences.
Capitalization: Players recognise that the first word of a sentence must
begin with a capital letter.
Punctuation: Players recognise that a statement must end with a period
and a question must end with a question mark.
Syntax: Players recognise how words are put together to form sentences.
Level 1: Players put words in the right order to form sentences (statements)
with nouns, verbs, articles and/or adjectives.
Level 2: Players put words in the right order to form sentences (statements and questions) with nouns, verbs, articles, adjectives, adverbs and/or conjunctions. Players can expand their choices by recycling words to get new ones.
Level 3: Players practice skills taught in Level 1 and Level 2, except in this
level incorrect or distracting words are offered as choices to complete the sentence.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Throughout their school lives, children are called upon to express themselves
in writing.To write a meaningful paragraph or essay, children must first know how to write a coherent sentence.They must be able to recognise the parts of speech and understand how to put them together to form a complete thought.
HOW TO PLAY
Dare to ride Wild Word Waves, the wackiest log flume in town! All you need is one sentence and a little courage to ride! The loading station is filled with signs that have words and punctuation on them. Players move the signs with the pen to put them in the right order to make sentences.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Grammar and Usage: An understanding of sentence structure—that all sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark; an understanding of the
parts of speech and how words go together to form sentences.
Capitalization: Players recognise that the first word of a sentence must
begin with a capital letter.
Punctuation: Players recognise that a statement must end with a period
and a question must end with a question mark.
Syntax: Players recognise how words are put together to form sentences.
Level 1: Players put words in the right order to form sentences (statements)
with nouns, verbs, articles and/or adjectives.
Level 2: Players put words in the right order to form sentences (statements and questions) with nouns, verbs, articles, adjectives, adverbs and/or conjunctions. Players can expand their choices by recycling words to get new ones.
Level 3: Players practice skills taught in Level 1 and Level 2, except in this
level incorrect or distracting words are offered as choices to complete the sentence.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Throughout their school lives, children are called upon to express themselves
in writing.To write a meaningful paragraph or essay, children must first know how to write a coherent sentence.They must be able to recognise the parts of speech and understand how to put them together to form a complete thought.
Bumper Bonanza
HOW TO PLAY
The bumper cars are all charged up and ready to go! Players choose from three daredevil teams, then control the action by matching the answers to equations on the bumper cars with the numbered exits in the bumper car rink. Using the pen, touch a car, and then draw a line to the matching exit. If the match is correct, the car follows the line, bumping its way past the other cars to get to the exit.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Numeration: An understanding of addition and subtraction symbols and their functions; an ability to perform basic addition and subtraction operations.
Level 1: Players solve addition equations using numbers from 0 to 10 and
subtraction equations using numbers 19 and lower.
Level 2: Players solve addition equations using multiples of 10 and single digit numbers, and subtraction equations using numbers 19 and lower.
Level 3: Players solve equations, adding 3 single-digit numbers; and add and
subtract 1- and 2-digit numbers.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Once children are able to make the connection between numerals and their numeric value, compare and order whole numbers, and count, they can begin to understand and apply the mathematical operations addition and subtraction. Through practice, youngsters are empowered to learn these basic skills and slowly build from operations on single-digit numbers, to double-digit numbers, to double-digit numbers with regrouping, and so on.The more engaging the practice, the more likely children are to revisit these skill sets until they master them.
HOW TO PLAY
The bumper cars are all charged up and ready to go! Players choose from three daredevil teams, then control the action by matching the answers to equations on the bumper cars with the numbered exits in the bumper car rink. Using the pen, touch a car, and then draw a line to the matching exit. If the match is correct, the car follows the line, bumping its way past the other cars to get to the exit.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Numeration: An understanding of addition and subtraction symbols and their functions; an ability to perform basic addition and subtraction operations.
Level 1: Players solve addition equations using numbers from 0 to 10 and
subtraction equations using numbers 19 and lower.
Level 2: Players solve addition equations using multiples of 10 and single digit numbers, and subtraction equations using numbers 19 and lower.
Level 3: Players solve equations, adding 3 single-digit numbers; and add and
subtract 1- and 2-digit numbers.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Once children are able to make the connection between numerals and their numeric value, compare and order whole numbers, and count, they can begin to understand and apply the mathematical operations addition and subtraction. Through practice, youngsters are empowered to learn these basic skills and slowly build from operations on single-digit numbers, to double-digit numbers, to double-digit numbers with regrouping, and so on.The more engaging the practice, the more likely children are to revisit these skill sets until they master them.
Sea
Shapes
HOW TO PLAY
Players spot as many fish and objects as they can in this fast-paced underwater tour. Using the pen, players touch the shapes the captain describes: fish with four sides, or sinking litter shaped like a cylinder.They can combine two shaped fish to make a new fish, or tell how many parts make up the whole.The more fish you find, the more tokens you earn.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Geometry: Shape attributes, 3-D shapes, combining two shapes to make a
whole, fractions.
Level 1: Players identify basic two-dimensional shapes, such as circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, diamonds and pentagons, based on the number of sides and corners.
Level 2: Players identify three-dimensional shapes and combine two dimensional
shapes to make new shapes.
Numeration: An understanding of numerals and their numeric value;
fractions and their fractional parts.
Level 3: Players recognise parts of a whole and parts of a set that are divided in two, three and four equal parts; identify one-half, one-third and one-fourth.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Once children understand that objects can be classified by their attributes, they can begin to learn the fundamentals of geometry. For example, shapes can be characterised by such attributes as how many sides and corners they have. In higher-level math, this provides the foundation for measuring sides and angles.Thus, a triangle can be more specifically defined as acute, obtuse, or right (based on angles); or equilateral, isosceles, or scalene (based on sides).
HOW TO PLAY
Players spot as many fish and objects as they can in this fast-paced underwater tour. Using the pen, players touch the shapes the captain describes: fish with four sides, or sinking litter shaped like a cylinder.They can combine two shaped fish to make a new fish, or tell how many parts make up the whole.The more fish you find, the more tokens you earn.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Geometry: Shape attributes, 3-D shapes, combining two shapes to make a
whole, fractions.
Level 1: Players identify basic two-dimensional shapes, such as circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, diamonds and pentagons, based on the number of sides and corners.
Level 2: Players identify three-dimensional shapes and combine two dimensional
shapes to make new shapes.
Numeration: An understanding of numerals and their numeric value;
fractions and their fractional parts.
Level 3: Players recognise parts of a whole and parts of a set that are divided in two, three and four equal parts; identify one-half, one-third and one-fourth.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Once children understand that objects can be classified by their attributes, they can begin to learn the fundamentals of geometry. For example, shapes can be characterised by such attributes as how many sides and corners they have. In higher-level math, this provides the foundation for measuring sides and angles.Thus, a triangle can be more specifically defined as acute, obtuse, or right (based on angles); or equilateral, isosceles, or scalene (based on sides).
RC Rally
HOW TO PLAY
In this game, players put the pedal to the metal to race remote-controlled cars. Players first select a track, and then choose an RC car to rent with the tokens they have earned playing other games. To avoid the many hazards that appear along the
way, players can do the following: Use the arrow pad to control the direction
and speed of the car. Press the big blue button to jump over obstacles.
Press the little blue button to squirt hazards.
The game includes three tracks: The Beach,The Candy Shop and The Snack
Shack, with hazards such as oil slicks, banana peels, spilled drinks and beach balls.
The object of the game is to race the length of the course within the qualifying time. If the player achieves or beats this time, he or she will get to race on a new and more difficult version of the track without paying an extra rental fee. If the player does not meet the qualifying time, he or she will need to rent another vehicle in order to race again.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Logic and Reasoning: Successful game play depends largely on the logic of the player in determining which RC car can handle the greatest number of hazards on a particular course. (A car will not be slowed down by a hazard that matches its terrain capabilities.)
Fine Motor Skills: Players use their skill of hand-eye coordination to navigate their RC car around tracks of increasing levels of difficulty in decreasing amounts of time.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Children are asked to apply their problem solving skills to virtually every area of life, from solving word problems in school to choosing the best way to wash the family pet! Practice in a fun, lively context is a great way to build this skill!
HOW TO PLAY
In this game, players put the pedal to the metal to race remote-controlled cars. Players first select a track, and then choose an RC car to rent with the tokens they have earned playing other games. To avoid the many hazards that appear along the
way, players can do the following: Use the arrow pad to control the direction
and speed of the car. Press the big blue button to jump over obstacles.
Press the little blue button to squirt hazards.
The game includes three tracks: The Beach,The Candy Shop and The Snack
Shack, with hazards such as oil slicks, banana peels, spilled drinks and beach balls.
The object of the game is to race the length of the course within the qualifying time. If the player achieves or beats this time, he or she will get to race on a new and more difficult version of the track without paying an extra rental fee. If the player does not meet the qualifying time, he or she will need to rent another vehicle in order to race again.
WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT?
Logic and Reasoning: Successful game play depends largely on the logic of the player in determining which RC car can handle the greatest number of hazards on a particular course. (A car will not be slowed down by a hazard that matches its terrain capabilities.)
Fine Motor Skills: Players use their skill of hand-eye coordination to navigate their RC car around tracks of increasing levels of difficulty in decreasing amounts of time.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
Children are asked to apply their problem solving skills to virtually every area of life, from solving word problems in school to choosing the best way to wash the family pet! Practice in a fun, lively context is a great way to build this skill!
(not included)
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