Rhyming Game

Game: The Little Animals Adventure

Genre: Educational

Summary: Players are helping a mole dig for warms by identifying rhyming words. After a correct match is made, the mole compliments the player and digs a hole. If an incorrect word, the mole tells the player to try again.  There are three levels of play. At the end of each level, the mole eats his worms.

Educational Value: This game is great for rhyming practice.

Opinion:  I think kids will enjoy playing this game. I could see using it on my interactive whiteboard as a whole group rhyming lesson and then making it a part of the computer center.  I do like the feedback it gives, but I wish players could have the option of having the words read to them for further differentiation.

Link: The Little Animals Adventure

Clifford the Big Red Dog: Sound match

Game: Clifford the Big Red Dog: Sound Match

Genre: Educational

Summary: This is a quick game that helps children practice matching objects with the same beginning sound. The game presents a picture of an object and players click and drag the objects to a box. Each time a correct object is placed in the box, Clifford barks. If players try to put an incorrect object in the box, the object returns back to it's original spot in the game.  When 7 objects are in the box, the game prompts the player to end the game or practice a different sound.

Educational Value:   This game offers practice with beginning sounds. It is good for children in Pre-K, Kindergarten and struggling readers in first grade.

Opinion: The game is short and simple, yet fun. I think using the Clifford character will be a motivator for some children.  I could see using this game as a targeted center for children who need the extra practice. Because it is so short, the students could practice multiple sounds. I like that the game provides the option of having the computer say the names of the objects. This could also be a good game for ELL students.

Link: Clifford

Word Jungle

Today I found a new vocabulary game called Word Jungle.  It is a fun game to help kids learn the meaning of new words.

Game:  Word Jungle

Genre: Adventure

Summary:  The goal is to help the monkey get the monkey. There are 6 stages. During each stage a definition appears and the player has to choose the correct word. In each stage the monkey is completing a task such as swinging from tree to tree on a vine actoss the forest or jumping from one cliff to another.  When the correct word is chosen the monkey completes the task.  There are 3-4 words per stage.  At the end of the game, the monkey gets its treasure.  There are also different levels of play. Before playing the game, players will choose their grade level. It goes from second grade to sixth grade.

Opinion:  The game is a lot of fun. I think the concept of a monkey traveling through the jungle will be exciting and motivating for kids.  I also like that the game is differentiated by grade. Kids/teachers could pick the grade level most appropriate for the player. I would use this game as part of a computer center for students who need extra help boosting their vocabulary.

Link: Word Jungle

PBS Kids

I have always known that PBS had several games on their website, but never had a chance to check them out so today I decided to take a look.  There are a ton of games on this website. The games are divided into several categories and star characters from their tv shows. Since vocabulary is so essential in the early grades, I decided to check out their vocabulary games. One game I found was Hopposites.

Game:  Hopposites

Publisher: PBS

Summary: The goal of the game is to help Opposite Bunny get a snack by hopping on the correct opposite. The narrator gives the player a word and the definition. Then the narrator gives the player two words to pick from. They should choose the opposite of the first word. Players can get the definition of the two choices by clicking on the flowers below the word. When the player chooses the opposite, the bunny hops to that space.  After 3-4 turns, the bunny gets his snack.

Educational Value: The neat thing about this game is that it works almost like a chain. The opposite of the first word becomes the new word for the next turn. Because of this, the game helps children learn both antonyms and synonyms as well as build their vocabularies.

Opinion:  I really like that the game gives the definition for all of the words.  I would use this as a center in my first or second grade classroom.  The game is very short so students could easily play multiple times.

Link: Hopposites

Okta's Rescue

I was recently exploring National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) website and came across the game Okta's Rescue.  It is a fun counting game that I could use with my first graders at the beginning of the year or could be used with Kindergartners as well.

Game: Okta's Rescue
Genre: Educational
Summary: Okta's rescue is a quick game that provides practice counting. The game gives the player a number 1-18 (depending on the level) and the player clicks on that number of octopus to rescue them. As the player clicks on an octopus it moves to a bar on the side in rows of two for the player to be able to check his/her work before clicking the 'submit' button. There are three levels. Level 1 players see how many they can complete in 30 seconds, level 2 is 45 seconds and level 3 players play for a minute. When the time is up, players count the total number of octopus they rescued and show that number on a number line.  The octopus are organized into rows of ten for easier counting.
Educational Value: Okta's rescue provides practice to develop fluency when counting by 1's, 2's and 10's.  It also gives students the opportunity to use a number line. 
Opinion:  This game will make a great math warm-up on the interactive whiteboard or as a computer center. I could also see having my class play this game in the computer lab if my students need the practice counting.
Link: Okta's Rescue

Nintendo DS

 While I don't see the Nintendo DS being used wide spread in the classroom, I do think it is imporant for me to have a general idea of the games available for my students to play at home. I have had parents ask me about games before and for possible recommendations. The Nintendo DS boasts many educational titles so I decided try out a couple of games.

I own Brain Age 1 and 2. The Brain Age games are good for critical thinking, problem solving, building fluency with basic math skills and developing fine motor skills. I have also played Professor Layton. These games are great for developing problem solving skills and critical thinking skills.

I have been intrigued by all of the career oriented simulation games. I was able to get my hands on Imagine Teacher so I tried it out. Overall the game is OK. It is very unrealistic as to what it is like to be a teacher, but some of the mini games could lend some basic skill practice. I wouldn't recommend it from an educational standpoint.

Another game I was able to try out was Reader Rabbit Kindergarten. This game provided practice on a variety of math and language arts skills through different mini games. Plus I thought the story was fun and creative.

Game:  Reader Rabbit Kindergartner
Publisher: The Learning Company
Genre: Adventure
Summary: Reader Rabbit and his friend are captured by a giant balloon while they are flying around.  They land in Balloon Town and must collect 5 different musical instruments that are scattered around Balloon Town to get their ship back. Players play different educational mini games to earn the musical instruments.  The mini games provide practice rhyming, completing patterns, letter recognition, rhyming, following directions and basic math. At the end players complete two final mini games to get theri ship back.
Educational Value: This game would be good for a child in preschool to practice basic reading and math kids to help prepare them for kindergarten. The game could also be used for kindergartners to gain additional practice with these skills.
Opinion: The game was fun and seemed like it would be appealing to young children. The environment where the game takes place is colorful and there is fun music in the background. The controls were pretty easy.  They were mostly point and click with the DS stylus. Also, the directions are all given orally which helps children build listening comprehension as well. Overall, I would feel comfortable recommending this game to parents or letting my own child play this game.

Guess my Number

Today I was searching for games that I could use in my first grade classroom and came across Guess my Number.  This game is very simple. It doesn't have fancy graphics, but I still think it would be a fun way for students to gain number sense and use logical thinking skills.

Title: Guess my Number

Publisher: Kids Play Park Games
Genre: Educational

Game Summary: First a green, polka-dot 'animal' asks you is you want to guess his number or if you want him to guess your number. If the player chooses to guess the animal's number, the player is prompted to put in a number. Then the player is told if it is too high or too low until the number is guessed correctly.  If the player chooses to have the animal guess the number, the player is prompted to provide a number. Then the animal 'guesses' and the player has to tell if the guess is too high or too low.

Educational Value: This game gives students apply what they know about number order and to further develop number sense.

Opinion: This game is not as flashy as others, but I think it serves as a way to give "down and dirty" practice in a fun way instead of a worksheet. I like that the player has the chance to be the guesser and the person giving the clues because both roles require different types of thinking.  I do wish that it  used the words or symbols for greater than and less than instead of saying "too high" or "too low," but it can serve as a precurser to these skills.

Link: Guess my Number

Gazillionare

While researching simulation games, I found the game Gazillionaire. It is a "fantasy business simulation game" that takes place in space. Gazillionaire is a fun, complex game that allows players to apply economic concepts they have learned.

Game: Gazillionare

Publisher: Lavasoft

Game Summary:  In Gazillionaire players play as the owner of an intergallactic trading company. Your mission is to be the first to earn $5,000,000.  Players can earn money by buying and selling goods on different planets, taking passengers, by investing in the stock market and more. On the flip side, they also have expenses such as perchasing a ship, fuel, and paying crew members. You even have to pay taxes! There are 6 different levels starting from tutorial to master and you can play alone or with up to 6 players. You start out the game by naming your company and purchasing your ship. Mr. Zinn lends you the money you need. All players start off  with a negative networth. Each week counts as a turn. The week changes when you move from one planet to the next.

Educational Value: I think this game would be good for middle school or high school students and beyond. Even though it takes place in a fantasy world, the economic concepts presented are applicable to real life. While I am an elementary school teacher, I could see using this as an exploration activity within a social studies (or economics) classroom. I would definitely have a discussion about how these concepts are used within the real world and have students do a follow-up describing their strategies and why to show what they've learned.

Opinion:  This game is addicting and surprisingly intricate. The creators went as far to even create histories for each planet.  There are several strategies players can use to make money, which invokes creativity and problem solving. The tutorial is fabulous! It takes you step by step, adding features to the game one by one at your pace. The only downfall is that you only get 20 turns free. You can then purchase the game for $2.00/mo., $9.99/6 mo. or 14.99/year. For classroom purposes, I think the 20 turns is enough- students get to experience all of the features. Even if the entire game was free, there probably would not be enough classroom time to finish the whole game.

Overall, both my husband and I enjoyed playing this game. In fact we paid the $2.99 for the opportunity to play the whole game!

Science games

Today I went on a hunt for science games that I could use in my classroom. During this search I came across Sciencekids.co.nz.  This site has a compilation of science simulation games along with other experiments, lessons, quizzes and other activities for teachers and students. The site seems mostly geared towards elementary students and some of the games are better than others. Most of the games could be used as an introductory activity to peek student interest or possibly as a replacement to a live experiment when materials weren't available or time is short. A positive to the games is that most include discussion questions to guide students' scientific inquiry. Here are two games that I liked.

Title: How Plants Grow

Publisher: Science for Kids

Summary: The goal of the game is to create the best environment for the plant to grow tall. Players control the conditions of the room to see how light, water and heat affect the growth of a plant. The game is four weeks long. Players click on the levers to give the plant water and to increase or decrease the heat in the room. Players can also pull down a window shade to take away sun light. Questions at the end of the game encourage players to try out other situations such as no sun light or no heat to see what happens to the plant. If the plant dies, a clear explanation of why is given.

Educational Value:  I think this game is a good way for students to apply what they know about how plants survive. With teacher led discussion, students could be encouraged to make hypotheses and to draw conclusions. I would use this game as an introduction to a "live" plant experiment in the classroom. Students can use the background knowledge they gain from playing the game to hypothesize what they think will happen to the real plants. This could also take the place of the experiment if there was not enough time before a long vacation or summer for students to observe a real plant grow.

Opinion: Overall I would use this game in my classroom. I recommend that teachers play the game ahead of time to familiarize themselves with the game play. Once I got the hang of it, the game was pretty easy to control. In the beginning the directions are not very clear. I do like that the game includes questions and encourages further experimentation.

Link: How Plants Grow

Title: Teeth and Eating

Publisher: Science for Kids

Summary: The purpose of this game is for players to use what they know about animals and what they eat to give each one the correct set of teeth.  Students match three sets of teeth to a sheep, lion, human and a penguin. Players can click on magnifying glasses next to each set of teeth to get more information. The information provided explains whether the teeth belongs to an omnivore, herbivore or a carnivore, has a diagram of the teeth and explains how the animal uses the features of the teeth to consume food. Also once players finish they click eat. Then they are given immediate feed back. If players are correct they are encouraged to read more about the teeth and comparison questions are asked. If players are incorrect, the animals explain why the teeth don't belong to them.

Educational Value: I would use this game as an exploration activity during a study of animals' adaptations that help them survive. This activity could be a good starting point. Students do need to have some background knowledge of omnivores, carnivore and herbivores.

Opinion: I think students will enjoy playing this activity. This game will help students learn more about why animals have different kinds of teeth and how they can help the animal survive. I also like the discussion questions at the end. I could see using those questions with "think-pair-share" where students discuss them with a partner or even having students answer them on a quick exit card so I can see what they've learned.

Link: Teeth and Eating

Roy the Zebra

Throughout my educational career I have found that it is easier to find math games than any other subject so today I decided to hunt for language arts related games. One website I came across was Roythezebra.com.  This site has online books about Roy, a zebra who likes to sing and all of his friends at the zoo. There are also a collection of reading and writing games starring Roy and his friends. The games are often simple to play and colorful to be appealing to children. There are games for several reading skills such as making words with consonant blends and vowel pairs, rhyming, putting words in ABC order, singular vs. plural nouns, capitalization and punctuation and reading sentences to see if they make sense. Most of the games are geared towards K-2 students.  Below are two of the games that I enjoyed playing.

Title: Singular or Plural

Publisher: Tim Bowerbank (creator of roythezebra.com)

Game Summary: Players read and sort words by singular and plural. Within the sort they also match the singular form to its plural form. The game gives immediate feedback as well as a chance to try again when a mistake is made. When players finish the sort correctly they get to choose a present for Lucy's room. After completing four sorts, Lucy's presents are delivered and her room is transformed. There are five different levels for differentiation or increased challenge. When students finish one level they can move on to the next.

Educational Value: I would use this game on the interactive whiteboard as a word study lesson or as independent practice in the computer lab instead of a worksheet. The only down fall is that this game doesn't track data, but students could complete a quick exit card at the end of the lesson to demonstrate learning. This game could also be used as part of a computer center or small group activity for students who need additional practice.

Link: Singular or Plural?

Title: Double Consonants

Publisher: Tom Bowerbank (creator of Roythezebra.com)

Game Summary: Double Consonants was one of my favorite games on the website. Players make words by dragging groups of letters (double consonants) to the end or beginning of a word. After players create four new words they help Wellington clean up the ocean by dragging a piece of trash in the recycling bin. After five rounds all of the trash is gone and Wellington will drag the recycling bin out of the ocean.

Educational Value: This game gives students practice making words and using their decoding skills to read the words. There is a mix of frequently used words and more challenging words. It would be nice if the game had a feature where it would read the words out loud or give a definition if needed for further developing vocabulary. There is some feedback given. If students create a nonsense word they are asked to try again. While the main focus is making and reading words with double consonants, the 'story' also provides a subtle message to recycle and take care of the Earth/oceans.  I would either use this game as independent practice or as a center for students who need additional practice. There are five different levels that each practice specific double consonants which allows for differentiation. Students can work on the sounds they need more practice with. Teachers could pair up stronger readers with students who are still developing for additional help with reading the words.

Link: Double Consonants

Batter's Up Baseball

One of the first games I found on my search for educational games was Batter's Up Baseball. It is a fun game that encourages students to practice solving addition problems using mental math. The game is simple to play and is quite addicting. My husband even spent quite a bit of time playing as well!  I think that students will be motivated by the cheers of the crowd for each correct sum, especially when a home run is scored. The three levels make differentiation easy for teachers.

Game Title: Batter's Up Baseball

Publisher: Prongo.com

Game Type: Sports

Game Summary: The purpose of the game is to move your player around the bases to score a run by solving addition problems. The game has three built in levels- Single (easy), Double (medium) and Home Run (Hard). Players get the opportunity to choose the level in between each problem. An addition problem is displayed and players choose the correct sum from a 3x3 grid. Each time an addition problem is solved correctly, the baseball player moves around the bases according to the level you chose (1 base for single, 2 for double and a Home Run for Home Run).  If the incorrect answer is chosen the player gets a strike. After three strikes the game is over.

Educational Value: Batter's Up Baseball provides practice solving 1 digit, 2 digit and 3 digit addition problems. Players have 30 seconds to solve each problem so players are encouraged to use efficient strategies or mental math. I would use this in my classroom on my interactive whiteboard as a warm-up with white boards, as additional practice in the computer lab or as a part of my computer center.  

Link: Batter's Up Baseball