Kids Learn Spelling & Grammar: A+ Edition

Review

Common Sense Media says

Repetitive ed game does little with spelling and grammar.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Kids Learn Spelling & Grammar: A+ Edition is a collection of mini-games designed to help reinforce basic English skills that players should already be familiar with. In addition, there are other exercises not related to spelling or grammar. These additional mini-games test players' basic math skills and spatial recognition. There are a total of 15 mini-games.

  • Positive messages3
    This game teaches players that learning can be fun, and promotes positive reinforcement. If players answer a question incorrectly, the game encourages them to keep guessing and playing until they fully understand.
  • Positive role models0
    There are no role models in this game per se, as the experience is more about the players than it is about character or story development.
  • Ease of play5
    The mini-games are very basic in nature and are designed to reinforce educational material to children. There are no complex game mechanics, and the mini-games themselves are simple exercises that range from choosing the correct letter to complete a word, to putting pieces of polysyllabic words together.
  • Violence & scariness0
    Not applicable.
CloseExpand to see more details

What's it about?

KIDS LEARN SPELLING & GRAMMAR: A+ EDITION contains a variety of mini-games, though only a handful of them are focused on spelling and grammar. These include forming words by connecting letters or syllables, choosing synonyms of words, and finding antonyms of different words. The other mini-games include reinforcing basic math skills, recognizing patterns, and testing cognitive reasoning. In total, there are 15 mini-games.

Is it any good?

 

Kids Learn Spelling & Grammar: A+ Edition is almost a misnomer as the focus is not entirely on spelling and grammar. There are completely unrelated mini-games that test players in the areas of math and cognitive reasoning. The problem is that mini-games aren't very engaging and many are repetitive in format.

Many of the mini-games are essentially the same as other mini-games but with a different presentation. For example, one mini-game requires players to find the missing letter in the form of an "I Spy" mini-game, while another mini-game has a high-tech aesthetic to it but uses the exact same letter-finding mechanic. In total, there are 15 mini-games but only 3 truly unique spelling or grammar-related games. Even those three unique mechanics are all relatively uninspiring and rarely encourage players to really think it out. Instead, the mini-games are more a measure of players' existing vocabulary. It is perhaps a start for players who want to test and measure their vocabulary, but it is by no means a comprehensive educational product.

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about introducing their children to video games. What value do games have in a child's upbringing?

  • What mini-game is your favorite and why? Are there any games that you struggled with?

This review was written by Mark Raby

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
This review was written by Mark Raby
Platforms:Nintendo DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Educational
Developer:Talking Stick Games
Release date:January 17, 2012
Price:$19.99
ESRB rating:E for (No Descriptors)
This review was written by Mark Raby

Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.

 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Screenshots

  • 1 of 3
  • 2 of 3
  • 3 of 3

Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.

About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

More educational games
For kids who love learning while gaming
Browse more games
 

vote now

Will you play Kids Learn Spelling & Grammar: A+ Edition?

Game on
Press pause
Game over

Already played it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it