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.

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

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Parents say

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Kids say

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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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Not applicable.

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.


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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

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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

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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.

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