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Educational Software Helps Kids Catch Up

By: Fabian Toulouse Education has seen a number of changes over the decades. From blab schools to open classrooms to cooperative learning, the latest teaching methods have made lab rats of students across America. No sooner does one trend receive acceptance than it is replaced by something new. To top it all off, researchers now say that not all children learn in the same manner. Some are hands on learners, some are very visual, and some grasp things better through repetition, adding more difficult skills slowly. What has not changed are the basic skills children are expected to acquire, such as reading. math, and grammar.

A great way to help a child who may not be getting these skills in the classroom is to try educational software. With this generation raised on computers, it is natural to learn with the aid of educational programs. Indeed, children today are so accustomed to the fast paced visual aspect of television and video games that it is often impossible for classroom teachers to interest them.

There are several kinds of educational programs for the computer, ranging from "edutainment"-basically learning candy with the emphasis on the game-to reference tools like dictionaries and encyclopedias, to actual educational games whose aim is to teach skills in a fun manner.

Computer games gave creation to educational games in the mid 1990's. The idea was to take the colorful graphics and challenging levels inherent in computer games and to apply them to educational programs. The video game format is irresistible to most children. Setting a math game in space where the problems get increasingly tougher, for instance, may appeal to a child who is bored in school but who is passionate about video games.

Video games can be a valuable tool for parents who struggle with teaching their children basic skills like reading skills. With educational software, fits of frustration are quickly replaced by triumphant fist pumps as each new game level is mastered. Children have fun learning, and parents can take satisfaction in seeing their youngsters succeed.