Selecting Toys that Encourage Learning

During the holiday season, the stores are packed with a variety of toys and games, making it hard for parents to know which types are appropriate matches for their children. By selecting toys that offer a combination of fun and learning, parents can do more than just stimulate a child's enjoyment- they can inspire and enhance the student's reading and math skills while nuturing problem-solving and imagination.

Choosing the right toy for your child will give him or her the opportunity to think, practice a particular skill or learn something new, as well as engage the child in hours of play. To strike a balance between learning and fun, parents should look for toys that fit their child's age, skills, abilities and interests, and give him or her the opportunity to learn and grow. Take the time to understand how the toy works and whether it is suitable for your child. You'll help your child learn and have fun at the same time!

To help parents identify toys that nurture learning behaviors in key areas of development, Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, offers the tips below to help parents find toys that make learning fun:

Math

· Board games show children how math is used outside the classroom. take turns playing banker in Monopoly® or play a game o f Yahtzee® and calculate the odds of rolling specific number combinations. 

· Electronic counting games offer children number and counting challenges.

· A toy cash register helps children understand math when making change with money.

· Building blocks teach children about geometry and shapes.

· Dominoes are a great game for children of all ages. Smaller children can use them to recognize similar quantities while older children can explore the concepts of probability.

Reading and Writing

· Books help childeren enhance their vocabulary and appreciate words and literature. See if there is a certain author whose books your child likes to read and be sure to bring home a couple of her favorite books. For guidance on age-specific books in your child's favorite subject areas, check out www.BookAdventure.com .

· Find a special diary or personalized writing tool for your child and he will have hours of fun writing journal entries every day. Before he realizes it, he'll have set aside extra writing time that he'll look forward to! Vistit the "Parent Resources" area of www.SylvanLearning.com for online journals.

· Subscribe to a magazine for your child (e.g., Ladybug, ranger Rick, Spider, Your Big Backyard, Zoobooks, etc.) to learn about topics of interest to her. She will be excited about having her own reading materials that come in the mail addressed to her each month.

Imagination/Creativity

· Pretend play with dolls, stuffed animals and action figures can spark a child's imagination.

· Dress-up costumes, dollhouses and other pretend props encourage children to tell stories and play make-believe.

· Young children love to pretend with child-sized versions of everday adult objects. Find activities and toys that are pretend versions of items you use on a regular basis. Children love to do what adults do.

· Toys like Easy-Bake ® Oven introduce children to basic food preparation skills, such as reading recipes and following cooking directions.

· Art materials, such as paint sets or craft kits, foster creativity and help improve reading and writing skills.

Reasoning Skills

· For young children,  toys like building blocks, LEGO's®, and Tinkertoys® actually help  children acquire the reasoning necessary to learn math more quickly.

· Look into games like Connect Four® or Yahtzee® to teach your child strategy and problem-solving skills; he'll have fun learning and playing before he even knows it!

· Science kits, chemistry sets and ant farms offer great insights into the world of science and help enhance reading comprehension and critical thinking. They also encourage your child to follow the rules and strategy behind experiments.

· Video games are often not thought of as educational toys, but they help build reasoning skills ans logic as children navigate the different levels of each game.

· Project-based toys, such as model airplanes, cars, ships, and rockets, help children build motor skills, teach them how to follow directions and encourage ides about how things work.

Technology Rules for Kids

by Dr. Rick

Computers, video games, cell phones, electronic screens are ubiquitous in our lives and the lives of our kids.  That in and of itself is neither good nor bad - it's just a fact.  With the holidays many of the gifts our kids will receive will be tech-toys. As the new year is getting underway, we want to keep our kids clearly focused rather than busily distracted. How do you establish a climate of concentration in your family? Here are a few ides to consider.

1. Your rules rule.  Have clear guidelines for kids to follow.  Like all rules for children, the clearer and simpler, the better.  I've made this point often - you're the boss.  If you're unsure how to start, talk to trusted teachers at school, other parents in the community, or look at good online sites.  Here's one I like (www.connectsafely.org).
2. Set time limits.  A good rule of thumb for teens is two hours of screen time per day, including schoolwork.  For elementary schoolers, it's less.  I like having a no-screen-time-period just before bedtime, too.  You decide what will work best for your family. 
3. Set place limits.  No electronic screens at dinnertime, for example, when the family's having a discussion, or enjoying family time together.  That's true for you, too, by the way.  Many families find that for younger kids, it's best if the computer is in the family room - not in their rooms - and used only when you're present, monitoring.
4. Set site limits.  Discuss sites they want to visit, then agree which ones they're permitted to use.  If some sites are off-limits, explain why you're vetoing them.  If you particularly approve of certain sites, explain why you like them.
5. Schoolwork comes first.  Study and chores come before socializing and games.  So does anything else you decide - writing that thank you note, going to Sunday School, helping Mrs. O'Malley next door.
6. Know their online friends.  You know their "real" friends.  You should know their online friends, too.
7. Stress privacy.  Explain why you don't permit them to give out personal information about themselves or their family, to meet with strangers they've "met" online, or to spend money online.  You don't have to be scary, just realistic and firm.  You want them to be safe.  Kids understand that.
8. Stress your values.  Explain it's right that they come to you whenever they encounter something online that makes them uncomfortable or they suspect you would disapprove of - sex, hatred, intolerance, or violence, for instance.
9. Stress common sense.  It's good sense not to allow downloading - music, movies, for instance - without your permission.  Show how their online words and pictures are, for all intents and purposes, permanent.  Just as we watch what we say in our speech, we need to do the same thing online.  Maybe even more so.
10. Be a role model.  You're a role model in everything you do and say as a parent, including using technology.  Let the kids see you using your computer, phone, and other devices to make your life easier, more efficient, more fun.  Show how you're in control of it, not the other way around.