This Blog Will Explore Two Key Questions:
(1) Can we transfer the successful methods we developed in school learning labs (in our award-winning Math and Vocabulary-Reading Acceleration programs) into American homes? We know our software gets results. We know that in a lab setting kids get addicted to it and that we often have to tell them, "That's enough for today. Stop Working!" But parents buy learning software, not children. The question is: can we sell them learning software their children will actually use? (think that's a funny question? In a world full of edutainment programs that neither educate nor entertain we think it's about time a company asked it!)

(2) What tools and methods does research- and our successful lab experience- show to be crucial to motivating children to "fall in love with practice" and to ensuring that their practice time isn't wasted?

Key tools you'll see explained, tracked, critiqued, defended: the Learning Zones Placement games; the TargetScore! Motivation & Mastery System; TargetScore! Progress Trackers (printable paper trackers); Perfect Practice Vocabulary and Math Learning Paths; and our claim that "40 words a week can change a child's life!"

Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008

Power of Visual Goal Setting

Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008 01:34

Many learning games are like cafeterias. Children get their tray (sign-in) and enter the cafeteria to find out that the software designers have left the job of putting together a wholesome meal up to them. The menu (learning path) and portions (number of repetitions) are not laid out. So much freedom! A typical child ends up with three helpings of pie and a stomach ache. One or two times in the cafeteria and they don't return; or they come back every day and get nothing but sick from the time they spend there. The TargetScore! Learning System is different. First thing players see is a visual Learning Path that lays out a "prepared path to excellence." Our promise: If you follow this path--hitting your TargetScores along the way-- you will get stronger. As soon as children sign in and play the Learning Zones Placement game (more on that amazing tool in another post), they immediately see three things: (1) what games we want them to master; (2) the mastery TargetScores! they have to hit for each game; (3) the point of each game (Learn the Words, Earn them, Use them, Show off!: Speed & Perfection!) What happens then? They internalize the learning goals, make them their own, and fall in love with practice! Parents don't have to push their kids to do their 20 minutes 2-3 times a week. Though setting up incentives and making the printable TargetScore! Progress Trackers part of your household routine can make it even more likely that your children will rapidly increase their word power, reading power, learning power.... More about that in the next post.

Permalink Do you worry that TV (passive, fleeting connections; 75% images, only 25% words), the Internet (browsing, not reading), iPods (songs without lyrics), cell phones (no time to read, think, or finish one conversation), video games (please!), and all the other distractions of our Video Age might be suppressing your children's word power? Fight back with TargetScore! Vocabulary

Monday, Jan 21, 2008

Follow-Through is Everything in Life

Monday, Jan 21, 2008 01:33

Ok you've opened your new learning software. Now how do you get your kids to use it? Two simple steps: 1. Make the printable Progress Tracker part of your household routine; 2. Let the TargetScore! Motivation and Mastery System do the rest (more on that in the next post....) How to use the TargetScore!™ Progress Tracker Your new TargetScore! Vocabulary software comes with a built-in TargetScore!™ motivation and tracking system. So why do we also give you the ability to print out paper copies of the Progress Tracker? (click the "Progress & Printing" button, then "Print Progress Tracker"-- or just download it from this site) • Many students take great satisfaction in seeing their progress as they hit their Target Scores! and master each Word Group. With a highlighter they color in points circles, then the each game box. • Parents and siblings can set up contests or incentives ("If you master five Word Groups, you'll earn... ") and then track progress. • A printed progress tracker helps you look 5 groups ahead--use it with the TargetScore! Countdown timer to set goals and pace yourself. Did you know "40 words a week can change a child's life"? Well that works out to two Word Groups a week!

Permalink Do you worry that TV (passive, fleeting connections; 75% images, only 25% words), the Internet (browsing, not reading), iPods (songs without lyrics), cell phones (no time to read, think, or finish one conversation), video games (please!), and all the other distractions of our Video Age might be suppressing your children's word power? Fight back with TargetScore! Vocabulary

Sunday, Jan 20, 2008

Getting Kids to Play "Games That Make Them Strong," Part 2

Sunday, Jan 20, 2008 01:33

In this post I'll tell you what I say at my house to get kids to use learning games: There are games that make you weak (give you video-game power) and games that make you strong (give you real-world power). You know what I mean right? You spend hours on the games that make you weak and at best they leave you no better off when you sign off then you were when you signed on. Well I bought you some "games that make you strong." First one up is a vocabulary game. Here's what you need to know: Word Power = Read Power = Learning Power. The more you play this game the more word power you'll have--real-world power you can use to reach your goals in life: become a stronger reader, get better grades in school, score higher on tests like the ones you may need to get into high school or college. Unlike those other games made by people who could care less what their games do to your brain, every minute you spend on this game will leave you a bit stronger, a bit smarter, than you were before. Is that enough to get the average kid started? Probably not, but it tells them where you're coming from: I love you, want you to grow stronger, so I bought you this learning software. You're half way to buy-in. In the next post... we'll talk about how you can set up incentives and use the Progress Trackers and other tools we provide on our website to get follow-through. Because, as Katherine Hepburn's character says in the 2004 film, The Aviator : "Follow-through is everything... in life. Don't you find?"

Permalink Do you worry that TV (passive, fleeting connections; 75% images, only 25% words), the Internet (browsing, not reading), iPods (songs without lyrics), cell phones (no time to read, think, or finish one conversation), video games (please!), and all the other distractions of our Video Age might be suppressing your children's word power? Fight back with TargetScore! Vocabulary

Saturday, Jan 19, 2008

Getting Kids to Play "Games That Make Them Strong"

Saturday, Jan 19, 2008 01:32

So how do you get your kids to to actually use that vocabulary software you just bought? You could give them a talk about how vocabulary is the key to staying on grade-level in reading (after second grade). You could tell them that making sure their vocabulary "keeps up with the books" is a key to succeeding in school and on high-stakes tests like the SAT or ACT. You could tell them that modern life (with all its distractions--TV, video games, the Internet, cell phones, etc.) will make it very hard for them to "grow their vocabulary" at the rate their grandparents grew theirs. You could warn them that if they don't take steps they will most likely find themselves without the vocabulary they need to earn high enough grades and test-scores to get into their first choice college--or to do well at whatever college or career they do choose. Then you could sit back and see if they start spending an hour a day on the new software-- build a bigger vocabulary, read the great books, become captain of the debate team! But I wouldn't do it that way! In the next post I'll tell you what I say at my house...

Permalink Do you worry that TV (passive, fleeting connections; 75% images, only 25% words), the Internet (browsing, not reading), iPods (songs without lyrics), cell phones (no time to read, think, or finish one conversation), video games (please!), and all the other distractions of our Video Age might be suppressing your children's word power? Fight back with TargetScore! Vocabulary

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