You will notice that the game charts have a column labeled LEARNING STYLES.  If you have READ Discover Your Child’s Learning Style, you will understand what the notes mean.  If not, here is a brief key:

Modalities:

Print means that most content is in print.

Picture means there are a lot of pictures or other graphics.

Visual means that both print and pictures are used in the game.

Verbal means there is some to quite a bit of talking involved.

Listening means that listening is involved.

Auditory means that both Verbal and Listening skills are used in the game.

Hands-on means that there is significant hand movement of cards, pieces, etc.

Whole Body means that the whole body is moving.

Writing means that writing is involved.

Dispositions:

Move means that there is significant physical activity.  These games are great for the very active child who hates to sit still.

Produce means that there is a clear (to the student) and quantifiable learning objective.  These children like to have a game labeled “educational” whereas that adjective is the kiss of death to most of the other dispositions.

Invent or Discovery means that there is discovery and/or experimentation involved.

Interact means that there is significant social interaction.  This learning style enjoys most games so it is only listed it when the group interaction is above average.

Create means that the game requires significant thought and/or creativity.

There is another vital element of learning that is important in regard to physical movement or what schools like to call Physical Education.  This is explained in depth in Smart Moves by Carla Hannaford.  Therefore, we have included the notations Vestibular and Proprioceptive to help you pick out P.E. games and activities that give your child reinforcement  in these sensory areas.

Vestibular refers to awareness of body balance and movement.

Proprioceptive  refers to the relative position of different parts of the body and the strength of effort used in movement.

Most games combine multiple elements, so we listed only the salient ones.  Likewise, any one child’s learning style is far more complex than these simple definitions and each child’s personality includes a combination of several modalities and dispositions.  Watch for the elements in games that your child likes and look for those or similar elements in other games

These games will provide ample practice with basic facts, underlying concepts and some practical application.  Prime Pak, Equate, and the Conceptual Bingo series will give practice with concepts necessary in algebra.  SET, Katamino, and Tantrix are brain-stretching spatial/logic games, which will develop skills important in geometry.  There is another game we used to recommend for geometry, which is now out of print: Geo Shapes.  It is the best hands-on geometry board game we have seen.  You may be able to find a copy online.

To give your child practice with paper & pencil calculations you can practice with everyday situations that just come up, download practice sheets from the internet, or get a workbook.  The Spectrum series from McGraw-Hill is very inexpensive and has practice problems from all areas of math.  We also like the Life of Fred math series.  It is the best math series we have seen for explaining in concrete (if somewhat whimsical) terms the why and how of math.  For this age, you can use either Life of Fred: Fractions or Life of Fred: Decimals & Percents depending on your child’s level of understanding.  (If you are just starting Life of Fred, we recommend you begin with Fractions as the story of Fred’s life begins there.

Another excellent math series is Ray’s Arithmetic.  This will appeal more to the Produce and some Invent learning styles.  These books are filled with practical, everyday problems, which demonstrate the usefulness of math.  They do not follow our modern grade system, but you will probably want to use Ray’s New Practical Arithmetic at this point.  If your student finds the problems too difficult, step back to Ray’s Intellectual Arithmetic.  Dr. Ruth Beechick has written a parent guide to the Ray’s series, which is very helpful.

HELPFUL BOOK:

The Usborne Illustrated Elementary Dictionary of Math

Many people assume that there aren’t enough exercises in Ray’s Arithmetic or Life of Fred to really nail down math concepts.  This is because for the last hundred years Americans have been subjected to math that was not connected to practical use as it was taught.  When all you are doing is memorizing an algorithm, hundreds of repetitions are needed to create a permanent memory.  Both Ray’s and Life of Fred teach the why of math right along with the how.  With this approach, much less practice is needed although there are variations with different children and their different learning styles.

We included a number of vocabulary/ spelling games in the mix.  Pick Two and Kerfuddle, although very different, require quick responses and will be popular with very competitive kids who like a fast pace.  Quiddler gives time for more thoughtful consideration and allows children and adults of varying ages and abilities to play successfully together.  What Is The Sentence is fast paced, hilarious and also good for many age levels to play together.  It focuses on creative sentence construction and includes parts of speech in the game play.  Marie’s Words is an amazing and creative set of 550 vocabulary cards from the College Board SAT.  The cards can be used in a variety of ways and directions for two games are included.  Marie’s Words is a must for students who are primarily visual-graphic learners.  It has visual helps for spelling as well.

Because of frequent references in literature, both current and classic, it is important for children to learn about the myths of western cultures. (This is equally true of Bible stories and Shakespeare’s plays.)  Without an understanding of these basics of Western Civilization, English literature and even current writings lose much of their meaning.

There are many good children’s versions of Greek, Roman and Norse mythology.  One of the most popular is D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths.  Usborne Books publishes several books on Greek and Norse Myths. Jim Weiss has several wonderful recordings on CD (Greek Myths and He and She Adventures in Mythology), which will acquaint you with many myths in a most delightful way.  The Professor Noggin’s Myths game can both introduce and reinforce knowledge of these stories.  Read a variety of myths before playing the game for the first time.  Then use the game to see what you remembered and to find out about stories you may not have encountered.  Older players can explain some of the references encountered if younger children are not yet familiar with that particular myth.  This makes the game a fun family endeavor.

A good way to introduce your children to Shakespeare is with storybooks about Shakespeare’s plays. The game will be more meaningful if your child knows something about the story before you start the game.  Here are some you may want to consider:

 Graphic Novels of Shakespeare:

• As You Like It
• Julius Caesar
• King Lear
• Macbeth
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Romeo & Juliet
• The Tragedy of Antony & Cleopatra
• Merchant of Venice
• Taming of the Shrew
• Tempest
• Twelfth Night
• Lamb’s Tales From Shakespeare by Charles Lamb
• The Best of Shakespeare: Retellings of 10 Classic Plays by Edith Nesbit
• Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children by William F. Russell

Jim Weiss CD recordings:

• Greek Myths  (King Midas, Perseus & Medusa, Hercules, Arachne)
•  He & She Adventures in Mythology  (Psyche & Cupid, Pygmalion & Galatea, Echo & Narcissus, Atalanta & The Golden Apples, Baucis & Philemon)
• Shakespeare for Children
• Romeo & Juliet

The Play’s the Thing is a versatile game with four levels of play from beginner (“I never heard of this play”) to expert (“I can recite multiple lines and passages from memory”) and two levels in between.  This is a very fun way to learn and reinforce understanding of Shakespeare’s plays.  This is a game you will use for years and years.

Note: Shakespeare’s plays were not meant to be read.  They are plays and were created to be watched or performed.  For the maximum benefit and enjoyment, read the plays aloud in a group and/or watch videos after studying the vocabulary.

These games and others can open the door to amazing adventures in science.  As you play the games, be alert to your children’s questions and comments.  If you see a special interest in something, follow it up.  Get a book or video, do an experiment or go visit a museum or exhibit to help satisfy their curiosity.  You never know where it may lead.  Following your child’s interests is the most productive way to insure learning.  Learning doesn’t happen when one is bored.  If you worry that your children will miss something along the way, get over it.  All children miss something.  It is not possible to learn everything of value by age 18!

BOOKS:

• Marco Polo for Kids: His Marvelous Journey to China by Janis Herbert
•  The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster        
•  David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer by Janet Benge
•  The Silk Route: 7000 Miles of History by John S. Major
• Columbus by D’Aulaire
•  Magellan’s Voyage Around the World  by Cath Senker
• Lewis & Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery by Janis Herbert     
• Lewis and Clark Songs of the Journey CD
• Songs of the Journey Companion by Kindra Ankney
•  Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Jeanne Bendick
• Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick

Themes:  Early American History

SUGGESTED BOOKS:

• The Light and the Glory for Young Readers by Peter Marshall, David Manuel & Anna Fishel
• The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty
• Jamestown: The Perilous Adventure by Olga Hall-Quest          
•  A First Book in American History by Edward Eggleston
•  The Minute Boys of Lexington by Edward Stratemeyer
• The Story of the American Flag by Wayne Whipple
• George Washington’s World by Genevieve Foster
• Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh
• Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh  CD
• Rush Revere and the First Patriots  by Rush Limbaugh    
• Rush Revere and the First Patriots   by Rush Limbaugh CD
• Rush Revere and the American Revolution by Rush Limbaugh
• Rush Revere and the American Revolution by Rush Limbaugh CD

Audio Recordings by Jim Weiss:

• George Washington: First In the Hearts of His Countrymen                                                              
• Thomas Jefferson’s America