Educational Software

There are a million educational software programs out there that are great for kids. Not only are these programs educational and informative but they are also fun. In my opinion, there is nothing better than learning that kids WANT to do.

A lot of games teach skills that kids aren't even aware of. My favorite computer game growing up was the Adventures of the Zoombinis. This game involved getting little tiny creatures, zoombinis, from an unhappy home to a new, peaceful land. In order to get them from one place to the other, the player had to pass a series of challenges. All of the challenges involved something educational- making patterns, grouping characteristics, critical thinking skills, deductive reasoning, etc. I never thought of the game as educational- I played it purely for pleasure. However, in the process, I learned and practiced a lot of important skills without even realizing it.

I think it is important to allow students to play educational games, particularly games that aren't obviously educational. This will help students foster a love for learning without thinking that learning is cheesy or boring. Some traditional educational software are a little cheesy and boring, and I think that can be a huge turnoff to a student.