For Parents of Gifted Children
Issues surrounding financial spending and saving have been dominating the news for months, and it doesn't look like they'll be disappearing any time soon. Yet explaining these issues to your child can often be difficult. Duke Gifted Letter went...
Issue 1 / Fall 2009 Makel, Matthew C. Product Tips Technology
For hands-on summer fun and hours of discovery learning, invest in one (or all) of these try-it-at-home scientific experiment books*: Stomp Rockets, Catapults, and Kaleidoscopes: 30+ Amazing Science Projects You Can Build for Less Than $1, by Curt Gabrielson (Chicago...
Navigate the world in a fun and informative way with interactive globes. Three good choices include GeoSafari Talking Globe, Jr., and GeoSafari Talking Globe by Educational Insights, Inc., and SmartGlobe Deluxe Edition by Oregon Scientific. GeoSafari Talking Globe, Jr.,...
There is a consensus among linguists and educators that second language acquisition is valuable in itself as personal educational development, but studies have shown that children who acquire a second language tend to do better in cognitive functioning and...
Volume 8 / Issue 1 / Fall 2007 Perry, Jeffrey R. Product Tips
Interest in forensic science has boomed in recent years, partly due to the popularity of crime shows such as CSI that follow a crime from the early identification of likely suspects to the scientific confirmation with hard evidence. Three...
Despite the onslaught of computer and video games designed to exercise spatial cognition, three hand-held manipulative puzzles remain popular: Rubik’s Cube, by Winning Moves, celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this year; the Retro Bedlam Cube, by Bedlam Puzzles, Ltd.; and Thinkfun’s...
For family fun, try an ingenious brain game. Three excellent choices are Cranium: The Family Fun Game, by Cranium, Inc., The Whole Brain Game, by Creative Mind Games, and Evolution, by Platypus Games. Cranium Family Fun Game is played...
For budding creative artists, two excellent products are available. Silver Dolphin’s Fine Arts Studio Drawing, by Jim Bradrick, is a pencil drawing kit, while Chronicle Books’ Sumi-e: The Art of Japanese Brush Painting, by Shingo Syoko, uses ink as...
Boone, Sarah Creativity Volume 6 / Issue 4 / Summer 2006 Product Tips
For a fun approach to logic and deduction, try two decoding games: Mastermind, by Pressman, and Coda, by Winning Moves Games. In Mastermind, the Codemaker uses color and sequence to create a code that the Codebreaker must solve. The...
Two new board games combine language skills with playing strategy. For immersion in the complexity and uniqueness of the English language, Bethump’d with Words (Discovery Edition) by Vermont Word Nerds is an excellent choice. For spelling and vocabulary enhancement,...
For honing mathematical and critical thinking skills, two board games—Space Tivitz, by SAS Games, and Equate, by Conceptual Math Media—get a thumbs-up. Space Tivitz provides multilevel options ranging from simple addition and subtraction to multiplication and division with fractions,...
Planning a car trip this summer? Cruise the miles with a few ingenious travel games designed for family or individual entertainment. Lateral thinking puzzles, or word puzzles that require a unique approach to problem solving, are classics. They require...
Spring is a great time to cultivate an interest in the natural world by investing in children’s field guides. Young nature enthusiasts have two excellent choices: Fandex Family Field Guides, by Workman Publishing, and Peterson Field Guides for Young...
Toys. Kids love them. But as a parent, how do you determine which ones offer some sustenance and which are useless, moneymaking gadgets designed for visual appeal? Recently at a local toy store, my husband and I became dismayed...
Volume 5 / Issue 2 / Winter 2005 Stephens, Kristen R. The Editor's View
For teens and preteens interested in theater, film, and screenwriting, I recommend three books: Break a Leg! The Kids’ Guide to Acting and Stagecraft, by Lisa Friedman (Workman, 2002); Screen Teen Writers: How Young Screenwriters Can Find Success, by...
This fall is the perfect time to invest in presidential-election board games. Two strong choices for integrating history, politics, and current events with the electoral process are Oval Office: The Race to Be President, by Talicor Inc., and Hail to...
For parents interested in teaching their children the complexities of the stock market, two popular board games, Bull Market, by the Great Canadian Game Company Inc., and Stock Market Tycoon, by Vida Games LLC, are good ventures. Bull Market,...
Board games are back! For tons of fun this holiday season, I recommend three strategy games that stimulate critical thinking and provide hours of enjoyment for the whole family. All are suitable for gifted children. Gobblet! by Blue Orange...
If you want history to come alive for your children, I recommend two excellent series of activity books. These series target elementary and middle schoolers; although some of the activities require adult supervision, the works themselves ingeniously address the...
For hours of entertainment and intensely complex critical thinking, robotics are ideal. Three good choices for robot building kits are LEGO MindStorms Robotics Invention System, TAB Electronics Build Your Own Robot Kit, and MOVIT Robotic Arm Trainer. For help...
Need some fun and challenging games for spring break? Visual thinking games may be the answer. Dozens are available, but I have chosen for evaluation some of the more unique and challenging ones. Visual Brainstorms: The Smart Thinking Game and...
Need a worthwhile, hands-on activity for your children? Archaeological excavation kits might be just the thing. For younger children, second- to fourth-graders, my pick is GeoSafari’s Buried Treasure kits. Each kit contains a block of porous clay, four buried...
Literary magazines—periodicals that offer talented young writers, photographers, and other artists a venue for their creations—are the topic of this issue’s review. With gifted middle schoolers in mind, I looked at two periodicals targeted at girls and two at...
As a teacher of gifted and talented students, I am often amazed by the diversity of their interests, especially when coupled with their intense desire to pursue answers to questions. As a parent, I’ve been astonished by the costs...
Volume 2 / Issue 4 / Summer 2002 Riley, Tracy L. Special Focus
Does your child want to learn Spanish? Or improve his or her Spanish-speaking skills? Language-learning programs overwhelm both the educational products market and the parents and teachers trying to match products to their children’s and students’ needs. With help...
Architectural design kits are among the more sophisticated manipulatives on the market today. Look for kits that reinforce principles of geometry and physics, require attention to detail (symmetry, balance, and aesthetics), and allow for creative exploration. The Museum Building...
If mystery games are on your children’s wish list, you might want to consider the following, all of which I recommend. Art Fraud Detective, by Anna Nilsen In Art Fraud Detective Nilsen catalogs six centuries of art masterpieces. Published...
If your children are interested in the night sky, I recommend two astronomy kits, Star Explorer, by DaMert Company, and Star Theater 2, by Uncle Milton Industries. Star Explorer is fun and versatile. The kit consists of the Celestial Seeker...
Gross anatomy doesn’t have to be gross anymore. Three-dimensional, interactive anatomy software allows for intricate, in-depth study of the human body with the click of a mouse. The Ultimate Human Body Deluxe Edition, by DK Interactive Learning, provides three “scanners”...
Few authors have matched William Shakespeare in creativity, insight, and intellect. I have been playing with Shakespearean activities for fourth- through eighth-graders and have chosen two for an in-depth look. Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times, by Colleen Aagesen...
In this issue I evaluate three mathematics software programs that cover a rigorous curriculum from prealgebra to advanced calculus: Math Advantage 2001, by Encore Education; Excel@Mathematics, by Knowledge Adventure; and StudyWorks! Mathematics Deluxe, by Math Soft. These programs use different...
The Holocaust Library is a seven-volume set covering one of the most horrific periods in history. Appropriate for middle-school-aged gifted students, it provides a critical examination of the people and events of the Holocaust. Each volume focuses on a specific...
Have you ever bought an educational toy or game that promised to challenge your children’s intellectual curiosity? Has that toy or game eventually cluttered the attic? “Product Tips,” a regular column of the Duke Gifted Letter, aims to help parents...