CD Reading Games for Kids
CD reading games for kids teach children how to use the computer and introduce them to reading concepts, such as phonics, through fun games and recognizable cartoon characters. Many of these computer CD games also have tracking tools so you can gauge the child's progress.
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Bailey's Book House
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For beginning readers ages pre-K to 2nd grade, Bailey's Book House allows children to identify letter names and sounds, rhymes and how words correspond to symbols. Nine different games build on these skills until the student learns simple sentence creation.
For teachers and parents, the software provides tools to track the student's progress. Teachers can also assign specific lessons to a student. The game works on these Windows systems: 98, Me, 2000 Professional, and XP. It's also available for Mac OS 8.6+, OS 10.2.x to 10.4.x.
Reader Rabbit Reading, Ages 4 to 6
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Reader Rabbit Reading is a popular reading software system. It has 40 interactive storybooks that use animation and sound effects to get the child's attention. Reader Rabbit slowly builds up skill levels and lets the student progress at his own pace. A help feature allows the student to ask for and receive help from the software. Like other reading software, a progress reporting system for the parent or teacher allows tracking of progress, to make sure the student is staying on track.
The software is available for Windows XP and Mac OS 9 and above.
ItzaBitza
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An effort that took three years of work among researchers and educational software developers, ItzaBitza is a reading game unlike any other software game on the market. It allows the child to draw pictures, which are then animated by the program. The objects the child draws then are recognized by the program, and the program's characters play with the objects the child has drawn. For example, if the child draws a house, then the doors and windows are "operational" and an interior can be seen, and the game characters live inside. The child must solve reading clues to progress through the game, in addition to drawing; the program provides as much or as little help reading as the child needs. The game costs around $20 and works on Windows XP Professional / XP Home Edition / Vista and is made for children ages 4 and up.
Scholastics Clifford Phonics
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This Clifford software takes young, early readers to the Birdwell Island Carnival, where they must complete reading games, including helping T-Bone across a tight rope and popping balloons with Clifford, to win prizes used to decorate the virtual parade floats. Over 100 different activities keep up interest. The software demonstrates what word families are, word-object associations, blending and rhymes and letter and sound recognition.
Clifford Phonics is available for Windows 95 through XP and for Mac systems; buy the version designed for your operating system. A teacher license costs $39 and comes with a lesson book; a single-user software version is available for around $20 and frequently less.
Reading Blaster Ages 9-12
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For slightly older students, Reading Blaster is a logic-based game based on the premise that a mad scientist, Dr. Dabble, has taken townspeople and turned them into appliances; students must save the townspeople. The game uses puzzles, grammar, vocabulary, and reading practice to make the students solve clues to progress. For example, you must play a grammar game that identifies the parts of speech in order to beat out a ghost. Interesting characters, such as ghosts, goblins, politicians, and love triangles, hold attention. The game is made for Windows Vista/XP, with a separate Windows 98 version available as well. It costs between $9 and $20.
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