As a part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew, we occasionally get to review homeschool products in exchange for our honest opinion of them. We recently got the opportunity to review one of three different programs from Super Duper Publication, a company that sells products designed to help children overcome learning disabilities. We were chosen to review the HearBuilder Following Directions Software Program. Here's some more about the game from their website:
HearBuilder Following Directions gives students a systematic way to improve their auditory and following directions skills. At the same time, students will learn how to become Master Toy Makers while building their own Toy Central factories. They will learn to follow increasingly difficult directions and will be able to demonstrate knowledge of 40 basic concepts in five areas: Basic Directions, Sequential Directions, Quantitative & Spatial Directions, Temporal Directions, and Conditional Directions.
Okay so first off, what momma doesn't want her kids to learn how to follow directions better? Anyone?{crickets chirping} That's what I thought. My six year old Zeke is kind of in that "shiny" stage - you're telling him to do something or he's relaying some information to you and you can slowly see his attention being diverted elsewhere and...ooh, shiny object! :) So learning more about following directions is definitely a useful skill. But of course, in his book the game has to also be fun or entertaining...and it is! Zeke really enjoys it. He loves being able to see how his Toy Factory is coming along as he passes different levels and earning tools to help build toys. It is really interesting (and encouraging!) for me as a momma to see him listening intently to the directions he's given - "click the red starHe actually told his little sis who was playing with Batman guys on his floor, "Can you please go in the other room? 'Cause I'm trying to hear these directions." The game was easy to install and for Zeke to learn how to play. It was designed for kiddos in grades Pre-K through 3rd who have difficulty processing auditory directions, but really I think it would be useful for any younger children learning how to follow directions.
The Home Version of HearBuilder Following Directions is available for $69.95 at the Super Duper Publications website where you can also see watch a demo or videos of the games, read more about the system requirements, read reviews, or browse the Frequently Asked Questions. If you're interested in getting HearBuilder Following Directions, you can save 30% by using the following code: BLGFD30 {Expires 8/31/12}
To see what other crew members thought of this program and others from Super Duper Publications, please click the button below!