4/5
In a nutshell: This playset helps children two years and older gain fluency through an easy-to-use and interactive tool. Incorporating toys enables kids to better understand letter and word sounds, giving them a tactile learning experience.
The perks: Reading can be a challenging task for children. To make the process that much easier, the Square Panda Phonics Playset offers on-screen videos and three free games through an iPad connection. Not only will kids see letters and words on the tablet, they can use the accompanying blocks to spell out difficult terms themselves. The application provides an instant response to children’s engagement with the tool, altering the program if youngsters encounter problems with certain words.
To ensure children don’t become discouraged over time, the playset will reward kids when words are spelled correctly and encourage them to continue through playful characters if they’re struggling.
The headaches: Despite its great benefits the price tag may be out of reach for some family budgets. The playset is compatible with the third series of iPad and later, including iPad mini models. This means families with earlier versions of the technology will be unable to utilize the Square Panda Phonics software without updating.
Final verdict: Square Panda has created a fun and intelligent playset that offers both a virtual and tactile way to learn to read. Thanks to a partnership with the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, the tool has received positive promotion and for good reason. The playset utilizes the latest research on phonics and pre-kindergarten education, pushing multi-sensory learning and play to the forefront. These focuses make the difficulty of learning to read more enjoyable for children, especially those suffering from learning disorders who may need additional help to reach a strong level of fluency.
Offering 14 different sections of phonics instruction and diagnostics capabilities to measure and adjust the program for each child user, the Square Panda Phonics Playset provides solvable challenges, progress reports and helpful encouragement for kids to become fluent readers. If families can tackle the somewhat steep cost of the gadget and if their technology is up to par, the playset is the perfect reading assistant.
