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Travel the World with TimmyReviewed by Stephanie HeesePublished by Edmark
PC version requires: Mac version requires: Description:
There are 5 activities to choose from in each of the 3 countries. Build-a-Village provides exposure to counting and some basic vocabulary in a foreign language as children add houses, people, and other items to a village. The choice between an Explore mode and Question & Answer mode is characteristic of Edmark software and puts the power in the child's hands. Sing-a-Song allows children to hear fun native songs. Children choose the storyline in Make-A-Story and can print their stories and hear them played back in English or in the native language of the selected country. The Games activities include a Kenyan bug game, a matching Bingo-like game in Argentina, and the chance to make a Kabuki Theater in the Japan location. Arts and Crafts activities allow children to color cultural artwork and do various projects they can print out and assemble away from the computer. A talking picture dictionary is always a click away for children in need of help in the form of translations. Features:
Technical Aspects:This game installed without difficulty. Navigation is straightforward, and the scenes and characters are bright and fun. The graphics are cartoon-like and are guaranteed to appeal to the suggested age group! Included is a well-done manual that contains loads of ideas and educational opportunities in addition to general instructions.Report and Conclusions:I find this software to be fresh and unique. Research on the brain has revealed that exposure to foreign languages at a young age is highly beneficial, as children after a certain age lose the ability to distinguish certain sounds (phonemes) of foreign languages. In particular, exposure to foreign languages through song is a powerful way to learn. This software is full of opportunities to learn these skills! That aside, isn't it nice for young children to have the opportunity to be aware of different languages and cultures? It certainly pleased me when I heard my 4 year old telling her friend about how people from Argentina speak Spanish and people from Kenya speak Swahili. It is very easy for young children to be unaware of the fact that there is so much more to the world than just their own neighborhood and experiences. Yet, their eyes light up when they learn about others in faraway lands, and there is a natural curiosity and interest in these subjects. This software does a great job of holding that interest. The activities in Timmy are unhurried and age-appropriate.This program elicited lots of smiles from my 4 year old daughter, as well as the comment "Isn't this neat, Mommy?" The arts and crafts activities were a real hit with her, as she jumped to cut out her printed pictures, assemble her creations and then head right back to the computer again. The instructions for the projects are simple which means she can be (almost) independent when completing her projects. And oh how she loves to be independent - it really boosts her confidence. My 7 year old describes this software as "excellent". Edmark brings freshness to some perhaps overdone activities - namely electronic coloring books. At first I thought it odd that there was no paint can in addition to the paintbrush for filling in areas. However, instead of toggling between paintbrush and paint can as in most software, here children use the paintbrush and simply click and hold to fill in. It is different and possibly superior, although I haven't fully decided on that one yet :). At the very least, it is pleasantly different. The games are very entertaining. There is a bingo-like game that can be played by one or two players, and my 4 year old has been spending a lot of time playing this with her 2 year old sister. I'm partial to games as educational tools for younger children - it teaches them how to take turns and follow rules, in addition to the skills specific to the type of game being played. This software is a nice little package with a good mix of activities and appealing characters. It is probably best suited to children who are receptive to learning foreign languages and intrigued by foreign cultures. My children find it to be excellent fun. I'm especially pleased with the learning opportunities well disguised as enjoyable games! |  |
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Travel the World with Timmy is designed to bring some culture into your young child's life. Timmy is an amicable alligator guide who pilots a hot-air balloon and is ready and willing to take your child to any of 3 countries - Kenya, Argentina, and Japan. Children need only to click on a country's flag, watch the globe spin to the chosen location, and off they go! Through a number of well-constructed activities in each location, children can learn how other people live, learn, play and speak! Learning opportunities abound in subjects that are not as frequently explored in software for the 4 to 7 age group: social studies, foreign languages, and even a bit of early geography. In fact, some early math concepts, and pre-reading skills are interwoven into this adventure. Hurray for Edmark! Now children as young as 4 can learn about others in far away lands in such an engaging way!
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