Parent Guide
At Comfy™, we believe in challenging your child’s natural-born curiosity to fulfil his outmost potential, enabling him to develop new learning skills and selfconfidence through fun play.
Comfy™ Pedagogical House (CPH) 2
Dear Parent, We begin a learning process from the day we are born. The world in which we raise our children is getting ever more sophisticated and interactive and so should be the early learning tools we provide our children with, in order to prepare them for an advanced way of life. As modern parents in the 21st century, a time when the interactive dimension is an inseparable part of our lives, we are obliged to give our children the right balance between home and outdoor activities, and to impart them the tools and skills required to develop good inter-personal communication, through the use of learning and play aids. Smart use of advanced technology can constitute a meaningful tool in acquiring these skills. At Comfy™, we use the digital platform as a learning tool to open-up a whole new entertaining world for your children, enabling them to enjoy exciting interactive experiences through independent search, according to their personal development level. Comfy’s™ software are developed with the aid of child development psychologists and researchers that work in close cooperation with us to insure that our system helps in developing skills in maximum fields, such as fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, emotional intelligence, visual and spatial perception, creative thinking, vocabulary and language skills, concepts acquirement and more. Studies show that children who are exposed to interactive environments will cope better with the demands of modernization and develop higher learning abilities. Our variety of products, marketed in 20 languages, has won many prestige international education awards, and its great success among toddlers all over the world is a source of pride and inspiration for us. We wish you a fun, enriching interactive experience!
The Comfy™ Team
* For further details: www.comfyland.com
Contents 3C Developmental Cycle® Developmental Chart Comfy’s™ Interactive System Educational Values - General Motor and Sensory Skills Language Skills Thinking Skills Emotional Development Social and Behavioural Values Precautions
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Comfy™ Pedagogical House (CPH) Comfy™ Pedagogical House (CPH) is the research and development arm of Comfy™, responsible for accumulating all knowledge and information, identifying latest trends in child development and learning processes, and translating them into interactive and fun-learning products. CPH activities include research and field-testing; involving many experts from various fields that together form the wide knowledge base of Comfy’s™ activities. CPH is the developer of Comfy’s™ unique 3C Developmental Cycle® to leverage child curiosity, while promoting and maximizing effective learning.
Introducing the Comfy™ 3C Developmental Cycle® The immediate effect that can be seen while watching a child play with the Comfy™ System is the magic sparkle in his eyes that lights up his whole face. This is what we refer to as “Comfy’s™ magic effect”. We believe that this magic is created by the combination of Curiosity + Challenge + Confidence = 3C Developmental Cycle®
Curiosidade A child is born with natural curiosity. At Comfy™, we expose young minds to a rich interactive environment in order to leverage their natural– born curiosity and take them through a journey of learning through play and exploration, enabling the development of new skills and thought-patterns.
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Challenge
Confidence
Providing children with age/ developmentally appropriate, rich and fun content motivates and inspires them to utilize their capabilities to the fullest. CPH has developed a line of software titles, including 6 different levels of difficulty, developing motor skills, emotional intelligence, creative thinking, vocabulary and much more.
The Comfy™ System develops self-confidence by enabling children to play independently by controlling activities as active participants rather than passive ones. Acquiring this sense of control improves confidence and self-esteem and is the basis for building a positive and stable personality, as well as healthy human relationships.
Parents’ role in maximizing the Comfy™ 3C System Sharing quality time together Comfy™ brings parents and children together when playing and sharing fun educational moments together. Parent or child can stop the activity at any time by pressing the “pause” key and discuss/explain the shown content to deepen the child’s understanding.
Choosing the right software content Our extensive range of software titles with different age/developmental levels enables parents to carefully adjust the content for their child at each stage.
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Relating Comfy’s™ contents to real life As the Comfy™ System's content presents day-to-day situations and rituals, parents can project those rituals to their family’s personal life, helping their child to accept and understand these activities and find them more enjoyable.
Teaching more languages The Comfy™ System includes up to 20 additional languages, enabling switching from one language to another — learning new words in different languages.
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Developmental Chart My child is curious about‌
Recommended titles
v Touching & feeling everything. v Getting to know the surroundings. v Hearing familiar and new sounds.
Recommended levels
AGES
First Steps CD is included in the Easy PC Pack
v Coping with new challenges. v Developing new areas of interest. v Learning about the Internet.
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BEGINNER CDs AGES
3-5 ADVANCED CDs
World of Colors My Neighborhood
Let’s Imagine
Christmas in Comfyland Adventure in Numberland Time Travel
Online Adventures
v Playing with friends. v Classifying objects. v Problem solving.
v Knowing more about the world. v More complex games, with more interactivity. v Various arts and crafts.
Baby TV
Birthday Party Joy of Music
v Hearing stories & telling stories himself. v Experiencing events (i.e. birthdays & festivals). v Making new friends (social contacts).
Animal World
v Playing & receiving feedbacks. v Expressing first words. v Identifying familiar objects in new surroundings.
My Home
First Steps
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Developmental benefits
Parent’s role
v Hand-eye coordination. v Self-awareness (as an independent entity). v Listening skills.
v Touch various materials saying their name & characteristics (smooth, hot, cold etc.) v Practice making phone calls with your child. v Move/dance to the rhythm of the music.
v Self-confidence through positive feedback. v Basic vocabulary and language skills. v Cognitive skills.
v Play “peek-a-boo” with your child. v Sing and dramatize along with the characters. v Hide a familiar object inside a box, and have your child guess what’s inside with the help of hints.
v Listening & expression skills. v Introduction to social norms & values. v Self-confidence through understanding others.
v Let your child tell a story, and ask questions about the story. v Encourage your child to celebrate the birthday of a lovable object (doll, teddy bear etc.), and play along. v Perform real-life activities: visit the zoo, the post office, plant flowers, etc.
v Self-confidence & social competence through problem solving. v Color & shape concepts. v Exposure to different musical instruments.
v Play social games, such as ‘hide and seek’. v Show your child a picture and discuss its colors. v Listen to music together and try to identify the instruments playing. v Present a problem through a story or game for your child to solve independently.
v Creative thinking. v Assimilating concepts such as quantity, classification & inference. v Promoting positive self-esteem.
v Expose your child to different kinds of stories related to subjects seen in Comfy™ games. v Play the same games, such as memory games, and “what doesn’t belong?”. v Draw and create art together using different materials and styles.
v Strengthening self-confidence through challenges. v Encouraging intellectual curiosity. v Learning basic computer concepts such as navigation.
v Ask your child which activities most interest her and play or do them together. v Visit different websites that are of interest to your child. v Leave the computer environment and go out to the real world to places that interest your child, such as the zoo, children’s museum etc.
Note: Check our site www.comfyland.com for language availability as well as software availability in your country.
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Comfy’s™ Interactive System The Easy PC enables infants and toddlers to enjoy Comfy’s™ fascinating interactive games. The system is designed to suit the capabilities and interests of children between the ages of 1 and 5 so that they can progress at their own personal pace. Its familiar shapes, vibrant colors and friendly images invite young fingers to touch, explore and discover. The specially designed software have multi-level activities, which enable your child to control various aspects of the activities according to his personal development. Character Keys Telephone handset
Spin-Roller Pause Key
Color Keys Notes Key
Musical Keys Weather/Time Keys
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Description of the Keyboard Keys Weather/Time Keys The Comfy™ Keyboard has 3 Weather/Time keys:
The sun and daylight key
The moon and night key
The cloud and rain key
Each time one of these keys is pressed, the weather and/or time changes in Comfyland, influencing the story, and the child learns to recognise their characteristics.
Concepts taught by the Weather/Time keys: 4 Comprehending the concepts of day and night. 4 Identifying phenomena such as rain, snow etc.
Character Keys and the Telephone Handset
Snaily
Buddy
Jumpy
Feely
Comfy
The child can call the characters at any time during the game, and find them in different places and situations.
Concepts taught by the Telephone handset: 4 Becoming acquainted with the telephone as a communication tool. 4 Developing personal contact with Comfy™ characters, as well as social skills.
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Music Keys There are 5 Music keys on the keyboard:
Drum
Flute
Piano
Trumpet
Notes key
Pressing each Musical instrument key will introduce that instrument and play a musical piece typical of that instrument. When your child continues to press the same key, the melody gradually changes in tempo and/or the melody itself will change. Pressing the Notes key will play Comfy’s™ theme song and will introduce the characters of Comfyland.
Concepts taught by the Music Keys: 4 Becoming acquainted and identifying the four musical instruments by shape and sound. 4 Distinguishing between various musical instruments. 4 Recognizing melodies and learning songs.
Color Keys The keyboard has 6 Color keys: Purple, Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, Red. During the game, the child uses the Color keys to play a variety of activities.
Concepts taught by the Color keys: 4 Becoming acquainted with colors. 4 Exposure to aesthetic and functional color use.
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The Spin-Roller The Comfy™ Keyboard is equipped with a revolving Spin-Roller that spins freely and provides the child with the opportunity for free hand movement. Operating the Spin-Roller temporarily changes the tempo of events on the screen. The faster the child spins the roller, the quicker the tempo of events.
Concepts taught by the Spin-Roller: 4 An opportunity to be amused and to use the imagination freely. 4 To create amusement through onscreen involvement and control.
Pause Key Pressing the Pause key will demonstrate the meaning of “Stop� through sound and images. Pressing any other key on the keyboard will start the relevant activity from its beginning.
Concepts taught by the Pause key: 4 An opportunity for the child to pause and initiate parental intervention. 4 The Pause key can be used for conversation or for looking at a well-liked picture.
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Educational Values Note: For the child to learn all the values and skills described below, Comfy™ created various CD games for each age and learning stage of development. The Comfy™ Keyboard and software were created and designed by a pedagogical research and development team, which specialises in digital media, to suit the capabilities and interests of children between the ages of 1 and 5. The big illustrated keys, easily gripped telephone handset and Spin-Roller are easily controlled by little hands, enabling the child independent and comfortable control, without requiring reading abilities or use of the computer mouse.
Playing in Comfy’s™ interactive environment will provide your child with the following: 4 Learning through play and exploration. 4 Acquiring basic computer skills. 4 Developing cognitive, emotional and social skills. The following qualities make Comfy’s™ approach unique and well suited for attaining its educational goals: 4 The activities are an interactive combination of stories, animated movies, viewing pictures and color painting, hearing music and singing songs, motor activities and exposure to social concepts. 4 The Comfy™ Keyboard replaces the standard computer keyboard and mouse. All keys are colorful and easy to use. No reading or writing abilities are required. 4 Comfy™ activities are age-appropriate and the characters and objects participating in the stories are amiable and amusing. 4 Once the game level is adapted to your child’s learning stage of development and the activity begins, the child can play without parental assistance. The computer characters talk to your child and explain what to do at every stage in the activity. Each explanation is accompanied by a variety of illustrated graphics and animations.
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The following sections provide a brief description of children’s skills and developmental patterns and elaborate on how Comfy™ contributes in the development of your child’s sensory perception, motor, cognitive and emotional skills.
Motor and Sensory Skills As children grow, their physical and mental skills develop and enlarge, enabling them to perform more independent and complex tasks. Your child learns to identify objects and characters, refine the senses and correctly interpret stimuli from the immediate surroundings.
When playing with Comfy™, your child learns to: 4 Correlate between the objects and characters seen on screen with those on the Keyboard. 4 Improve visual perception by distinguishing between different shapes and colors. 4 Improve hearing perception.
Language Skills Children’s vocabulary is constantly expanding as they learn to construct sentences.
With Comfy™, your child can: 4 Learn how to phrase questions, requests, warnings and instructional sentences. 4 Gain knowledge of new concepts pertaining to specific topics such as the weather and time, animals, the home, etc.
Thinking Skills Children’s memory capacity is gradually enhanced enabling them to remember more and more pictures, voices and experiences. In addition, their imagination develops and improves their creative thinking skills.
Playing with Comfy™ can help your child to: 4 Enhance understanding of cause and effect, by allowing the child to intervene in an evolving story and cause changes to take place (e.g., make it rain, change day to night). 4 Practice remembering objects, sounds, voices, events and characters throughout an activity. 4 Develop the imagination by participating in the story’s plot and influencing it as desired while enhancing creative skills. 4 Participate in “make-believe play” with different characters to learn from them about the world they live in. 4 Learn to concentrate and apply mental effort by performing challenging tasks.
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Emotional Development Children require a warm and supportive environment as well as clear definitions of limitations and prohibitions. This allows them to develop independence, inquire about their surroundings and initiate activities in an endeavour to strengthen their self-confidence and self-image.
Comfy™ presents your child with: 4 Positive experiences, from discovering changing colors and sounds to meeting friendly characters. 4 Feedback and encouragement for your child’s actions on the keyboard. 4 A chance to relieve impulses by using the Spin-Roller. 4 A sense of control of the Comfy™ Keyboard, the events in the activities and the way the plot evolves. This improves the child’s confidence and self-image. 4 A clear definition of game rules and limitations (for example; Buddy the bear asks the child to make it rain “but not now only in a little while, after I get home”).
Social and Behavioral Values Young children learn accepted forms of behavior by becoming acquainted with social and cultural norms. With Comfy™ games, they learn appropriate behavior patterns and how to overcome social difficulties and obstacles.
In this area, Comfy™: 4 Helps your child participate in and learn appropriate behavior in various daily situations. 4 Presents characters that your child can identify with. 4 Emphasizes positive social norms, such as cooperation and the value of assisting others. Comfyland introduces positive values of friendship, compromise and respect for every being and object.
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION - READ THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS BEFORE YOU OR YOUR CHILD PLAY VIDEO GAMES WARNING - Seizures l
Some people may have seizures or blackouts triggered by light flashes while watching TV or playing video games, even if they have never had a seizure before.
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Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptoms linked to an epileptic condition, should consult a doctor before playing a video game. l Parents should watch when their children play video games. Stop playing and consult a doctor if you or your child have any of the following symptoms: l l
Convulsions l Eye or muscle twitching l Loss of awareness Involuntary movements l Disorientation.
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Altered vision
To reduce the likelihood of a seizure: 1. Sit or stand as far from the screen as possible. 2. Play with the smallest available television screen. 3. Do not play if you are tired or need sleep. 4. Play in a well-lit room. 5. Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour. Parent Guide and/or User’s Manual in your language may also be available for download in our “Support” section on our website: www.comfyland.com.
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C5205 GB R21
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