LEARNING BOARD
# 1189R
3-IN-1 G N I N R A LE DISC 3+ 89 28 AGES
PIECES
EXPERIMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents................................................................................................................................................................................... P 1 Important Information......................................................................................................................................................................... P 2 Kit Contents ........................................................................................................................................................................................... P 3 Assembly Tips ....................................................................................................................................................................................... P 5
Instructions for Circle Geo Block (For ages 2-3) (1) The Missing Peas (Counting)......................................................................................................................................................... P 11 (2) Fresh Fruits (Fruits) ....................................................................................................................................................................... P 12 (3) The Lion in the Prairie (Animals) ................................................................................................................................................. P 13 (4) Let Us Decorate the Christmas Tree (Holidays) ......................................................................................................................... P 14 (5) Oh No! It’s Raining! (Tools) ........................................................................................................................................................... P 15 (6) New Clothes for the Tropical Fish (Colors) ................................................................................................................................. P 16
Instructions for Activity Wheel (For ages 3~5 1/2) (1) Basic Concepts of the Game Modes ............................................................................................................................................ P 17 (2) Using Only the Single Pointer - Combining Long and Short Pointers Together into One ................................................... P 18 (3) Cases for Game Modes with a Single Pointer ............................................................................................................................ P 20 (4) Using Two Pointers (Long pointer and short pointer are separated) .................................................................................... P 29 (5) Cases for Games with Two Pointers ........................................................................................................................................... P 32 (6) Using Three Pointers (Long pointer, short pointer and soft stopper acted as an extra pointer) ...................................... P 40 (7) Cases for Games with Three Pointers ........................................................................................................................................ P 43
Instructions for Activity Clock (For ages 5~6) (1) Learning About Clocks .................................................................................................................................................................. P 50 (2) Gigo Clock Set ................................................................................................................................................................................ P 50 1
(3) Concepts and Instructions for the “ Activity Cards for Clock Concepts “ .............................................................................. P 52 (4) Using the “ Activity Cards for Clock Concepts “ with the Child ............................................................................................... P 53
IMPORTANT INFORMATION Safety Notice Parents or guardians must read the instruction manual and the following notice carefully before use in order to assure safety. And retain them for future reference. Parents or guardians must read the instruction manual carefully and assemble the best accordingly. During assembly, be sure to keep small parts away from young kids so that they would not be swallowed. ● To be used only under parental or guardian's supervision. ● To inspect tubes, connectors and fixing parts periodically to make sure they are always well fixed. ● To use it only if the structure is stable. ● Don't play it rudely. ● ●
Product Features 3-in-1 Learning Disc is designed to use visual and manual cues in its diversity of fun and interesting games to stimulate the child’s desire to learn. In addition, each of the game modes features 1 or 2 learning objectives that are slightly more difficult for toddlers that would like a better challenge and sense of accomplishment. The games and puzzles will spark the child’s imagination while helping them to develop logical reasoning skills. While each of the game units is intended to fulfill a primary learning objective, they are also designed for secondary objectives that stimulate the child’s critical thinking and application skills. Recommendations 3-in-1 Learning Disc Manual for Parents & Guardians will provide the guidance to help you to enrich and maximize the educational potentials of our product. Parental assistance is therefore strongly recommended during the course of the games and activities. Please read over the contents of this manual to become familiarized with the game modes and objectives for a complete learning experience. Advices for Parents and Guardians An unimpeded atmosphere brings the best learning environment for a child, and therefore your role should be that of a partner instead of a supervisor during these activities. After the plays have finished, you should provide guidance to the child to organize and return the play pieces back in place.
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KIT CONTENTS
What’s in your experiment kit: 1
2
6 4
11
8
9 10
13
21
3
7
5
12
19
3
20
14
22
15
23
16
17
24
18
25
KIT CONTENTS
What’s in your experiment kit: 27
1- Front
1- Back
2- Front
2- Back
3- Front
3- Back
29
26 1- Front
28 1- Back
1 - Front
1 - Back
2 - Front
30 4- Front
2- Front
4- Back
5- Front
5- Back
6- Front
6- Back
2- Back
3 - Front
2 - Back
7- Front
7- Back
8- Front
8- Back
9- Front
3 - Back
9- Back
Checklist: Find – Inspect – Check off No. Description
Qty.
Item No.
No. Description
Qty.
Item No.
No. Description
Qty.
Item No.
1
E-510mm TUBE
2
1060-W17-LKSR
11
A-60mm CONNECTOR
1
7330-W11-X1W
21
E-CLOCK HAND SET
1
1189-W85-E1
2
E-387mm TUBE
3
1060-W17-I1SR
12
A-CIRCLE GEO BLOCK
10
1177-W10-F1B
22
E-POINTER SET
1
1189-W85-G1
3
E-307mm TUBE
2
1060-W17-LJSR
13
A-CIRCLE GEO BLOCK
10
1177-W10-F1G
23
E-LEARNING BOARD MINI
1
1189-W10-A1
4
E-240mm TUBE
2
1061-W17-E6SR
14
A-CIRCLE GEO BLOCK
10
1177-W10-F1R
24
E-LEARNING DISC
1
1189-W85-B1B
5
E-CENTER-LOCKING STRAIGHT CONNECTOR
4
1136-W85-A2SR
15
A-CIRCLE GEO BLOCK
10
1177-W10-F1Y
25
E-PANEL POCKET
1
R33#1189
6
E-3-WAY CONNECTOR
6
1060-W10-B1SR
16
A-NAIL
1
8036-W10-T1Y
26
P-WORK CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS
1
K16#1189
7
E-114° ELBOW
2
1136-W10-C1SR
17
E-SOFT STOPPER
1
R32#1189Y
27
P-WORK CARDS FOR POINTER GAMES
1
K16#1189-1
8
E-156° ELBOW
2
1136-W10-C2SR
18
C-CRANK
2
7063-W10-B3D
28
P-WORK CARDS FOR GEO BLOCKS
1
K16#1189-2
29
P-ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS
1
K16#1189-3
30
P-ACTIVITY CARD FOR POINTER GAME-THE LITTLE EXPLORER
1
K16#1189-4
9 10
E-RELEASE PLIERS E-TUBE SCREW
1 8
1060-W85-M1G 1137-W10-B1SR
19 20
E-AXLE FIXTURE E-BEARING
1 1
1189-W10-D1G 1189-W10-G2Y
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ASSEMBLY TIPS
1. How to Assemble & Disassemble Tube and Connector ( 1 ) Do not hold a tube or connector where the insertion takes place, fingers may be pinched. (Fig. 1)
( 3 ) Position the RELEASE PLIERS nodes over the holes where the safety lock pins are visible. Squeeze gently to release the tube from the connector. (Fig. 3)
( 2 ) Push the corner connector onto the tube and twist the tube until a “click� is heard. (Fig. 2)
Fig. 1
Fig. 2 Fig. 3
2. How to Assemble the Stand and the Panel Pocket Parts Needed
5
1
2
3
x2
x3
x2
4
5
6
7
8
10
18
x2
x4
x6
x2
x2
x4
x2
23
25
x1
x1
ASSEMBLY TIPS 1 2
3
4
5
2
1 1
2
6
8
8
7
8
3
3
7
4
7 2
4
Done! 6
ASSEMBLY TIPS
3. How to Attach the Learning Board Mini onto the Stand
Done!
4. How to Fix the Work Cards for Geo Blocks to the Learning Board Mini
7
※ It’s free to use any other colored CIRCLE GEO BLOCKS to fix the WORK CARDS FOR POINTER GAMES.
Done!
ASSEMBLY TIPS
5. How to Attach the Learning Disc onto the Learning Board Mini Please pay attention to the arrow direction.
(6,5)
Done!
8
ASSEMBLY TIPS
6. How to Fix the Work Card to the Learning Disc
Fig. 5
Fig. 4
9
Slide the card fixer outward with your right thumb as Fig. 4 shows so that the work card can be easily inserted, and then release it to fix the card on the LEARNING DISC.
Slide the card fixer on the LEARNING DISC outward with your right thumb and tilt the work card upward from its center edge with your left index finger as Fig. 5 shows to take out the work card easily.
ASSEMBLY TIPS
7. How to Fix the Pointer Set or Clock Hand Set to the Work Cards Combine the long and short hands together into one and hold it facing the 10:00 position before it is fixed to the LEARNING DISC. Then turn the POINTER SET or CLOCK HAND SET to 12:00 position to get ready for start. 1
3
2
TIP
Done! Align the CLOCK HAND SET and the arrow first.
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CIRCLE GEO BLOCK 1
Instructions for Circle Geo Block (For ages 2-3) Parts Needed: WORK CARDS FOR GEO BLOCKS, 40 pieces of CIRCLE GEO BLOCK
(1) The Missing Peas (Counting) It is dinner time, said Mommy, and we are having peas for today! Look at all the peas living in their pods. Can you guess how many peas are in this pod? Well, how about we count together? One, Two, Three... Oh no! We dropped the peas onto the floor and now they are gone! Can you remember how many peas were living in each pod? Let’s count them! Please help place different numbers of the green CIRCLE GEO BLOCKS into the pea pod.
Problem Solving Have you finished making the picture? Let us count how many peas there are in the plate!
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CIRCLE GEO BLOCK 2
(2) Fresh Fruits (Fruits) Hey! What fruit is curved, dresses in yellow, and smells really good? It is a “banana”. And what fruit is big, green, and round? It is a “watermelon”. Please help make a banana and a watermelon using the color CIRCLE GEO BLOCKS.
Problem Solving Have you tasted a banana or a watermelon before? What do they taste like? Which fruits do you like to eat? Do they have a special taste?
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CIRCLE GEO BLOCK 3
(3) The Lion in the Prairie (Animals) Roar~~~ Roar~~~ Who is roaring so loudly? Oh, it is a lion! “Hello everyone, I am a big lion. I love to roll and game and sleep on the prairie. I have big claws, sharp teeth and a hairy mane, and everyone hides himself when he sees me. Why? Because when I am hungry, I might eat them to fill my belly!“ Please help assemble the color CIRCLE GEO BLOCKS onto the LEARNING BOARD MINI to make lion’s mane and body on the prairie.
Problem Solving Have you ever seen a lion at the zoo? Do the male or the female lions have the beautiful mane?
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CIRCLE GEO BLOCK 4
(4) Let Us Decorate the Christmas-Tree (Holidays) Ding Ding Dong~ Ding Ding Dong~ Listen! It’s the bells! Christmas is here! There is Christmas music and people are dressed as Santa everywhere! People are making gingerbread houses! And there are so many presents everywhere! And look at the shiny decorations on the big Christmas-tree! Please help place the ornaments onto the Christmas-tree.
Problem Solving Other than lights, what other ornaments can go on a Christmas-Tree? Let us design some right now!
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CIRCLE GEO BLOCK 5
(5) Oh No! It's Raining! (Tools) What are those loud rumbling sounds outside? They are thunder strikes! I think it is going to rain soon, because the sky is so cloudy and gray. Oh no! It really is pouring rain now. Look! There are two umbrellas there: a big one for Daddy and a small one for Baby. Let us use the umbrellas to stay dry! Please help construct an umbrella using different color CIRCLE GEO BLOCKS.
Problem Solving Let us make two umbrellas together! How about a big one for Daddy and a smaller one for Baby?
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CIRCLE GEO BLOCK 6
(6) New Clothes for the Tropical Fish (Colors) Hello everybody. I am Kiwi the tropic fish, and I love to swim around in the water. And did you notice all these colors on my clothes, aren’t they beautiful? I am going to a party today, and I want a new dress with new colors! Can you help me? Please help dress Kiwi in different colors using the color CIRCLE GEO BLOCKS.
Problem Solving Can you name the colors on the tropic fish? Do you know any other tropic fish? What colors do they wear?
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
Instructions for Activity Wheel (1) Basic Concepts of the Game Modes
With a Single Pointer
Interactive Creative Thinking The idea behind the game modes with a single pointer is to establish an interactive Q and A between you and the child. His or her answers will not only help you understand their thought, but also help him or her develop verbal expression and abstract thinking.
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
(2) Using Only the Single Pointer - Combining Long and Short Pointers Together into One Instructions for Game Modes
First select a suitable illustrative game story to be placed into the LEARNING DISC. Then, fit and fix the long and short pointers so that they form one piece, and start spinning the disc from the 12:00 position on the clock. Once the spinning has stopped, perform the Q and A with the corresponding illustrations. An example game is as follows: Step 1
Step 4
Step 2
Step 5
Select an illustrative play story for this play mode suitable for the child’s age (example: “Name the Household Product”)
Combine the long and short pointers together into one and place it onto the 12:00 position. Before you spin the disc, you can ask the child whether he recognizes anything on the play illustrations to encourage them to participate in the play.
Step 3
Once the spinning disc has stopped, proceed with the questions according to the designated illustrations. An example question may be: ”What is the name of the picture that the single pointer is pointing at? Where have you seen it before? What do you think it is used for?
Repeat the previous steps so that the child has a chance to answer questions for each of the illustrations.
Once the child has become familiarized with the name and picture, you may proceed with the follow-up questions. For instance, “What else can you do with a box, other than putting things inside? What can you make a box into? These questions should be made to allow the child to think critically.”
Scan this QR code to view a video tutorial showing how to use this kit.
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
Illustrative Stories for the Single Pointer Game Mode
The following illustrative stories may be placed into the LEARNING DISC for the game mode with a single pointer. The list also includes the suitable age range, the corresponding units, and the basic learning objectives as a guideline for your reference, and custom adjustments may be necessary depending on the child’s progress. Name the Household Product
The Little Observer
For ages 3 ~ 3 1/2
(Learning Animal Characteristics) For ages 4 ~ 4 1/2
Please help the child identify the names and uses of various common household products.
Please help the child identify and describe physical characteristics of various animals.
Do What I Do
The Bear and the Box
For ages 3 ~ 5
For ages 4 ~ 4 1/2
Please assist the child in performing various body movements.
Please help the child place the objects into different positions and spaces.
Can You Make This Face?
Draw These Shapes
For ages 3 1/2 ~ 4
For ages 3 ~ 5 1/2
Please help the child identify various facial expressions and emotions.
Please help the child use paper and pencil to draw various lines and shapes.
(Identifying Household Items)
(Exercising the Major Muscle Groups)
(Nonverbal Interactions)
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(Spatial Awareness)
(Drawing Practice)
ACTIVITY WHEEL
(3) Cases for Game Modes with a Single Pointer Name the Household Product
(Identifying household items, for ages 3 ~ 3 1/2) Please help the child identify the names and uses of various common household products. Suitable Age: 3 ~ 3 1/2 years old Main Objective: To identify the names and uses of common household products. Secondary Objective: To encourage logical thinking and verbal expression in the child. Illustrations: Mug, tissue paper, truck, brush, glass bottle, rope, paper box, baseball bat. Game Guidance: 1. First, without disclosing the names of the illustrations to the child, allow him or her to try to figure them out through experience. 2. Once the child is familiar with all the names and illustrations, spin the disc until it stops and points at a picture. The adult can then proceed with simple questions, for instance, “What is the name of this object? Where have you seen it before? What is it used for? How is it used? Can you think of other ways it can be used?� If the child has yet to fully develop verbal skills, the adult can use physical motions to demonstrate and encourage further expression from the child. Additional Activities: 1. Charades: Spin the disc to begin the game. Once it stops, let the child try to act out the designated object and have you guess which object he or she is trying to describe. Switch roles every so often to let the child have a chance at guessing as well. 2. Memory Game: Let the child try to remember as many pictures or items on this game as he or she could. When ready, cover the objects up with a towel while adding or removing a new item, and reveal the new setup to the child to let them guess what has changed. 3. You can also collect several common household items and place them in a bag or a box to let the child try and guess their identity by feeling their shape and texture.
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
Do What I Do: Exercising the Gross Motor Skills Please assist the child in performing various body movements. Suitable Age: 3 ~ 5 years old Main Objective: To assist the development of Gross Motor Skills in the toddler for movements that mimics throwing, catching, jumping, stretching, flexing, and balancing. Secondary Objective: To provide practice for the toddler in using his or her major muscles to perform and develop basic motions. Illustrations: Standing leap, standing with left leg, standing with right leg, standing jump with left leg, standing jump with right leg, overhand throw with left arm, overhand throw with right arm, and bending over touching the floor. Game Guidance: 1. The adult first helps the toddler in recognizing the various body parts: including the head, shoulders, left hand, right hand, body, left leg, right leg. 2. Then demonstrate the following motions and encourage the toddler to imitate: bending over, squatting, extending both arms away from the body, jumping, and standing on one leg. 3. The adult then points to the pictures in the disc to let the child answer and imitate to motions. If the child is unable to answer or imitate successfully, the adult may provide additional prompting verbally or physically through demonstrations to help the child understand. 4. Once the child has understood all the illustrations, then help him or her turn the disc. When it stops, copy the motion that the pointer is pointing to. For instance, “If the pointer stops on Standing Jump, then the child should jump at least a foot in distance.� 5. The adult can also help time the child with a timer when he or she is standing on one leg to keep a time record. Additional Activities: 21 The adult can also perform a simple motion to let the child copy, or work together with the child to create new motions.
ACTIVITY WHEEL
Can You Make This Face: Facial Expressions Please help the child identify various facial expressions and emotions. Suitable Age: 3 1/2 ~ 4 years old Main Objective: To identify various facial expressions and verbally express an emotion. Secondary Objective: Learn and recognize different kinds of emotions. Illustrations: Joy, anger, sadness, concentration, fear, envy, suspicion, shyness. Game Guidance: 1. During the activities, help the child understand the features of each and every one of the facial expressions by physically demonstrating some of them if necessary. 2. Then the adult should describe the meaning of each facial expression, for instance,” ‘Shyness’ is used to describe a situation in which the person is embarrassed.” It can also be used to describe a type of personality that is not very good at self expression. “Joy” on the other hand, can be used to describe a positive feeling marked by a slight smile. 3. Once the child is familiar the names and the appearance of all the facial expressions, spin the disc until it stops and points at a picture. The adult can then proceed with simple questions, for instance, “What is the face that they’re making in the picture? Can you make the same face? When do people have this kind of expression on their face? When you see this face on other people, can you guess how they are feeling?” Additional Activities: While playing the game, it may be useful to use a mirror with the child to see what kinds of funny facial expressions they can make. 22
ACTIVITY WHEEL
The Little Observer: Animal Characteristics Please help the child identify the main physical characteristics of various animals. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old Main Objective: To learn about the main physical characteristics of various animals. Secondary Objective: To improve the child’s ability to observe nature. Illustrations: Elephant, kangaroo, rabbit, giraffe, girl, turtle, anteater, fish. Game Guidance: 1. Assist and help the child describe the different illustrations of animals in terms of their physical characteristics. 2. If the child has missed any major details, be sure to bring it up afterwards. For instance, “The elephant is very big in size and has large, flat ears to cool themselves with. They also have a long nose that can spray water. The turtle, on the other hand, has a very thick shell into which they can retreat their head, tail and limbs when under attack.” There are some animals that may be more obscure in the illustrations, such as the anteater. Try to find more pictures and research more details about these animals with the child. 3. Once the child is familiar with all the names and illustrations of the animals spin the disc until it stops and points at a picture. The adult can then proceed with simple questions. For instance, “What is this animal called? What is special about this animal? Where have you seen this animal before?” Additional Activities: Collect photos and pictures of animals that interest the child, or take him or her to the zoo to see and learn about some live specimens. 23
ACTIVITY WHEEL
The Bear and the Box: Spatial Awareness Please help the child place the objects into different positions and spaces. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old Main Objective: To identify different positions in space. Secondary Objective: To develop the child’s sense of spatial awareness. Illustrations: Above, below, in front of, behind, to the left of, to the right of, inside, outside. Game Guidance: 1. First make sure that the child has a basic level of spatial awareness. If not, then use real objects to physically demonstrate the various positions. For instance, “place a lemon on top of the child’s head to demonstrate ‘on top of’, place a banana in a box to demonstrate ‘inside’, place a melon beside the shopping bag to demonstrate ‘to the left of’, and etc.” 2. This part of the game can be proceeding as a game of hide and seek. For instance, “Place a teddy bear behind the sofa and tell the child: ‘Teddy is hiding behind the sofa, can you find him for me?’ Make sure that the child is able to look in the right place.” 3. Once the child has a basic level of spatial awareness, spin the disc until it stops and points at a picture. You can begin with a simple question. For instance, “Where is the bear sitting next to the box?” Additional Activities: Place an object on the table to let the child physically interact with the objects in their positions. For instance, have the child place an apple on his or her head, inside a box, or other places in space.
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
Draw These Shapes: Drawing Practices Please help the child use paper and pencil to draw various lines and shapes. Suitable Age: 3 ~ 5 1/2 years old Main Objective: To recognize and draw straight lines and circles. Secondary Objective: To evaluate the basic writing techniques and control. Illustrations: Vertical line, horizontal line, left and right diagonal lines, trace circle, trace cross, trace square, and trace triangle. Remarks: The disc contains four lines and four traces for copying. The four lines are used to determine the precision of the child’s drawing abilities, and therefore require the adult to demonstrate drawing the line first and allowing the child to copy after. The shapes, on the other hand, are meant to be printed and traced out by the child. Game Guidance: 1. It is important to guide and lead the child into participating the tracing and drawing practices as game and not as an evaluation of their skills. 2. Prepare and place a blank piece of paper with writing utensils. 3. Make sure the child is able to identify all the lines and shapes in the disc by naming them out loud. 4. Spin the disc to begin the game. Once the disc stops, have the child draw or trace out the designated line or shape. 5. Placing more emphasis on the game element of the “Draw These Shapes� will help the child to develop the basic drawing techniques faster. 6. If the child is able to complete all eight of the drawing and tracing practices without any problems, then he or she is ready to begin writing practice. 7. If the child is unable to meet the requirements for drawing and tracing, then this is simply an indication of the current level of progress in the child. Please refrain from pressuring the child into practicing techniques that he or she is not ready for. You can incorporate more of the daily schedule into the writing game to further establish a solid foundation of drawing and pen-holding techniques in the child. 25 Copy the Drawing: Copying Skill Evaluation
ACTIVITY WHEEL
Writing Skill Preparations, Practices, and Evaluations Writing is a precise and complex motion requiring eye-hand coordination. It requires our eyes to accurately calculate the distance while coordinating the hand to apply multiple strokes to form an abstract word or symbol. This hand movement is itself a coordinated effort of the small muscles in the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, and the palm, where each applies just the right amount of force to move the pen tool a correct distance with every stroke. As such, it is imperative for the adult to prepare a child so that he or she may establish a good foundation of eye-hand coordination prior to writing their first words. 1. Eye-Hand Coordination Practices: For younger children, prepare a large, blank sheet of paper with some colored writing utensils to let the child doodle at will. This simple exercise will help them develop the necessary wrist muscles and eye-hand coordination for writing later on. Certain toys are also very useful for developing the muscles in the fingers. For example, toys that involve swinging and percussion can help the child develop wrist and arm muscles, while games that require pressing buttons or twisting objects will help develop coordination of the thumb, index and middle fingers. 2. Establishing the Correct Stroke Order: For older children, practice (with strokes from left to right and top to bottom) drawing vertical, horizontal, circular, and diagonal lines as well as basic shapes such as crosses, squares, and triangles to practice the basic concepts of writing and stroke order. 3. Basic Writing Practices: Coloring books are ideal for practice techniques of holding the pencil because the pictures inside these books encompass a wide array of different dimensions and shapes. Provide supervision to the child when coloring so that they are not simply applying the colors with random strokes. Instead, ensure that the child is able to color in an ordered manner, such as coloring by using vertical or diagonal strokes only. This allows further practice for writing techniques and control. 4. Establishing Spatial Awareness: Spatial awareness enables the child to recognize the spatial relations between the word and its surrounding spaces. By using the illustrative game stories such as “The Bear and the Box: Spatial Awareness�, the child can learn to distinguish the positions of objects in relation to one another in space.
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
1. Drawing Vertical Lines
Appropriate Age: 3 years old Evaluation Key: Draw a straight, vertical line of at least 5 cm on a piece of paper, and ask the child to draw a similar line next your line. The child’s reproduction should be less than 15 degrees from parallel to pass the evaluation.
2. Drawing Horizontal Lines Appropriate Age: 3 years old
Evaluation Key: Draw a straight, horizontal line of at least 5 cm on a piece of paper, and ask the child to draw a similar line next your line. The child’s reproduction should be less than 15 degrees from parallel to pass the evaluation.
Less than 15 degrees from parallel
Less than 15 degrees from parallel
3. Tracing a Circle
Appropriate Age: 3 1/2 years old Evaluation Key: Direct the child’s attention to the illustration of a circle, and ask him or her to trace out a similar circle. The child’s reproduction can be any enclosed (or nearly enclosed) shape that somewhat resembles a circle to pass the evaluation.
Enclosed or nearly-enclosed
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4. Tracing a Cross
Appropriate Age: 4 years old Evaluation Key: Direct the child’s attention to the illustration of a cross, and ask him or her to trace out a similar cross. The child’s reproduction must contain an intersecting of two perpendicular lines at an angle between 80 to 90 degrees to pass the evaluation. Intersection at 80 to 90 degrees
ACTIVITY WHEEL
5. Tracing a Square
Appropriate Age: 4 1/2 years old Evaluation Key: Direct the child’s attention to the illustration of a square, and ask him or her to trace out a similar square. The child’s reproduction must contain four enclosed corners with each of the square’s sides deviating less than 15 degrees from the printed shape.
6. Drawing Right Diagonal Lines Appropriate Age: 5 years old
Evaluation Key: Draw a diagonal line falling to the right at 45 degrees and have the child draw a similar line beside yours. The child’s reproduction should at least 5 cm and should not deviate from the 45 degree angle by more than 15 degrees.
Four corners must be enclosed, and sides with less than 15 degrees deviation
7. Drawing Left Diagonal Lines Appropriate Age: 5 years old
Evaluation Key: Draw a diagonal line falling to the left at 45 degrees and have the child draw a similar line beside yours. The child’s reproduction should at least 5 cm and should not deviate from the 45 degree angle by more than 15 degrees.
Less than 15 degrees of deviation from 45 degrees
8. Tracing a Triangle
Appropriate Age: 5 ~ 5 1/2 years old Evaluation Key: Direct the child’s attention to the illustration of a triangle, and ask him or her to trace out a similar triangle. The child’s reproduction should be enclosed on all three angles of the triangle.
All three angles of the triangle should be enclosed Less than 15 degrees of deviation from the 45 degrees
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
(4) Using Two Pointers (Long Pointer and Short Pointer are Separated)
Long Pointer
Logical Association and Correspondence The game modes with two pointers are designed for practicing the child's matching capabilities. Through corresponding and matching, the child will develop logical association and correspondence capabilities. With time, this newfound link between objects will entice in him or her the desire and curiosity to discover new relationships.
Short Pointer
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Introduction to the Game Mode with Two Pointers
ACTIVITY WHEEL
Game Mode Instructions
This game mode uses both the long and short pointers. First select a suitable illustrative game story to be placed into the LEARNING DISC. Then, fit and fix the long and short pointers so that they form one piece and rest on the 12:00 position on the clock. Start spinning the disc and once the spinning has stopped, relate your questions to the designated illustrations. Encourage the child to try to find the answers by moving and pointing the other pointer toward the correct illustration. The following is an example game : Step 4 Step 1
Choose a game story that uses two pointers (i.e. Shadow Puppets)
Find the matching illustration corresponding to the designated illustration. For instance, “What is the name of the animal? It’s a snail! Can you find his shadow? Try and find it with the pointer.”
Step 2
Combine the long and short pointers together into one and place it onto the 12:00 position. Before spinning the disc, practice some finger motions with the child, and see if they can recognize some of the animals’ pictures.
Step 5
To restart the game, combine the long and short pointers together into one and replace it onto the 12:00 position.
Step 3
Once the spinning disc has stopped, proceed with the questions according to the designated illustrations. For instance, “What is the name of this animal? Can you make this animal with your fingers? ”
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ACTIVITY WHEEL
Illustrative Stories for the Two-Pointer Game Mode: The following illustrative stories may be placed into the LEARNING DISC for the game mode with two pointers. The list also includes the suitable age range, the corresponding units, and the basic learning objectives as a guideline for your reference, and custom adjustments may be necessary depending on the child’s progress.
What’s This Taste?
Taller or Shorter
For ages 3 ~ 3 1/2
(Distinguishing Heights) For ages 4 ~ 4 1/2
Please help the child match the food items with their corresponding tastes.
Please help the child recognize the order of the objects by ranking their heights.
Bigger or Smaller
Shadow Puppets
(Distinguishing Sizes) For ages 4 ~ 4 1/2
(Practice Fine Motor Skills) For ages 5 ~ 5 1/2
Please help the child identify the order of the objects by ranking their size.
Please help the child make different animal shadows with his or her hands.
(Distinguishing Different Tastes)
Thicker or Thinner (Distinguishing Thickness) For ages 4 ~ 4 1/2 Please help the child recognize the order of the objects by ranking their thickness.
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(5) Cases for Game Modes with Two Pointers What's This Taste? (Distinguishing Different Tastes, for ages 3 ~ 3 1/2) Please help the child match the food items with their corresponding tastes. Suitable Age: 3 ~ 3 1/2 years old Main Objective: To improve the identification and familiarity of the different senses of taste. Secondary Objective: To further introduce and improve the recognition of different tastes in foods. Illustrations: Chocolate, coffee, sausage, banana, salt, watermelon, lemon, kiwi. Game Guidance: 1. Different children will have slightly different experiences and gauges for their senses. Therefore, it might be useful to prepare some food ingredients for the child to try and experience the tastes for himself. After the initiatives have been taken to understand the child’s baseline for his or her senses, it is time to begin the game activities. 2.Try to find the names of different food items illustrated in the game story, and have the child attempt to describe what each food item would taste like from previous experience. It might be useful to the phrases sound like rhythmic nursery rhymes to make them more interesting. By having fun with the way you say the names of the food and how they taste, the child can have a better time recognizing and remembering. 3. Combine the two pointers together into one and place them on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc and once it has stopped, match the different foods based on the designated one and their tastes. For instance, “If the pointer points to the kiwi fruit when the disc stops, then the child can attempt to use the other pointer to find another fruit that also tastes sour.� Additional Activities: Place different fruits into a box or bag and have the child guess what they are by touch. Then encourage the child to smell and taste the fruits to connect the different senses.
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Bigger or Smaller (Distinguishing Sizes) Please help the child identify the order of the animals by ranking their size. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old Main Objective: To help the child understand which animal is the largest, the smallest, slightly larger, and slightly smaller in comparison to another animal. Secondary Objective: To help the child identify and understand the size relationships through comparison. Illustrations: Whale, elephant, bear, tiger, dog, rabbit, mouse, goat. Game Guidance: 1. Before starting the game, ensure that the child has a full understanding of the names of the corresponding pictures of the animals, as well as their relative sizes. You may also provide additional animal pictures to help the child get a feel of the actual sizes of the animals in relation to one another. 2. Then assist the child in comparing and determining the relative sizes of each of the animals. Ranking Method: 1. Ordering from Largest to Smallest a. First Method of Ordering : (Concept of “Largest”) Find and select the largest animal from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the remaining seven illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “largest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the largest first. For instance, “Whale > Elephant > Bear > Tiger > Goat > Dog > Rabbit > Mouse.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Concept of the “Next Largest”) Find and select the largest animal from the eight illustrations, such as the whale. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is just smaller than the whale, such as the elephant. By finding the animal that is just 33 smaller than the previous largest animal, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the largest while becoming more familiar with comparing size.
ACTIVITY WHEEL 2. Ranking from Smallest to Biggest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Smallest”) Find and select the smallest animal from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the remaining seven illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “smallest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the smallest first. For instance, “Mouse > Rabbit > Dog > Goat > Tiger > Bear > Elephant > Whale.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Concept of the “Next Smallest”) Find and select the smallest animal from the eight illustrations, such as the mouse. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is just bigger than the mouse, such as the rabbit. By finding the animal that is just bigger than the previous one, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the smallest while becoming more familiar with the concept of “next smallest”. Finding Contrast: 1. Contrast between objects: Size is a relative attribute between two objects rather than an absolute attribute. Therefore, whether something is bigger than another first requires a direct comparison of the two objects in order to establish the size relationship. For instance, “When compared with the rabbit, the tiger is bigger and the rabbit is smaller. However, the tiger is smaller when compared with the elephant.” 2. Combine the two pointers together into one and place it on the 12:00 position on the disc. Then start spinning the disc until it stops. Note the illustration the pointer is pointing to and move the other pointer to point another object. Compare the relative tallness of the two entities that are being pointed at. For instance, “If one pointer is pointing at the rabbit while the other is pointing at the mouse, you can ask which one of the two is bigger or smaller.” As a follow-up question, you can also ask what other things are bigger or smaller than rabbit. Additional Activities: Have the child compare and rank the size of objects that can be found in the daily environment, by following similar game procedures.
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Thicker or Thinner (Distinguishing Thickness) Please help the child recognize the order of the objects by ranking their thickness. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old Main Objective: To help the child understand which object is the thickest, thinnest, slightly thicker, or slightly thinner in comparison to another object. Secondary Objective: To help the child identify, recognize and understand the relative attributes through comparison. Illustrations: Bucket, plastic bottle, mug, tin can, finger, pencil, drinking straw, pin. Game Guidance: 1. Before starting the game, ensure that the child has a full understanding of the names and the corresponding pictures of the objects, as well as their thickness in relation to one another. You can begin by telling the child that all these objects will be compared in terms of thickness and thinness. You may also provide real objects to help the child get a feel of the actual thickness and properties of the objects in comparison to one another. 2. Then assist the child in comparing and determine the relationships of each of the objects.
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Ranking Method: 1. Ordering from Thickest to Thinnest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Thickest”) Find and select the thickest object from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the remaining seven illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “thickest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the thickest first. For instance, “Bucket > Plastic Bottle > Mug > Tin Can > Finger > Pencil > Drinking Straw > Pin.”
ACTIVITY WHEEL b. Second Method of Ranking: (Finding the Next Thickest) Find the thickest object from the eight illustrations, such as the bucket. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the object that is just thinner than the bucket, such as the plastic bottle. By finding the next thickest object in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the thickest while becoming more familiar with comparing thickness. 2. Ranking from Thinnest to Thickest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Thinnest”) Find and select the thinnest object from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the seven remaining illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “thinnest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the thinnest first. For instance, “Pin > Drinking Straw > Pencil > Finger > Tin Can > Mug > Plastic Bottle > Bucket.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Concept of the “Next Thinnest”) Find the thinnest object from the eight illustrations, such as the pin. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the object that is just thicker than the pin, such as the drinking straw. By finding the next thinnest object in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the thinnest while becoming more familiar with the concept of “next thinnest”. Finding Contrast: 1. Contrast between objects: Thickness is a relative attribute between two objects rather than an absolute attribute. Therefore, whether something is thicker than another first requires a direct comparison of the two objects in order to establish the size relationship. For instance, “When compared with the drinking straw, the pencil is thicker while the straw is thinner. However, the pencil is thinner when compared with the mug.” 2. Combine the two pointers together into one and place it on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc until it stops, note the illustration that is pointed and move a second pointer. Compare the relative tallness of the two entities that are being pointed at. For instance, “If one pointer is pointing at the drinking straw while the other is pointing at the pin, you can ask which one of the two is thicker or thinner.” As a follow-up question, you can also ask what other objects are thicker or thinner than the drinking straw. Additional Activities: Have the child compare and rank the thickness of objects that can be found in the daily environment, by following similar game procedures. 36
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Taller or Shorter (Distinguishing Heights) Please help the child recognize the order of the objects by ranking their heights. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old Main Objective: To help the child understand which object is the tallest, shortest, slightly taller, or slightly shorter in comparison to another object. Secondary Objective: To help the child identify, recognize and understand the relative attributes through comparison. Illustrations: Father, mother, older brother, younger sister, toddler, dog, cat, mouse. Game Guidance: 1. Before starting the game, ensure that the child has a full understanding of the names and the corresponding pictures of the objects, as well as their height in relation to one another. You can begin by telling the child that all these objects will be compared in terms of their heights. You may also give real examples in the environment to help the child get a feel for the actual heights of the various objects in comparison to one another. 2. Then assist the child in comparing and determining the relative heights of each of the objects. Ranking Method: 1. Ordering from Tallest to Shortest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Tallest”) Select and remove the tallest entity from the eight illustrations. Perform the same procedure on the remaining seven illustrations, and repeat until all the illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “tallest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with tallest first. For instance, “Father > Mother > Older Brother > Younger Sister > Toddler > Dog > Cat > Mouse.” 37
ACTIVITY WHEEL b. Second Method of Ranking: (Finding the Next Tallest) Find and select the tallest entity from the eight illustrations, such as the father. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is the next tallest in comparison with the father, such as the mother. By finding the next tallest entity in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the shortest while becoming more familiar with comparing heights. 2. Ranking from Shortest to Tallest a. First Method of Ranking: (Finding the Shortest) Select and remove the shortest entity from the eight illustrations. Perform the same procedure on the remaining seven illustrations, and repeat until all the illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “shortest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with shortest first. For instance, “Mouse > Cat > Dog > Toddler > Younger Sister > Older Brother > Mother > Father.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Finding the Next Shortest) Find and select the shortest entity from the eight illustrations, such as the mouse. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is just taller than the mouse, such as the cat. By finding the next shortest entity in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the shortest while becoming more familiar with comparing heights. Finding Contrast: 1. Contrast between objects: Size is a relative attribute between two objects rather than an absolute attribute. Therefore, whether something is taller than another first requires a direct comparison of the two objects in order to establish the size relationship. For instance, “When compared with the mouse, the cat is taller. However, the cat is shorter when compared with the dog.” 2. Combine the two pointers together into one and place it on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc until it stops, note the illustration the pointer is pointing to and move a second pointer. Compare the relative tallness of the two entities that are being pointed at. For instance, “If one pointer is pointing at the dog while the other is pointing at the toddler, you can ask the child which one of the two should be taller.” As a follow-up question, you can also ask what other things are taller or shorter than the dog? Additional Activities: Have the child compare and rank the tallness of objects that can be found in the daily environment, by following similar game procedures. 38
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Shadow Puppets (Developing Fine Motor Skills) Please help the child create different shadows depicting animals with both hands. Suitable Age: 5 ~ 5 1/2 years old Main Objective: To improve the child’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill. Secondary Objective: To improve the child’s concentration and self-motivation by learning through constructive thinking and mimicry. Illustrations: Rabbit, rabbit shadow, eagle, eagle shadow, crow, crow shadow, snail, snail shadow. Game Guidance: 1. Familiarize the child with the illustrations and practice making basic movements with his or her hands, such as: making a fist, opening both palms, and clapping the hands together. These warm-ups may allow you to discover challenges that the child may be facing at performing these motions. 2. You can begin by introducing the characteristics of various animals, perhaps by making their shadows with your hands and allowing the child to guess which animal is it that you are trying to make. The eagle and the snail are easier to do, and so starting with them is recommended. Once the child has grasped the basic idea, then work up to the crow and the rabbit. If the child is unable to successfully make the animal shadows, you can help them by breaking down the hand motions into individual, incremental steps. 3. To play with the disc, first combine the long and short pointers together and place them on the 12:00 position. Start spinning the disc until it stops, then ask the child to try to make the pointed shadows with his or her hands, and match the animal with the correct shadow by moving the other pointer by itself to it. Additional Activities: Use a light source to project the shadows onto a wall and encourage your child to make the animal shadows for real. 39
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(6) Using Three Pointers (Long Pointer, Short Pointer and Soft Stopper Acted as an Extra Pointer)
Soft Stopper
Short Pointer
Observation and Discovery The game mode with three pointers adds a new level of challenge that requires the child to observe and discover new combinations and relationships to satisfy his desire for learning and exploring. As a result, he or she gains practice and experience that ultimately develops keener observation and logical thinking skills.
Long Pointer
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Three-Pointer Game Mode Game Mode Instructions
In this game mode, you will need to use the SOFT STOPPER in addition to the short and long pointers. Please select and place an illustrative game story into the LEARNING DISC, combine the short and long pointers into one, and place the pointers on the 12 :00 position. The questions that you ask should be related to the illustration pointed by the yellow SOFT STOPPER. When answering the question, the child should use the long and short pointers to point to both of the two correct answers. An example game is as follows: Step 1
Select an illustrative game story for this game mode suitable for the child’s age (example: “Puzzles with Shapes”).
Step 2
Combine the long and short pointers together into one and place it on the 12 :00 position. Start spinning the disc until it stops. Before starting the game, you may want to ask the child a question such as: “Can you tell me which shapes do you see?”
Step 3
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Use the illustration pointed by the SOFT STOPPER to ask your question: “Can you tell me which two shapes add up to this shape? It’s a circle plus a triangle.”
Step 4
Please help the child use the long and short pointers to find the answers by pointing them to the triangle and the circle, respectively. The game is finished at this point.
Step 5
To repeat the game, simply combine the two pointers together and reposition them back to 12 :00 and start the game again.
ACTIVITY WHEEL
Illustrative Stories for the Three-Pointer Game Mode: The following illustrative stories may be placed into the LEARNING DISC for the game mode that uses the SOFT STOPPER. The list also includes the suitable age range, the corresponding units, and the basic learning objectives as a guideline for your reference, and custom adjustments may be necessary depending on the child’s progress. Adding with Fingers
The Little Explorer
For ages 3 ~ 3 1/2 Please help the child use his or her hands to perform simple addition.
For ages 3 ~ 3 1/2 Please help the child find two items missing from the illustrations.
(Addition Concepts)
Adding with Dots (Basic Addition)
(Identifying Items for the Outdoor)
Let Us Travel the World (Modes of Transportation)
For ages 3 ~ 3 1/2 Please help the child count and add the dots on the illustrations.
For ages 4 ~ 4 1/2 Please assist the child in finding out which modes of transportation operate in which spaces.
Packaging Presents
Puzzles with Shapes
For ages 3 ~ 3 1/2 Please help the child find the correct wrapping paper and package decorations that make up the corresponding gifts.
For ages 4 ~ 4 1/2 Please help the child identify the different shapes, and try to guess how these shapes will combine to form new shapes.
(Item Matching)
(Identifying and Assembling Geometric Shapes)
Building Blocks (Color Matching)
For ages 31/2 ~ 4 Please help the child determine which blocks and colors make up the picture in the illustration.
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(7) Cases for Game Modes with the Three Pointers Adding with Fingers (Addition Concepts) Please help the child use his or her hands to perform simple addition. Suitable Age: 3 ~ 3 1/2 years old Main Objective: To improve the child’s recognition of the basic number system and simple addition calculations by grouping the numbers in a game environment. Secondary Objective: To introduce to the child basic concepts of the addition operation. Illustrations: (1) Outer Illustrations - Numbers 2 ~ 9 (2) Inner Illustrations - Fingers numbered from 1 ~ 5 Game Guidance: 1. First make sure that the child is able to use his or her fingers to represent quantities, such as raising three fingers to represent “3”. 2. You can then raise two fingers to represent the number “2”, and see if the child is able to correctly mimic the motion. 3. Once the child is able to perform these motions, start the game by combining the two pointers into one and place them on the 12:00 position. Start spinning the disc until it stops. Once the pointer (SOFT STOPPER) have stopped on, for instance, “ ’5’, ask the child what number that is, then have the child move the long and short pointers on the disc to point to the two illustrations with 3 fingers and 2 fingers.” 4. The child should begin addition operations with smaller numbers first. If they encounter problems, then you should provide hints by, for instance, “pointing to the illustration with one finger raised, and have the child point to the other corresponding illustration that sums to the number in step 3.”
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Additional Activities: You can guide the child to perform more finger additions, such as by holding out 4 fingers and ask the child to add them to his or her 3 fingers. It might help to count them together if the child is unable to perform the addition properly.
ACTIVITY WHEEL
Adding with Dots (Basic Addition) Please help the child count and add the dots on the illustrations. Suitable Age: 3 ~ 3 1/2 years old Main Objective: To improve the child’s recognition of the basic number system and it’s ranking in quantity by grouping. Secondary Objective: To introduce to the child basic concepts of the addition operation. Illustrations: (1) Outer Illustrations - Numbers 2 ~ 9 (2) Inner Illustrations - Dots numbered from 1 ~ 5 Game Guidance: 1. The adult first names any of the numbers from 2 to 9 and have the child point to the corresponding number on the disc. For instance, “If the number is 6, then the child should point to the number six with his or her finger.” Make sure that the child is able to recognize all the numbers. If not, then give him or her more practice as needed. 2. Next, encourage the child to verbally express the number of dots on the illustrations. For instance, “If there are 5 dots, then the child should point to the number 5 and say the number accordingly.” 3. Once the child is able to perform these motions, start the game by combining the two pointers into one and place them on the 12:00 position. Start spinning the disc until it stops. Ask the child what number the SOFT STOPPER points is. For instance, “If the number is 7, then have the child move the long and short pointers on the disc to point to the two illustrations with 4 dots and 3 dots.” 4. Practice the addition operations with smaller numbers first. Additional Activities: Place 9 pieces of candy into an empty box, and have both of you draw from the box. Count total number of pieces of candy drawn by you and the child by adding them up. How many pieces are there? 44
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Gift Wrapping (Color Matching) Please help the child find the correct wrapping paper and package decorations that make up the corresponding gifts. Suitable Age: 3 ~ 3 1/2 years old Main Objective: To improve the child’s ability to combine and match related items. Secondary Objective: To allow the child to become more interested in solving matching problems. Illustrations: (1) Outer Illustrations - 8 illustrations of gifts (different decorations for different wrapping papers). (2) Inner Illustrations - 4 styles of wrapping paper and decorations. Game Guidance: 1. Discuss with the child the kinds of gifts that he or she may have received before. What colors were they wrapped in? Where there any special decorations on the wrapping paper, such as a picture of a flower or a ribbon? 2. Help the child observe and distinguish between different colors of wrapping paper. 3. Combine the two pointers together into one and place them on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc until it stops. Guide the child to find the corresponding wrapping paper and decoration by pointing the long and short pointers to the right illustrations. Additional Activities: Prepare wrapping papers of different color, an empty box, a bottle, some pieces of glitter paper, a bow, and a ribbon, and allow the child to discover ways to wrap everything together by him or herself.
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Building Blocks (Color Matching) Please help the child determine which blocks and colors make up the picture in the illustration. Suitable Age: 3 1/2 ~ 4 years old Main Objective: To distinguish between different combinations of blocks. Secondary Objective: To allow the child to think creatively. Illustrations: (1) Outer Illustrations - Block assembled in black, gray, pink, blue, green, red, yellow, and white. (2) Inner Illustrations - Blocks in black, gray, pink, blue, green, red, yellow, and white. Game Guidance: 1. Before starting the game, ask the child if he or she knows how to game with toy blocks. Make sure that the child understands that the blocks can be assembled by shape or color to form new combinations. 2. Combine the two pointers together into one and place them on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc until it stops, guide the child to find the correct block components that make up the assembly by pointing the long and short pointers to the right illustrations. Additional Activities: Prepare actual toy blocks to create new block assemblies and combinations with the child.
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The Little Explorer (Identifying Outdoor Items) Please help the child find two items missing from the illustrations. Suitable Age: 3 1/2 ~ 4 years old Main Objective: To become familiar with some of the items used outdoors. Secondary Objective: To develop keener observation and focus in the child. Illustrations: (1) Outer Illustrations - An illustration of a boy with two items missing. (2) Inner Illustrations - Hat, shoes, belt, scarf, telescope, water bottle, backpack, cane. Game Guidance: 1. Using actual items depicted in the illustrations, help the child identify and learn their names and uses. 2. Begin the game with a short story: There is a boy getting ready for an outdoors adventure, and as he was packing, his mommy said to him: “You’ll need a hat, a pair of shoes, a belt, a scarf, a telescope, a water bottle, a backpack, and a cane for your trip.” But the little boy can’t keep track of such a long list of items...Can you help him remember? 3. Give the illustration in which the boy has a complete set of items to the child, and place the combined pointers on the 12:00 position to begin the game. Start spinning the disc until it stops. Use the designated illustrations to ask the child which two items are missing from the picture. The child should use the long and short pointers to point to the correct answers. Additional Activities: Use real-life examples to allow the child to answer questions through observations. For instance, “What is mommy wearing for today?” or “What did your sister bring with her today when she left?” 47
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Let Us Travel the World (Modes of Transportation) Please assist the child in finding out which modes of transportation operate in which spaces. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old Main Objective: To learn different characteristics of different modes of transportation, as well as the spaces in which they operate.
Secondary Objective: To improve the child’s comparison and identification skills through distinguishing the different modes of transportation. Illustrations: (1) Outer Illustrations - Outer Space, ocean, road, sky. (2) Inner Illustrations - Car, plane, helicopter, rocket, boat, space shuttle, train, cruise boat. Game Guidance: 1. In order to establish a basic awareness of the different modes of transportation, you may use pictures or models to introduce their names and functions to the child. For nstance, “when teaching the child what a ‘car’ is, prepare illustrations or toys to demonstrate the different varieties of cars.” 2. The next step is to encourage the child to observe and notice the different environments in which the different modes of transportation operate in. For instance, “cars are driven on land, while the airplanes travel in the sky.” 3. Spin the disc and use the designated illustrations of the environments to have the child point the short and long pointers to the right modes of transportation. For instance, “if ocean is the environment, then the child should point the pointers to the Boat and the Cruise Boat.” Additional Activities: Ask the child to see if he or she can name other modes of transportation that travel on land, on the sea, in the sky, and in outer space.
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Puzzles with Shapes (Identifying and Assembling Geometric Shapes) Please help the child identify the different shapes, and try to guess how these shapes will combine to form new shapes. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old Main Objective: To learn about the different geometric shapes and to improve spatial and position awareness. Secondary Objective: To use different combinations of pictures to encourage learning through creative thinking. Illustrations: (1) Outer Illustrations - Shapes as a combination of two basic shapes. (2) Inner Illustrations - Right triangle, equilateral triangle, square, rectangle, circle, oval, pentagon, rhombus. Game Guidance: 1. Introduce the names of the shapes to the child prior to starting to game to ensure that the child has a basic understanding of geometric shapes. You might find that singing or saying the names out loud with the child will help him or her to become familiarized with the concepts faster. Make sure that the child is able to identify the shapes by pointing to the correct illustrations. 2. The next step is to encourage the child to observe and notice the different ways in which the shapes can combine and break apart. The child can think of the matching shapes as friends that are trying to find each other, and by pointing the two pointers to the two correct shapes that make up the outer illustration, he or she can help find the right answer. 3. You may also encourage the child to think creatively by suggesting ways in which the shapes resemble certain real-life objects. For instance, “with an illustration in which there is a triangle on top of a square, you can ask the child what this combination of shapes looks like to him or her.� 49
Additional Activities: Make cut-outs of the illustrations on the game story from color paper to help the child remember the names of the shapes further through hand-on activities.
ACTIVITY CLOCK
Instructions for Activity Clock
Instructions of Using the Gigo Clock Set (For ages 5 ~ 6)
(1) Learning about Clocks The basic concepts of “time” are vague and abstract ideas that will require some time for the child to learn and get used to. Therefore, it is important for the parents to have a great deal of patience when teaching these concepts to their children. While the idea of “time” may be elusive to children, the “clock” as an indication of time is a daily and familiar experience to them. Oftentimes they will hear phrases from their parents such as “It’s six o’clock. Time for dinner!” or “It’s seven thirty. Your favorite cartoon show is about to start!“ Hence, these routine experiences that children already have in their memory can serve, via association, as small, stepping stones to ultimately grasp the abstractness of time itself.
(2) Gigo Clock Set Clock Set comprises of four different clock models and one set of ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS. Each of the “clock models” is designed with different emphasis on various key aspects of the clock concept. The models vary in difficulty level, and can teach the child to learn to read a clock through progressively more advanced techniques.
Introduction to the Clock Models There are four different clock models with different learning objectives: a. Clock model with Minute Intervals: Used to illustrate that there are 60 minutes in an hour. b. Clock model with 5-Minute Intervals: Used to illustrate that there are 5 small intervals between each two hour numbers, representing 5 minutes. c. Clock model with 15-Minute Intervals: Used to illustrate that there are 15 minutes in a quarter hour. d. Clock model with Hour Numbers: It contains no minute units to teach the child abstract reading of the clock. 50
ACTIVITY CLOCK
a Clock Model with Minute Intervals
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b Clock Model with
5-Minute Intervals
c Clock Model with
15-Minute Intervals
d
Clock Model with Hour Numbers
ACTIVITY CLOCK
(3) Concepts and Instructions for the "Activity Cards for Clock Concepts" Introductions to the " ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS " The teaching guides include a series of projects for young learners to discover basic clock concepts. Using the ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS and an interactive wheel, the games follow the three fundamental modes of learning, handson engagement, self-direction and collaborative play. There are three types of Concept Cards: “Control Cards”, on which the illustrations and the words are linked together; “Exercise Cards”, on which the illustrations and the words are separated; and “Question Cards”, on which only numbers representing the time are shown for testing purposes. The ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS divide the hours of the day into four categories: 1) “Full Hours”, such as 3:00 pm. 2) “Quarter Hours”, such as 3:15 pm. 3) “Half Hours”, such as 3:30 pm. 4) “Three-Quarter Hours”, such as 3:45 pm. and each of the four categories are also color coded to facilitate the child in faster and easier recognition: 1) “Full Hours” are colored in red, 2) “Quarter Hours” are colored in yellow, 3) “Half Hours” are colored in blue, and 4) “Three-Quarter Hours” are colored in green.
Control Cards
Exercise Cards
Question Cards
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ACTIVITY CLOCK
(4) Using the " Activity Cards for Clock Concepts " with the Child These ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS can represent an advanced level of the time and clock concepts that require the child to first have sufficient experience with the daily schedules. After he or she is able to make the association between activities and the corresponding time, these ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS are the next step to teaching them abstract ideas.
Distinguishing the Clock Hands and an Introduction to the Clock Hand Set a. Distinguishing the Long Hand from the Short Hand
Prior to using the ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS , the parent should first introduce the child to the long and short hands of the clock. Familiarize the child with the fact that the short hand represents hours whenever it points to a number or the subsequent interval. For instance, “the interval between the numbers 1 and 2 on the clock represents the first hour, while the interval between the numbers 2 and 3 represents the second hour, and so on.” The long hand is also called the minute hand, and so whichever number that it points to will represent the current minute. For instance, “if the current time is 3:15 , then the long hand will rest on the number 15 , while the short hand will reset somewhere between 3 and 4.”
b. Introduction to Clock Hand Set
Gigo has manufactured a precise CLOCK HAND SET for your use. It contains the same physical mechanism that can be found in a real clock, and thus will behave in a realistic fashion. For instance, “by rotating the long hand manually, the short hand will move correspondingly to the appropriate position.” This realistic representation of clock mechanism can be used to demonstrate how the long and short hands behave to the child.
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c. Three-Stage Learning with Control Cards and Clock Models The following order of the four categories of cards are recommended for this part of the lesson: 1) “Full Hours”, 2) “Half Hours”, 3) “Quarter Hours Half Hours”, 4) “Three-Quarter Hours”. Furthermore, we recommend beginning the lessons with the clock model with Minute Intervals. Once the child has sufficient progress in using this model, you may work your way up to the more advanced models with 5 and 15 minute intervals. To begin using the ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS in conjunction with the clock model, first choose three control cards. As an example game using the “Full Hour” category, the three cards you have chosen may be: “1:00”, “2:00”, and “3:00”. The First Stage Lessons: First, show the “1 o’clock” card to the child, where the top of the card will illustrate that the minute hand is at 12 and the hour and is at 1. Demonstrate to the child that when the clock indicates 1 o’clock, these are the relative positions of the short hand and the long hand on the clock, and that at the bottom of the card is “1:00”, the numerical representation of the time. Then, move the short and long hands on the clock model to their corresponding positions as shown on the ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK ONCEPT. Next, show the “2 o’clock” card to the child and teach him or her that when the clock indicates 2 o’clock, the short hand will rest on the number 2 while the long hand will rest on the number 12, as the illustration at the top of the card will portray. Again, move the minute and hour hands on the clock model to their relative positions, and repeat these steps for all the selected control cards. The first stage lessons focus on teaching the hand positions on the clock to the child both graphical and numerical manners, and practicing on the clock model immediately to further help translate the abstract concept into memory. 54
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The Second Stage Lessons: Once the child shows sufficient progress in the first stage lessons, he or she can continue onto the second stage lessons. This stage focuses on practicing through repetitions to engrain the newly acquired knowledge into their mind. Start with questions such as “Which card says 3 o’clock? Can you move the short and long hands on the clock to the 3 o’clock position?” or “Can you find the 1 o’clock card and move the hands on the clock to the 1 o’clock position?” Once the child has demonstrated the necessary skills to complete these tasks, then he or she is ready to move onto the third stage lessons. The Third Stage Lessons: The third stage lessons are practice sessions that also serve evaluative functions. Point to one of the cards and ask the child what time does it represent, then encourage him or her to move the hands on the clock model to the right positions. Practicing with the clock model is an important part of learning for the child as it gives them experience with real operations, which will ultimately increase the learning process. If during any one of the stages the child shows signs of difficulty in performing the exercises, feel free to repeat a previous stage until the he or she is ready to move up the stage again.
d. The Flow of the Three Stages
The basic premise of the three-stage learning process is a progressive learning style that uses three selected cards in conjunction with the appropriate level of clock model. The previous example uses the cards “1:00”, “2:00”, and “3:00” from the “Full Hours“ category. The next logical step would be to use the “4:00”, “5:00”, and “6:00” cards, followed by “7:00”, “8:00”, and “9:00” cards, etc. If the child shows considerable difficulty in learning from a certain card, then you can simply replace the cards that he or she is successful with and leave the problematic card in game for more practice. After the cards from the “Full Hours” category has been exhausted, then it is time to move to the “Quarter Hours”, “Half Hours”, and “ThreeQuarter Hours” categories. Once the child has successfully gone through all the categories, then you can mix up the cards from different categories for more practice.
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e. Using the Activity Cards for Clock Concepts to Match Games
Once the child has progressed through the three stages and practiced with six or more control cards, then he or she is ready to begin using the clock models to match up the Control Cards and the Exercise Cards. This game is divided into two levels. The description of the game is as follows: (1) The first level should begin immediately after the child has finished the third stage, so that his or her working memory still retains the acquired knowledge that can be applied in practice. We will be using the “Full Hours” in this example: Select six pairs of cards that the child is already familiar with, such as the “1:00”, “2:00”, “3:00”, “4:00”, “5:00”, and “6:00” cards from the Control Cards and the Exercise Cards. The game proceeds as follows: (a) Separate the control cards, the graphical exercise cards, and the numerical exercise cards. The child then randomly picks a control card and attempts to identify the indicated time on the card. If he or she is successful, then place the selected card onto the tabletop. (b) Game by matching the graphics: The child then attempts to match the graphical exercise card with the corresponding card from the Control Cards. If the child is successful, then place the matching graphical exercise card under the control card. (c) Game by matching the numerical cards: Then the child attempts to match the numerical exercise card with the corresponding card from the Control Cards. These are the cards that contain numerical, rather than graphical, representations of the time. If the child is successful in the matching, then place the numerical card underneath the graphical exercise card. At this point the matching is complete. (d) The child then picks any card at will and then moves the hands on the clock model to the correct corresponding positions. (e) The objective of this game is to provide the child with practice in recognizing and matching abstract symbols (i.e. the numerical labels).
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f. Practicing with the Question Cards
The ACTIVITY CARDS FOR CLOCK CONCEPTS also come with a set of question cards that are used to test the child’s level of understanding the concepts of reading time. The questions encompass the numerical representations from the “Full Hour”, “Quarter Hour”, “Half Hour”, and “Three-Quarter Hour” categories. One difference between the question cards and the exercise cards is that the former is not color coded, and are all beige colored.
The question cards can be used with any of the clock models depending on the child’s level of understanding. During the test, the child randomly picks a question card and attempts to identify the indicated time. Then he or she tries to move the clock hands into the correct positions to reflect the corresponding time.
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This Manual is Co-Developed by :
COM M SENS ON E
LEAR N
LOGIC
Chaoyang University of Technology Department of Early Childhood Development and Education Ni, Young-Chih, Ed. D. Won,Wen-Yu, M .Ed Chung, Li-Chih, Graduate Student Lee, Sheau-Lan, Graduate Student Chen, Chien-Ming, Graduate Student
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