If you are interested in a fun, unique and exciting way to help children learn to read, consider the award-winning mobile education platform called Speakaboos. It is designed by educators and they have assembled one of the biggest collections of children’s interactive picture books available today. Speakaboos offers a growing library of 150+ stories & songs featuring animation, interactivity, music, and read-along text. They have a partnership with authors, publishers, illustrators and content owners that include Scholastic,  Penguin  and Jim Henson including the hit series Sid the Science Kid along with HIT! Entertainment, Angelina Ballerina.

Children can always discover a new adventure with the wide selection this platform has to offer. Speakaboos can help children grow into confident and independent readers and create an opportunity to ignite love of reading in children. I have a little one who loves new books and this has been an exciting and unique addition to the mix.  Speakaboos is currently utilized by educators in thousands of classrooms and can help turn every moment into an opportunity to read and learn.

You can access Speakaboos with an array of devices in a number of different ways that include:

• Website: www.Speakaboos.com
• Speakaboos for iOS
• Nabi
• Leapfrog

Note: iOS Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

If you are already a user of Speakaboos, we would love to hear about your experience in the comments section below.

About Speakaboos:
Speakaboos helps children read, explore, and discover books they love based on their interests. Developed by the expert team that brought you Blue’s Clues, SuperWHY!, and NickJr.com, and based on the decades of research and testing of Dr. Alice Wilder, the Speakaboos mobile education platform cultivates literacy and language learning skills for children from preschool to second grade. Our storybooks feature rich illustrations, animated characters, story-driven games, and touch-screen interactions that bring favorite stories to life and keep children engaged while learning. Speakaboos can be enjoyed on computers, tablets, or mobile devices at home and in schools and libraries. Recognized by the National Parenting Council, Education World, American Library Association, and the Aspen Institute, Speakaboos is distributed to thousands of children around the world in strategic partnership with the world’s largest education, media, and technology companies.

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SpaceRacers™ is a new animated preschool television program that follows young spaceship cadets as they soar through the Solar System learning about the power of scientific investigation and observation, the wonders of space exploration and the importance of working as a team. The show’s stunning CGI animation combined with actual images from NASA mission, factual science, and space technology, make each action-packed episode entertaining, educational and inspiring for everyone watching. Space Racers also has NASA onboard as technical consultants, reviewing all scripts for accuracy. Our family loves it and we know a two year old who already asks for it by name. Check your local listings for times and channel in your area or visit here to find additional details.

As an added bonus, there is a FREE Space Racers iOS app that launched in September with an android version launching the first week of December. It is internationally available and you can select from three languages English, Spanish and French. This is a very cool app that has a cosmic twist on traditional flying games, where kids can tag-team between four Space Racers characters– Eagle, Robyn, Hawk and Starling.   Players can fly through space & explore 8 engaging worlds through 32 rounds of play while collecting stars, surprise power-ups and hidden rewards, but must avoid obstacles and an empty fuel tank!

Through self-directed play, children will explore the concept of cause and effect as they pilot spaceships through a progressively challenging and engaging obstacle course. In order to advance, players need to consider scientific variables like the effects of wind, the weight of the spaceship, and the magnetic pull on metal objects. The game is designed to increase perseverance, mastery, and curiosity for preschoolers, as they learn and succeed through exploration. We really think you will love this app, our family did and the kids love the excitement of playing after watching an episode. You can download it currently on iTunes here:
Space Racers!


You can also visit their website which can be found at www.SpaceRacers.org, they have put together animated episodes, games and printable activities.
We also love the section on the site that we think you will too, it’s the “Parents and Educators” section that features 13 lesson plans and 4 family activities that you can do together.  The lesson plans and activities, which were created in conjunction with WNET Education, go hand in hand with the episodes.

Please give it a try, check out and episode, try the app, visit their site and let us know what you think. We would love to hear your feedback and experience in the comments section below. As a family and educational oriented site, we think you will love this combination of fun and education that Space Racers™ has to offer.

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One of the most difficult things about deployment is the waiting, and more often than not, military wives and moms find themselves slowly counting the days before their husband finally returns home from deployment. Sadly, everyone knows that the more you count the days, the longer they seem to be, and it seems like hours stretch into days and days stretch into weeks.

The wait is agonizing for moms, but it’s even more agonizing for the kids. Many children will be unable to process the thought of their parent leaving, and some might even think they’re to blame for their mom or dad’s departure. The important thing to do is to keep your kids feeling loved and cared for, and to communicate openly about the events going on in the family.

Keeping your kids informed on matters relating to your husband’s deployment is essential if you want to minimize stress and anxiety. More than this, however, kids need to feel involved, and to feel as though they’re still connected to their deployed parent in some way, even though they’re miles apart.

If you’re struggling to find ways to help your children pass the time, consider undertaking some simple projects that not only help them keep track of the days before their daddy comes home, but also give you a great gift to send to the hubby who’s missing his kids on the other side of the world. Creative handiwork and craft-making has been proven to lower stress levels and help kids stay positive, and it might just be what the kids need to help them express them and get in touch with their feelings.

Recognizing the wonderful effects that craft-making can have on children; various organizations have begun making strides to get more kids into making crafts. Many parents will remember the Disney Channel’s Art Attack, a show that taught kids to make creative and fun projects right from home. Companies like Molly-Meg have also made it a point to hold a series of make-and-do workshops to help kids get into crafting things with their hands.

Many different corporations have also recognized the benefits that allowing kids to be creative can have. Mommy Poppins lists various activities in the New York area that allow kids to make their own Muppets, cars, and even Madame Alexander Dolls. Childrenswear brand Tootsa has also released denim dresses with iron-on patches that parents can use to help kids customize their dresses and add their own personal flare. Child’s Own takes things a step further by allowing children to draw and design their own plushies, and then bringing them to life.   There are many benefits to creating crafts with your kids, and undertaking craft projects might be just what you need to get through the stresses of deployment. It’s also important to note that taking part in shared activities with your kids and being more involved in their lives can help them take their minds off of missing their deployed parent. If you find yourself strapped for ideas, then try out these fun-and-easy projects you can undertake with your kids as you eagerly await your hubby’s return:

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The SpeakaLegend app for iOS is the first-ever talk & touch speech recognition app. This innovative kids app allows kids to interact with mythical creatures. Now you can travel the world and speak with an array of creatures in hopes of unlocking the secret unicorn. Recently, my nephew who is 6 years old, instantly fell in love with it and played for two hours straight. He had so much fun reading a story to the creatures and they listened to him read, which really facinated him. It has quickly become one of his favorite apps. If you are looking for something fun and new, you should consider giving SpeakaLegend a try. SpeakaLegend is designed for and intended for kids age 6 and above, though we even found that younger members of our family enjoyed playing too. One thing I love is that there are no in app purchases.

Characters 

Loch Ness Monster – excited to show you his homeland
Mermaid – speaking with you only in rhymes
Minotaur – eager to help build courage along the way
Bigfoot – extreme nature lover
Fairy – ready to hear all of your wishes
Cyclops – lovable and goofy
Dragon – poke tummy and she sneezes fire!
Jackalope – teaches explorers about manners
Sphinx – thrilled to share her riddles with you
Unicorn – exceeds all expectations

Features

• 10 legendary characters written and designed by an award-winning creative team
• Exclusive speech recognition technology that allows players to have two way conversations with characters
• Brand new interactive features for touching, playing, and exploring
• Up to two hours of dialogue for explorers to interact with
• A map screen that lets you choose where to go
• The ability to visit the creatures in any order
• Endless play for all of the characters
• Lots of fun and surprising touch activities for each character
• A “Happiness Meter” that shows how far you’ve come in your quest to find the unicorn
• No third-party advertising
• No in-app purchases

Safety & Privacy 

SpeakaLegend is playable in touch-only mode, but enabling speech recognition is strongly recommended in order for kids to gain the full experience. To enable speech recognition, we need to capture audio recordings, for which we require parental permission via email. ToyTalk makes online safety and privacy a priority. After granting permission, parents can access and control their child’s recordings from our website at www.toytalk.com.

About ToyTalk ToyTalk is an award-winning, family entertainment company that creates conversational characters.

If you are interested in downloading SpeakaLegend, click here to download SpeakaLegend on iOS. Thank you for visiting www.KidsDesk.net! If you like our content, please bookmark us and tell your family & friends.