My Virtual Tutor: Reading Game (K-1st) for Nintendo DS Review & GIVEAWAY!

This winter, you can combat the seasonal blues with an interactive, “edutainment” game that has been recognized by some of the top toy awards. My Virtual Tutor: Reading for the Nintendo DS enhances kid’s reading and comprehension abilities on the number one portable video game system. Finally – a reading tool on a platform that engages kids and maintains their attention!

Please see the release below.

My Virtual Tutor™: Reading for the Nintendo DS Receiving Rave Reviews as Quality “Edutainment”

Innovative Learning Software Recognized by Top Toy Awards

This winter, combat the seasonal blues with an interactive, “edutainment” game that has everyone talking! My Virtual Tutor: Reading for the Nintendo DS enhances kid’s reading and comprehension abilities on the number one portable video game system.  My Virtual Tutor: Reading has been honored by the top toy awards in its category including Dr. Toy’s Best Picks, iParenting Media Award and the Tillywig Toy Awards; proving it to be a great choice for quality “edutainment.”

My Virtual Tutor: Reading provides a learning tool on a platform that engages kids and maintains their attention. Finally a reason for parents to encourage their kids to play with their Nintendo DS! While the child holds their DS vertically like a book, the game’s cheerful virtual tutor guides children through 8 interactive books and encourages him/her to complete fun exercises and quizzes to improve reading skills. Through self-correcting practice, the different modes of interacting with the exercises and stories advance along with the player.

“We’re gratified that our efforts in bringing a quality playing and learning experience for early readers to the Nintendo DS has received positive consumer recognition,” says Hank Kaplan, CEO of Mentor InterActive Inc. “Our distribution and sell through at retailers across the country also speaks volumes of the need for this type of “edutainment.”

My Virtual Tutor: Reading gives kids an opportunity to reinforce what they are learning in school and have fun while they practice. Parents can track their child’s activities and the areas in which they are improving, or may need more attention, by accessing the Parent Mode. My Virtual Tutor: Reading is available in 3 versions for children in Pre-K through Second Grade. Each includes eight interactive books with 4 modes of play:

•    Read To Me- Virtual tutor reads the story with exciting animation
•    I Can Read- Beginning vocabulary word-based activities
•    Interactive- Clickable animations with interactive quizzes to test reading and vocabulary comprehension
•    Paint- Unleash creativity and illustrate scenes while listening to a story

“The proprietary Foundations to Literacy™ software used in My Virtual Tutor Reading has been tested and is proven to be effective in improving students’ reading skills and their attitude toward learning to read, “says Barbara Wise Ph.D, world-renowned reading researcher at the University of Colorado where My Virtual Tutor: Reading was developed at the Center for Computational Language and Education Research.

My Virtual Tutor: Reading was developed by 1st Playable Productions, LLC. My Virtual Tutor: Reading for the Nintendo DS is available at mass and specialty retailers throughout North America such as Toy R’ Us, GameStop, Best Buy, and Amazon.com for a suggested retail price of $29.99. The Pre-K- K SKUs is rated EC (Early Childhood) and the K-1st Grade and 1st-2nd Grade SKUs are rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB. 

For More Information on My Virtual Tutor: Reading and to become a fan of My Virtual Tutor: Reading on Facebook or follow updates Twitter, please log onto http://www.myvirtualtutorgame.com/.

About Mentor InterActive, Inc.
Mentor InterActive Inc. based in Boulder, CO was founded in 2004 by faculty members of the Center for Computational Language and EducAtion Research (known at that time as the Center for Spoken Language Research) at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Mentor InterActive publishes and markets interactive software based on the proven Foundations to Literacy reading program, developed at CLEAR through a license granted by the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office. Mentor also holds licenses from the University of Colorado for speech recognition and facial animation technologies.  Mentor InterActive holds a license to develop for Nintendo DS™ and Wii™. The company’s management team brings decades of business development and marketing experience to the production process. Mentor InterActive was named the 2009 Physical Science/Enginerring/IT Company of the Year by the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office.

-Courtesy of My Virtual Tutor

***

My Virtual Tutor: Reading is an awesome new game for Nintendo DS for children learning to read. There are 3 versions of the game for kids in Pre-K to 2nd Grade. Children will learn fluency, phonics, comprehension, and vocabulary skills through university proven methods. 

My Virtual Tutor games are a fun and effective way to help your child conquer early reading on the go! The Reading games include 7 interactive books, 4 different play modes, parent mode, touch screen play option, and self guided play. 

University studies prove students using Mentor's curriculum increase their reading scores. I'm glad that there are tools like these to encourage your preschooler to learn to read earlier, or to enrich your Kindergarten through 2nd graders reading skills. If your little one doesn't have a Nintendo DS, have them ask their older brother, sister, or cousin to borrow theirs!

*I received one My Virtual Tutor Game to facilitate my candid and honest review. No other form of compensation was or will be given. All personal views are my own!

 

Win It!

 

I'm happy to announce that I'm giving away my review copy of My Virtual Tutor: Reading for Kindergarten to First Graders to one 512 Kidz blog reader!

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Giveaway ends March 5, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Winner chosen using Random.org. Winner will be posted on this blog and will be emailed. Winner has 72 hours from Winner announcement to reply to claim prize.