How Can Teachers Use It?
Create up to four accounts to allow individual kids to progress at their own pace. Even strong learners may need extra scaffolding; slower learners definitely will, especially at the beginning, so play with kids at first to make sure they get it, and then let them move ahead on their own. Extend learning in the classroom: Play games that require taking turns, remembering, or following rules; tackle logic puzzles that have more than one solution; challenge kids' ability to wait and control their initial impulses to act. Scoring can give teachers some idea of how well kids are progressing and which areas may be strong or weak. Be aware, however, that games haven't been evaluated to see if assessments of executive-function skills are accurate, so a high or low score doesn't necessarily point to any particular genius or learning delay.
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What's It Like?
Kids journey through four games that tap into such executive-function tasks as working memory, logical reasoning, flexible thinking, attention, and inhibitory control. Games ask kids to repeat sequences, continue patterns, and sort by changing rules as tasks get more challenging. For example, kids begin with sorting by either color or shape; then sorting rules change mid-game, and kids must inhibit their initial impulse to sort according to the old rules. When kids successfully complete all four tasks, they earn a fish to add to their aquariums. The parents' section includes a progress tracker that scores overall performance, gives sub scores in the four skills (memory, reasoning, inhibition, flexibility), compares performance to that of other kids of the same age, and details progress in the preceding four weeks.
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Is It Good For Learning?
Thinking Time Pro gets top marks for attempting to get at very important, but not quite so salient, cognitive skills. A strong research base supports and informs the structure of the games, which increase in difficulty as kids progress. In fact, games can get quite challenging; kids really need to pay attention! Minimal instruction is provided, which may simply be an extra challenge for some kids; most will need more explicit help, however, especially at early levels of the game.
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On the home screen, kids choose a profile to get started and adults access progress reports.
Choose a game to start with or visit the fish tank; complete all four games to earn a fish.
Give each pet the correct treat, based on shape or color.
Sort first by one rule (shape), then by another (color).
Patterns get more complex as kids progress.
