Where Video Gaming Meets Handwriting

I'll admit, when my boys were young (they are now in college) I tried to steer them away from spending "too much" time in front of the computer or TV playing video games. My motto, "everything in moderation" was tough to enforce and I didn't always do a stellar job. Today, they seem no worse for wear.

That said, now that I work with a software intended for use with children, I see the flip side.  While I would never advocate for anyone to plan themselves for hours in front of any software including PointScribe, I can say without a doubt, those video game developers completely understand how to captivate and engage their audience.

Many of their techniques are now built into PointScribe and arguably are essential pieces of what has made it so successful. Yeah, there's an awful lot of learning and skill development going on, but that's all made possible because kids like "playing" PointScribe.

• Dynamic music and animations provide cues for proper letter/shape formation.
• "Players' can customize elements of their digital environment. 
• Reward and alert sounds give instant feedback.
• On-screen scoring graphics show achievement, and, progress toward goal.
• Challenge level automatically advances as "player" proficiency increases. 

For as much bad press as videos game with respect to certain aspects of child development, I believe that there is a lot to be learned.  In the digital age of the 21st century, video game developers unequivocably succeeded at capturing the attention of their audience. We'd be remiss if we didn't learn from their success.

If you can't beat 'em ...learn from 'em.