DreamBox Learning®» Learning fun

DreamBox Learning is Growing!

Tracy H — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:11:55 +0000

In just a few short months, we’ve doubled our size – we’re now at 40+ employees! We’ve been so busy working on new lessons and grade levels, we’ve barely had time to pause and share the great news with all of you!

Meet the DreamBox Team!

Read the story behind the photo

One of our developers (Slavi) recently shared a great story about his sister, and is the reason we all got together for this very photo:

Weeks ago my sister and I were going through DreamBox Learning’s 4th and 5th grade engagement plan. Since she's in the right age group (4th grade), it was fun to brainstorm ideas with her. At some point we started talking about rewards: what would motivate kids? Suddenly her eyes started sparkling - she had an idea! She turned to me and said, "Oh you know what would be incredible? If those kids who do an absolutely great job in DreamBox get a photo of the entire team who built this amazing product, and it's signed by the people on the team! Oh can you imagine what that would be like? Oh…” And she spent the next 30 minutes talking and talking about this. And she's talked about it many times since then. My sister's 10th birthday was this month. To celebrate, I gave her a signed picture of the DreamBox team!

Thanks for sharing your story Slavi, and for getting the whole team together for a group photo!

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week; Print the DreamBox Mad Libs

Sue — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:16:55 +0000

In celebration of Teacher Appreciation week, DreamBox Learning would like to recognize all the great teachers out there. At my school each fall there was a tradition on the afternoon of Open House. At noon the secretary would tape all of the class lists to the front door of the building; it was the first time that students would know whose class they were in for the upcoming year. Like worms suddenly appearing after a rain, kids would come out of nowhere—sprinting across the yard, racing on bikes, and pouring from cars. This was what we had been waiting to find out all summer. Students stood at the door and hastily searched for their name and their teacher’s name. Kids would yell, “Who’d you get?” Cheers (a few groans) and “Yes!” were heard floating from that doorway into the windows of the teachers preparing for first day of school, no doubt hoping that “Yes!” was for them. Why was there so much teacher anticipation? I think it’s because both students and parents know the teacher makes such a huge difference in the success of a child’s school year. A good teacher can build a student’s self-confidence, turn a struggle into a teachable moment, and create a learning environment where students want to learn.

Show Your Teacher Appreciation

If you have a good teacher in your life this year, or had one in previous years, why not send a Teacher Appreciation note this week, and let your teacher know why he/she earned your respect and admiration. Having trouble figuring out what to say? Have fun with our Teacher Appreciation Mad Libs! Just download the PDF, print the one you like best, and fill it in. It’s a simple way to have fun saying, “Thank you!”

Teacher Appreciation Mad Libs! - Click Here

Number Jokes!

Sue — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:37:34 +0000

Recently I heard this one on the radio: What did the 0 say to the 8? (“Nice belt!”) My giggling 6 year old traveling companion had to call his friend to tell him. So when we got home we went looking for more number jokes! Teacher: How much is half of 8 Student: Up and down or across? Teacher: What do you mean? Student: Well, cutting it in half up and down makes a 3, but across the middle makes two zeros!

More Math Jokes for the Summer Months

Like everything else on the web, you can find hundreds of math jokes, but only a fraction are very funny. So as a public service for moms everywhere who are stuck in the car with kids, I’m repeating a few that we found here! Why was the number 6 afraid of the number 7? (Because 7 ate 9) Why was the snake so good at math? (He was an Adder!) How do you make 7 even? (Take away the s!) Why didn't the quarter roll down the hill with the nickel? (Because it had more cents.) What do you get when you divide a jack-o-lantern's circumference by its diameter? (Pumpkin pi) Need more? Here are a few of the sites where we found these:

Now it's your turn. Share your number jokes with us!

What Place Does Fun Have in Learning?

Sue — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:30:00 +0000

We’ve just wrapped up our series on the “Top Educational Toys”—we had a good time catching up on some cool learning toys. Hey, we were going to go shopping for our kids, nieces, and nephews anyway! But in the course of writing it we never really took the opportunity to talk about why learning by playing is so important. Kids are simply more receptive to learning when they’re having fun. And lots of experts say that play not only fosters learning but it’s also an essential part of a child’s overall well-being. Play enhances kids' cognitive capacity when it gives them opportunities for trial and error, problem solving, and decision making while encouraging their participation in a fun, rewarding environment—that's what makes play both intellectually stimulating and emotionally gratifying.

Resources for Balancing Playing and Learning

A while back one of our regular parent newsletters talked about the importance of play in learning—in that article we offered parents a number of resources to learn more about the subject. I’ll share those links again here in case you missed it.

Play is key to healthy children, as noted by the National Institute for Play
The importance of play and learning, from the 360kid blog
One dad’s view on how playfulness is developed in math learning, from GeekDad on the Wired blog network
Play and learning is not just for kids, from a CenterNetworks article
A teacher’s take on learning fun, from the New Teacher Network
At the heart of play is pleasure, an important component in learning, from Yello Dyno
Play is a vital sign as noted by the Erikson Institute in Chicago
Participate in World Math Day on March 4, 2009. Open to individuals or entire classrooms!

You can also read the original newsletter article on our site.

DreamBox Learning's Top Educational Toys for the Holidays, No. 2

Tracy — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:24:58 +0000

DreamBox Learning is excited to bring you the second educational toy in our holiday-gift-giving countdown. Read on and find out why we chose the Planet Earth Grow A World as a top fun learning toy for this holiday season.

Planet Earth Grow A World: A Great Way to Introduce Kids Ages 4 and Up to Geography and Science

Top Educational Toy for the Holidays

Planet Earth Grow a World

It’s never too early to teach kids science or geography. With the Grow-A-World Kit by Planet Earth, kids ages 4 and up learn about both. Simply plant the seeds, pour water through the top of the globe and watch the continents grow! As the grass grows, kids learn that plants need sunlight and water to survive. When the continents develop, parents can teach their children basic geography. The learning doesn’t stop there: Grow A World comes with an interactive and educational CD-Rom that features fun crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank word games, and coloring activities.

Learning Benefits:

Teaches basic geography
Fosters an interest in science
CD Rom improves language skills

Ages: 4 and up Learn more about Planet Earth Grow A World

Disclaimer: DreamBox is in no way affiliated with this product and recommends it solely on its educational merits.