Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Game to teach logic: your input needed!

Pardon the intrusion by a newbie, but I�d love to get your feedback!

I�m working with a team of web developers who are in the process of creating an online game designed to teach logic � and, ultimately, computer programming � to kids. The game is designed to become progressively more challenging as kids improve their programming skills. If they choose, kids can �challenge� their friends with custom logic/programming tasks.

As the parent of a GT 2nd grader myself, it occurred to me that GT families might be a great source of ideas and insight as we fine-tune our designs and plans.

My questions for you are: Does this game sound like something your family would be interested in? Why or why not? Are there any specific features you believe would make or break a game like this? Does your son or daughter already have a game or toy that works the same way?

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated! Our team is passionate about creating something that will keep kids engaged and challenged while teaching them skills that will serve well them both now and in the future.

Thank you!
Kelly

I'd love something like this. My second grader does well in math, but professes to hate it. She loves Dragon Box, though. Anything that's game- or puzzle-like would be great, and if it progressed to actually teaching a bit of basic programming so they could "make something do something," all the better.

My daughter (8) LOVES all the logic games. She loves games like Pettsons Inventions (iPod app) and pretty much any other similar type of logic game, where you have to analyze, build, construct to get something to work (kind of like programming). As a parent, I love her to use these games because it forces her to plan, think, strategize and evaluate the outcome.

My only problem with the games we have currently found is that they don't have many levels and my daughter can beat them all in a day or two and then she is asking for more, and I have no more to give! LOL

Welcome Kelly! My first question (OK, I work with too many logicians!) is "which logic?" Do you actually mean teaching logic as logicians understand the term, or just generally encouraging systematic thinking, or what?

My DS (now 9) has enjoyed the software that goes with Barwise and Etchemendy's book Language and Logic (and something else?), especially Tarski's World, to an extent that has surprised me given that these are not games exactly. More recently he has enjoyed Laser Logic 3d on Android, though this is not logic so much as thinking skills in fact.

It's actually a computer game area I've meddled around with myself. My son is a big fan of computer programming as a concept. We've used Scratch together and took some Python classes. A more goal-directed version of Scratch would be appealing.

We tried a game recently on the iPad that has you use cards to move a Mario-esque graphic characters around the screen to get stars and meet you princess friend and stuff like that. It was missing something.

So interest here, but knowing what actually will engage my seven year old is always an exiciting mystery.

Sorry, busy week, just got back and saw your reply. I am not sure I understand your differentiation on logic, but she enjoys games that require deduction to figure out the next logical sequence of events or the most logical answer. She also enjoys thinking skills game that require you to look at the beginning, look at the ending, look at the tools available and use the tools to put together a functional mechanical structure that takes you from the beginning to the desired ending (like Pettson's inventions).

This confused me for a moment! Then I saw that both you, who commented just before me, and the OP making her first post, were apparently called Kelly, and then I went Welcome Kelly and asked questions... I was actually addressing the OP. Sorry for the confusion!

It sounds like Zoombinis rather than logical argument? Am I correct?

Either way, we'd love it!