Gifts for the information age

Black Enterprise, Dec, 1996 by Glenn Jeffers

This year give presents that will entertain and educate your children today while preparing them for the future

Parents, this is your wake-up call. With the holidays a few weeks away, your children are ready to bombard you with list after list of toys they want. Words like Barbie, X-Men and Sega will begin to echo in your ears - not to mention that you'll be spinning around in circles from your trips to the toy store.

But there is a way to escape this trap. Instead of buying toys you know will end up in the garbage can by, next July, get your kids gifts that will capture their imagination and teach them something. When it comes to getting your child excited about learning, nothing beats a "smart" gift. There are many types of educational programs to choose from, the most popular being software. Titles are geared to virtually any age group or subject - from teaching toddlers about letters, number and shapes to helping high school and college students review for major tests.

Educational software has already found a friend in Gerald Brown, a 40-year-old Philadelphia firefighter who buys software to supplement what his eight-year-old daughter learns in school. "I'm a stickler for education. But I know that Tori wants to relax when she comes home, so I buy her learning software I know she'll play with," Brown says. "To her, it's just a game, but it allows her to work on basic skills at home. I see the results in her grades. As she grows, I'll continue to buy this type of software. It increases her chances of making it."

Many African American families are following the Browns' example. Now, more than ever, parents are using educational software to stimulate their children's at-home education. "Parents have made these programs an important part of their children's learning," says Jane Brandon-Brown, the technology columnist for Successful Black Parenting. "They're starting to draw the children away from television and video games and toward the computer."

In addition to specific academic subjects like math, science and vocabulary, you can find software titles that deal with topics rarely taught in schools. For example, A.M. DATA: The Multicultural Database, designed for home and school use, covers the histories, breakthroughs and successes of five American ethnic groups - African, Hispanic, Asian, European and Native Americans.

Other great learning tools are audio- or videotape programs like the popular Hooked on Phonics. One such program Get Ready, by Get Ready Inc. in Philadelphia, uses rap music to reach basic skills like multiplication tables and the eight parts of speech. "We found it to be a way to communicate with children and break down the barriers of learning," says President Doug Henderson Jr. "There's no such thing as a bad student. It's certain elements in their surroundings that causes tension and impedes the learning process. My father, deejay Doug `Jocko' Henderson, saw that rap music could reach these children and created a program that could release their tension and increase their learning retention."

Other gift ideas include portable electronic devices, such as the Franklin FUN-damental Dictionary or the World Book Learning Center, as well as more traditional board or card games like Olmec Toys' Black by Design. But no matter what educational gifts you choose, make sure they put your child's abilities to the test. Otherwise, boredom will set in quickly.

Buy products that give your children a challenge. Games should develop their cognitive and basic skills without letting them know they're being challenged. This makes the learning more effective and teaches them to seek the answers themselves.

Here are a few ideas to consider when buying a smart gift. But don't take our word for it. If you still have doubts about whether your kids will drop the action figures and play with these games, just ask Tori Henderson: "I like Barbie and baby dolls, but I also like the games my daddy gets. I go upstairs to the computer and play them twice a day."

CD-ROMS

Preschool/Grammar School:

Nick Jr. Play Math! by Viacom New Media

Great animation keeps your preschooler learning for hours. Play Math! reinforces your child's early math skills with over 25 counting, sorting and adding exercises. Includes a parent's guide.

Ages 3-6; $29.99; Mac/PC; 800-469-2539

JumpStart Preschool by Knowledge Adventure

The perfect tool to get your toddler ready for school. Kisha, Pierre and Casey introduce kids to numbers, letters, shapes and sounds - everything to get them set for that first day of pre-K.

Ages 2-4; $34.95; Mac/PC; 800-542-4240

Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar Rock by Creative Wonders

Based on the award-winning series, Schoolhouse Rock. Cruise down Hudson Street and learn about the eight parts of speech. Features songs like "Conjunction Junction" and "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here."

Ages 6-10; $34.95; Mac/PC; 800-543-9778 Also available: Sesame Street: Get Set To Learn

School Zone's Alphabet Express by School Zone Publishing Co.