A huge rainstorm blows through the Island of Sodor. CRASH! A tree falls and breaks through the station house. Thomas' friends are sent out to find help and supplies to make repairs. When they don't return, Thomas braves the storm to find them and proves just what a really useful engine he can be.
Kids just place the book on the LeapPad® player, pop in the cartridge, and touch any page with the Magic Pen to bring learning to life. This book also works with the LeapPad Plus Writing learning system and the Quantum Pad learning system.
The actual item may vary from the photographs and/or illustrations.
What it Teaches -
"Thomas the Really Useful Engine" teaches story comprehension, character comprehension, logic and deductive reasoning, and vocabulary.
Logic -
Logic refers to valid reasoning or to a system of reasoning used to draw correct conclusions. Children use logic in everyday situations (e.g., determining cause-and-effect relationships) and in mathematical problem solving. Children begin to develop logic skills as newborns, and expand upon their understanding as they get older.
Deductive Reasoning -
Deductive reasoning refers to the process of reasoning from the general to the specific. At this age, children draw conclusions from general information (e.g., if my mom's favorite animal has sharp teeth and stripes, and tigers have sharp teeth and stripes, my mom's favorite animal must be a tiger).
Math -
Children learn important mathematical concepts and processes in the areas of numbers and operations (e.g., addition, division), algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis and probability, and math reasoning (e.g., recognizing and describing connections between problems). Children begin to develop math skills as infants and expand upon their understanding as they get older.
Reading & Language -
Language arts refers to the elements of language use — typically oral language (speech); listening; reading; and writing, including spelling and vocabulary. Reading refers to the process of understanding a written, linguistic message; the process of obtaining meaning from printed language; or the process of orally expressing printed language in a meaningful way.
Phonics -
Phonics refers to a way of teaching word recognition that emphasizes the relationship between the sounds in spoken words (/k/ /a/ /t/) and the letters that represent those sounds (“cat”). At this age, the success of any phonics program will directly relate to a child’s phonological awareness, the awareness that words are made of sounds and the ability to manipulate those sounds. For example, PreK and K children have an easier time learning to decode if they can tell you that the three sounds in, for example, /k/ /a/ /t/, blended together, will say “cat.” Phonics is an important tool in teaching children to read and spell because English is an alphabetic language, that is, a language that represents its sounds with letters. In English, 89% of all word spellings follow reliable sound/symbol correspondences. The purpose of phonics instruction is not that children learn to sound out words, but that they learn to recognize words quickly and automatically, so that they can turn their attention to understanding what they read. Phonics instruction shouldn’t last long; it should be based on a good phonological awareness base; it should be clear and direct; contain blending instruction, and integrated into a total reading program, that includes a great deal of reading aloud. The program should contain many chances for children to apply the sound/symbol relationships they have learned. A basic book for parents and teachers alike is Wiley Blevins’ book, “Phonics: From A to Z, A Practical Guide (Scholastic 1998).
Reading -
Reading refers to the process of understanding a written, linguistic message; the process of obtaining meaning from printed language; or the process of orally expressing printed language in a meaningful way. Reading is primarily a function of decoding skill (the process of getting meaning from written symbols) and listening comprehension. Most developing readers understand more of what's read to them than they can read themselves, but by third or fourth grade, most children can read a written text and comprehend it as well as if it were read to them. Reading success for preschoolers and kindergartners depends upon their oral language skills, letter knowledge, print awareness, and motivation to learn about and appreciate different forms of writing (e.g., letters, story books, nursery rhymes, nonfiction books, lists of things to do). Children develop early reading skills by building upon their understanding that words are made of sounds (phonemic awareness) and their understanding that these sounds are represented by letters of the alphabet. Therefore, rhyming and alliteration play key roles by calling attention to the sounds of language. Encouraging children to write and giving them many opportunities to read are also important. Preschoolers and kindergartners properly pronounce an increasing number of words, know synonyms for common words and even begin to understand the structure of words (e.g., compound words such as "flashlight," simple prefixes such as un- in "unable," simple suffixes such as -ing in "running"). As children develop listening comprehension, they explore the uses and functions of written language. Children practice and enhance their vocabulary, language skills and comprehension skills by discussing what's read to them, predicting upcoming text, asking questions, or retelling stories they've heard or read themselves.
Social Development -
Social development refers to the acquisition of the skills that children use to express their personalities in a healthy manner and to interact in positive ways with family, friends, teachers, neighbors and others. During the preschool and kindergarten years, children experience a dramatic change in their social development.
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