FamilyEducationNews

July 27, 2006--Sharp Electronics introduces two new fun and affordable calculators, designed to keep both children's and adult's minds active and razor-sharp. The EL-S50B Quiz Calculator helps children improve basic arithmetic skills with built-in mathematic flash card functionality, and the EL-T100B Brain Exerciser keeps adult minds active with a simple but challenging math drill that's proven to enhance brain activity.*

"Sharp's Quiz Calculator and Brain Exerciser, which expand our broad line of calculators and electronic dictionaries, can help keep minds alert with quick and easy problems in just five minutes a day - it's the fun way to exercise!" said Dan Wynne, Senior Director and Group Leader, Sharp Commercial Markets and Sales & Solutions Group. "The Quiz Calculator makes learning entertaining for children, while adults can keep their brains active with the Brain Exerciser." Read more

July 26, 2006--Students who want to stay on the ball and a step ahead will love the newest organizers and PDA’s from Royal Consumer Information Products featuring E-Minder. The advanced E-Minder alert will not allow students to miss classes, assignments or appointments.

Royal's exciting E-Minder feature (patent pending), which is included on all Royal 2006 organizers and PDA's, is a dynamic, proactive flashing alert that ensures students will be on time, every time! E-Minders use a traffic-light-based format of flashing red, yellow and green LED's to provide advanced visual warnings of upcoming events. A green LED flashes to confirm a saved scheduled event. A yellow LED flashes 24 hours before the event and a red LED flashes on the day of the scheduled event. Turn on the organizer or PDA and the details of the event appear on the screen. Students decide if they want the E-Minder to continue flashing or stop. What could be easier? Read more

July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nine out of 10 teachers agree that students who turn to technology for homework help perform better than those who do not, according to a recent independent survey commissioned by Microsoft Corp. However, 71 percent of teachers worry that students are not finding what they need on the Internet, and 85 percent wish there were more technology-based resources available.(1)

Today Microsoft released Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007, a software package of integrated tools and trusted information that empowers middle-school through entry-level college students to create and complete accurate assignments that can lead to better grades and academic confidence. Read more

June 21, 2006 – Target recently announced a sweepstakes for children across the country to enter to win their very own reading clubhouse, designed by famous storybook illustrator J. Otto Seibold. The clubhouse is a visually stunning, 36 inches wide by 48 inches long by 54 inches high, kid-friendly, storybook-decorated freestanding cardboard structure - the perfect getaway for reading and book club meetings. The sweepstakes is part of the Target Ready. Sit. Read! program which encourages a love of reading early in life. Read more

May 12, 2006--GestureTek Inc. announced today that Hasbro, Inc.'s PLAYSKOOL division has licensed GestureTek's comprehensive video gesture control patent and technology to produce the ION EDUCATIONAL GAMING SYSTEM (E.G.S.). Utilizing GestureTek's gesture-based control engine, and their rapid development game production capabilities, the ION E.G.S. will inspire kids to get up and get active alongside characters from some of their favorite TV shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Blues Room, LazyTown and Dora the Explorer from Nickelodeon. The ION E.G.S. will be released later this year and GestureTek is excited to be showing it at the E3 expo, in Los Angeles - California, May 10th - 12th, 2006 - KENTIA HALL Booth #6736. Read more

May 10, 2006 - Once the bags are packed, the diplomas are handed out, and photo ops are long over, most grads expect to move out on their own. But for many college seniors, that's simply not an option.

According to the 2006 MonsterTrak survey, 48 percent of all students will find themselves knocking on their family's door come graduation. Additionally, 44 percent of last year's graduates are still living with their parents. After all, with astronomical tuition costs, credit card debt, and high cost of housing in major metropolitan areas, what's a newly minted college graduate to do? Read more

April 24, 2006-- Preschoolers now have a website to call their own, with the launch of KOL Jr., AOL's website for kids aged 2-5, at www.koljunior.com. The lively site contains original cartoons, games, music, bedtime stories and other fun, interactive features designed to help parents introduce the Internet to their young children. The launch of KOL Jr. also marks the debut of a brand new cartoon called Pilar's Adventures, which covers topics that engage preschoolers' imaginations while helping them deal with everyday life experiences. Read more

April 13, 2006--It can be unsettling for a parent or guardian when a child is late coming home from school or misses an after-school activity. Today, Sprint launches a location-based service, Sprint Family Locator by WaveMarket Inc., that can help give parents peace of mind. Sprint is the first U.S. wireless carrier to offer a consumer-focused LBS application that enables a parent to use a phone or PC to pinpoint the location of a child on a map along with the address, surrounding landmarks, and accuracy of the information within a specified radius. Read more