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Trick-or-treaters may have already come knocking at our doors! Did YOU have your treats ready for the big and little goblins who came a-calling?

We were certainly ready with our "treats" this week---and no tricks were required! We wanted to offer our readers some "goodies” in keeping with the holiday of All Hallows’ Eve. At the same time, they happen to be "healthy treats", too. The brain-building apps to follow here will be "treats" to sharpen the brains in the “skulls” of your kids, your students, and YOU while having fun at the same time. They'll provide a WIN-WIN opportunity for all of you---especially for struggling readers and learners!

Hope you had a Happy and SAFE Halloween, dear readers!

Brain-Building "Treats" for All Age Groups

12 FREE Brain-Building Apps for Kids --- (Android & Apple) Here's a list of mobile apps that are great for keeping young (and old) minds at work!
http://kennesaw.patch.com/blog_posts/12-free-brain-building-apps-for-kids

Kids Shape Puzzle --- (Android) From tots to teens, these are your go-to brain-building apps. Take this portable puzzle anywhere – and never lose the pieces. Kids Shape Puzzle entertains
Price: $2.99---From intellijoy
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
http://phoneappsmag.wordpress.com/tag/kids-shape-puzzle/

Kakooma Addition Pro --- (Apple) Do you love the challenge of a great puzzle? Kakooma® is the quick-thinking, brain-building app that is getting kids and adults of all ages hooked on numbers. So what are you waiting for? It's time to Kakooma!
Price: $.99---From Creative Smarts, Inc.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kakooma-addition-pro/id524425633?mt=8

BEST Critical Thinking Apps = GREAT “Brain” Workouts --- (Apple) These apps focus on increasing critical thinking, problem solving and brain-building skills (all age levels).
FREE and various prices in lists provided
http://helpforstrugglingreaders.blogspot.com/2012/06/best-critical-thinking-apps-great-brain.html

Special "Treat"!

Halloween Matching Game - Ghost, Witch, Skeleton, Pumpkin, Bat --- Exercise your memory skills by matching each picture with it's spooky look alike pair while celebrating Halloween with this fun Halloween Matching Game!
by Jeremy Larsen
https://itunes.apple.com/ag/app/halloween-matching-game-ghost/id566440707?mt=8

Happy brain building, goblins!

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image provided by: http://osxdaily.com/2011/06/04/black-white-ipads-and-iphones/

Great Activities & Apps for Family Road Trips, Camping, & Other Summer Fun

Are you and the family planning your annual camping vacation or road trip? Have you promised your spouse that you won’t just pop another movie disk into the van’s DVD player to keep the kids from whining while you’re driving? Or will the children miss the sites along the way because they’ll be hypnotized by the latest video games?

So, what can parents do to keep the peace AND keep their families safe on America’s roadways this summer? In addition, what if the solutions also provided some learning experiences for the kids? That would be a great vacation, right?

We’ve assembled some ideas that might just fill the bill for today’s families. We think you’ll find some to be traditional while others might be new and different. We hope you’ll find at least a few options to help make this year’s summer vacation one where everyone in the family will feel like he/she actually had a vacation---especially Mom and Dad!

A. Games with a Purpose

Magnetic Travel Chess---No other game promotes and teaches good critical thinking and problem solving skills like the game of chess. Here is a magnetic version under $10 that can keep both kids and adults busy thinking for hours.
http://www.chesshouse.com/10_Magnetic_Folding_Travel_Chess_Set_p/e117.htm

Travel Games---Avoid boredom & restlessness when you play these travel games on the road!
http://familyfun.go.com/vacations/on-the-road-games/travel-games/

B. FREE Printable Learning Activities

36 Fun, Free Printable Travel Games to Entertain the Kids on Your Next Road Trip
http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/family-travel/36-free-printable-travel-games.html

Memory Games---These printable games can test kids' memories.
http://familyfun.go.com/vacations/on-the-road-games/memory-games/

Mazes---Kids can go on an a-maze-ing journey with this collection of printable mazes.
http://familyfun.go.com/vacations/on-the-road-games/mazes/

Matching Games---These FREE printable activity sheets can really get kids thinking!
http://familyfun.go.com/vacations/on-the-road-games/matching-games/

Printable Travel Activities for Kids
http://motherhood.yourway.net/printable-travel-activities-for-kids/

C. Travel Learning Apps for Your Tech Devices

Best Travel Apps for Kids (by Heidi Leder---June 01, 2012, Techlicious)
http://www.techlicious.com/guide/best-travel-apps-for-kids/

Apps to Keep Children Happy (by Michelle Higgins, published December 21, 2011)
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/travel/apps-to-keep-children-happy.html

10 Best Family Travel Apps (Available on the Apple iTunes store via itunes.apple.com-Edited by Shiran Lugashi)
http://www.workingmother.com/family-travel/10-best-family-travel-apps

Best Travel Apps for Kids (by Jen Leo---May 24, 2012, Conde Nast Traveler)
http://travelkit.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/24/11642813-best-travel-apps-for-kids?lite

Happy traveling---and learning---to all our families on the road this summer!

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Clip art courtesy of: https://www.google.com/search?q=free+clip+art+for+family+summer+vacation&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=SU3dT47WPJSe8gS53_TZCg&ved=0CIgBELAE&biw=1257&bih=626

With summer here, it’s a great time to sharpen those critical thinking and problem solving skills. This week, we are bringing you collections of apps that will help to do just that. These apps can be used at home now during the summer break or in the classroom once the fall semester begins.

These apps focus on increasing critical thinking and brain-building skills that can enhance classroom center time, individual instruction time or even serve to teach kids problem solving skills once they've finished their other work. In addition, when you improve brain "connectivity" and function, you improve all other cognitive skills---even one's reading ability and academic SUCCESS!

We hope you will find this list of apps to be most helpful for giving your brain a “tune-up” in the days ahead. At the same time, you will probably find them entertaining as well! Enjoy!

A collection of critical thinking apps---all in one place!
http://teacherswithapps.com/tag/critical-thinking-apps/

Think-O-Meter App---The Think-O-Meter app here will test your critical thinking skills.
http://critical-thinkers.com/2011/03/critical-thinking-theres-an-app-for-that/

A FREE critical thinking app: Idea Sketch app
http://d20ipadusergroup.wikispaces.com/Critical+Thinking+Apps

Discovery Learning: Games Designed to Let You Fail---A collection of apps (some FREE, some for low cost)
http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/2012/01/ipad-games-designed-to-make-you-fail.html

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Clip art courtesy of: http://www.123rf.com/photo_3437622_a-light-bulb-shines-in-the-head-of-a-thinking-woman-concept-of-a-bright-idea-invention-inspiration-m.html