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Educational Insights Talking Hot Dots Pen Review

Wow! I'm speechless. I purchased 2 hot dots pens made by Educational Insights (from Fat Brain toys - who offer free shipping w/min purchase and Amazon check-out through their website), several of the phonics/reading packs (pre-K, making inferences, using context clues, and main idea) and the multiplication and division math packs. However, telling time, U.S. States, and even make your own flashcards packs are also available.
What's so great about these? Provides instant reinforcement and encouragement through engaging sounds and visual cues (light turns green for right or red for wrong). My pre-K/K and 5th grader are both equally enthralled.
I will quickly go over the cards, since they are relevant to your purchase of the pen:
Notes on the reading comp cards:
For older kids: These can definitely be done solo. Some of the reading passages appeared in last year's annual achievement test. One caveat is that the cards offer a full range of grade levels in 1 pack (e.g. 2.0-6.0). So, they may have limited applicability to say an average sixth grader reader. 3rd grade would be ideal. However, there is a key card in the front that lists the story name and grade level (e.g. 2.1 or say 5.7) - plus they are arranged by grade level in the box. The questions are very appropriate, standard multiple choice type questions (what's the main idea...).
For younger kids: An adult or older reading buddy is needed to facilitate. The pre-reading phonics cards contain letter identification (match the upper case with its lower case letter), color and word identification (shows you a red apple and asks you to find the word "red"), number recognition (count the animals, number is shown below (e.g. 1 giraffe), identify the corresponding word - e.g. one, two...), and rhyming (picture of mouse on left, choices are pictures of a house, rake, car). The instructions are at the top of the cards. After a few rounds, I think the letter identification could be done solo. There are several different card packs, including consonants as well.
Note on the math cards:
There are several (10) answer choices on either side of the problem. So, it is tricky, however be warned that the fact the answer choices are there WILL provide visual cues. So, these cards alone will not teach children to master multiplication/division/addition/subtraction. My son seeing the 64 reminded him the answer to 8x8 correctly and quickly, but take away the card and he answered 65.
Notes about the pen itself: There are several sound settings; mute, low, and loud. In a classroom environment, mute would be preferable, but the child can easily control the volume as there is no lock-out option. There is no on/off button. The battery cap (on the top) itself easily screws on/off (not an actual screw requiring a screwdriver) releasing the batteries. I like this, but a K teacher in the midst of 20 curious 5 y.o. may not.
Notes about the cards: they are thick cardboard, nicely boxed. The smaller cards - pre-K phonics and math cards come in small plastic index cases that can actually hold a pen inside. The reading cards are actually quite large (nearly a half sheet of paper) and fit into a cardboard box, clearly labeled. One worry is that with rigorous/excited usage from multiple children, it is conceivable that the pen could mar the answer bubble thus providing a "hint" as to the correct answer. The cards seem reasonably priced, and since the make your own dots are super cheap, they could even be repaired if this were to occur.

Educational Insights Talking Hot Dots Pen Overview

New, improved and better than ever. This amazing pen talks, glows and makes fun sounds that kids love.

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