This is a fun game that teaches US geography and facts about the states. Players use colorful, animated US maps as playing boards along with scramble cards and state cards. Players listen or read clues about a particular from a scramble card and race to match one of the states in their hand to the description. If you are the first to successfully match your state card to the scramble card you get the card. The player who collects the most cards wins the game. Questions include "state that touches the Pacific Ocean," "state name has three syllables," and "state east of Kansas." This is a great game to reinforce US geography and listening skills. Some of the clue cards require players to understand syllabification and spelling, so be aware to support players with these weaknesses. In order to maximize the educational benefit of the game, children should play with an adult who can explain directions or new vocabulary and help with learning the locations using directional words, capitals and mediate any disputes.

• Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
• Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
• Presents educational concepts accurately
• Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
• Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
• Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
• Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

• Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
• Visually appealing to children in the target age range
• Adults would enjoy playing with a child
• For electronic games, gives positive or encouraging feedback
• Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
• Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

• Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
• Student should be able to use independently after first use
• Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
• Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
• Does not require excessive set-up time after first time use
• Can be fun as a single player game
• Multi-player game which fosters collaboration or cooperation
• Well-made for the cost
• For electronic games, can play without sound
• For electronic games, allows user to save work
• For electronic games, voice/sounds are appealing and pronounces words properly
• Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
• Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
• Overall - Easy to use

• Anxiety
• Multi-player activity with a clear 'winner' and 'loser'
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Attention
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• Includes long written questions or text that students must be able to read on their own
• Auditory Processing
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Expressive Language
• Flexible Thinking
• Listening Comprehension
• Processing Speed
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Includes long written questions or text that students must be able to read on their own
• Reading Basics
• Includes long written questions or text that students must be able to read on their own
• Reading Fluency
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Includes long written questions or text that students must be able to read on their own
• Self-regulation
• Multi-player activity that requires cooperation or has potential for disagreements
• Multi-player activity with a clear 'winner' and 'loser'
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Social Awareness
• Multi-player activity that requires cooperation or has potential for disagreements
• Multi-player activity with a clear 'winner' and 'loser'
• Spelling
• Verbal Reasoning
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Assumes specific knowledge or vocabulary without "look-up" options
• Includes long written questions or text that students must be able to read on their own
• Visual Discrimination
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Words used during activity can be too small or difficult to read
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• Working Memory
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Includes long written questions or text that students must be able to read on their own

The Whimsical, Mad-Dashing, Geography Game. Based on the book by Laurie Keller. For 2 to 4 Players, ages 8 and up.