Irvine, Calif., Dec. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MIND Research Institute is thrilled to announce that MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara has been honored with a 2018 Academics’ Choice Award, a prestigious seal of educational quality, reserved only for the best mind-building media and toys. MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara is a winner of the Academics’ Choice Brain Toy Award in the game category.
MathMINDs Games are storybook board games that combine math, history and literacy in a highly connected experience. Through each story, families learn and play a math game as they explore real events from the game's country of origin. In this way, history, culture, and geography actively ground the learning of new and complex ideas. The development of the first game suite, South of the Sahara, was funded in large by industrial automation and information company, Rockwell Automation.
“The Academic’s Choice award is a great validation of the research and work that went into creating dynamic learning experiences for families,” said Product Director Brandon Smith. “MathMINDs Games are an expression of the idea that math is everywhere, in everything and for everyone. We are excited to share these games with more families and educators in the future.”
"We are proud to work with the innovative team at MIND as we build friendships with math," said Patricia Contreras, Director of Global Community Relations and Contributions for Rockwell Automation. "Through our Family Game Nights, we have seen how MathMINDs Games engage children and families with hands-on learning in a fun and interactive way that blends math, history and literacy."
A volunteer panel of product-appropriate judges, including parents, educators, scientists, artists, doctors, nurses, librarians, students and children, evaluate submissions for the Academics’ Choice Award based on educational benefits such as higher-order thinking skills, character building, creative play, durability and originality. One judge shared in their review: “The games cover some basic and very important math concepts, including: adding 3 single digit numbers, finding missing addends, using positive and negative numbers, negation, and comparisons. Students also develop reading and listening [skills]...learn history, and practice game strategy.”
“To have our games recognized by Academics’ Choice is an honor,” MIND Research Institute CEO Brett Woudenberg said. “Their efforts to help parents and teachers find genuinely effective learning tools align with our mission of equipping students to solve the world's most challenging problems.”
More information about the games, as well as opportunities for donors to help help bring MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara to students across the country, can be found at mindresearch.org/mathminds-games.
About Academics’ Choice™
Academics' Choice™ helps consumers find exceptional brain-boosting material. Academics’ Choice is the only international awards program designed to bring increased recognition to publishers, manufacturers, independent authors and developers that aim to stimulate cognitive development. The Academics' Choice Advisory Board consists of leading thinkers and graduates from Princeton, Harvard, George Washington University, and other reputable educational institutions. Only the genuine “mind-builders” are recognized with the coveted Academics’ Choice Award™. The full list of winners is posted online at www.AcademicsChoice.com.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.
About MIND Research Institute
MIND Research Institute is a neuroscience and education social impact organization, dedicated to ensuring that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world’s most challenging problems. MIND is the creator of ST Math®, a Pre-K-8 visual instructional program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of math through rigorous learning and creative problem solving. MIND has also developed programs under MathMINDs to provide students, teachers and families dynamic ways to actively engage with math, and to close the experience gap for all learners. MathMINDs includes Family Game Nights, the national K-12 Game-a-thon and MathMINDs Games. For more information, visit mindresearch.org.
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