Playonwords.com Presents Their Fall 2020 PAL Awards - Best Toys, Games and Media that Spark Language Development Through Play

WILMINGTON, N.C., Nov. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Play On Words LLC, led by highly respected speech language pathologist Sherry Artemenko, announces 2020's Fall PAL Award Winners, the toy industry's only recognition directed by a credentialed speech-language expert recognizing the language learning edge in exceptional toys, games and media. Sherry's 35 years of child development experience with over 17,000 hours working with kids empower her PAL selections, video reviews, popular blog, media appearances (NBC Connecticut, FOX News Milwaukee), and consulting practice.

Parents, teachers, and therapists are trying to get to the bottom of the impact on kids' learning from the current tumult in education. This fall a study published by Mass General Health Sciences asserted kindergarteners were missing out on up to a third of their reading ability gains last spring. Positively however, they observed that reading to your child daily can significantly offset that negative impact. For years I've not only been a strong proponent of the power of books, but also promoted the strategic learning value of the best educational toys and games, specifically our PAL Award winners, and their unique ability to boost progress in emergent and developing readers. These awardees are selected based on thousands of hours assessing the "what" and "how" of smart play. Toys are the tools for a child's play which is why I've spent my career calling out the toys with the best language learning potential and coaching parents on how to play with their child to maximize learning.

Playonwords.com helps toy brands and consumers alike see the strategic value of language learning in play through its helping to build vocabulary, foster cooperation, express emotion, kindle creativity and expand descriptive and problem solving capacities. The PAL Award on the internet, packaging and in print media differentiates brands who know the marketplace now demands products that are not only fun, but also infused with learning potential. The gold seal with three smiley faces tells customers that more than great entertainment is to be found behind the box, book cover or app license.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT: Sherry's experience in pediatric speech therapy has given her an eye for the best products to build attention, vocabulary and concepts through play, preparing children for their first sounds, words and sentences. While completing mini eco puzzles and learning habits to protect the earth, vacuuming up dust disks to learn counting and colors, or shooting hoops and kicking soccer balls while learning colors, shapes, counting and good sportsmanship, kids learn essential early language skills.

• 100 Animals Book by LeapFrog
• Blues Clues & You! Really Smart Handy Dandy Notebook by LeapFrog
• Count & Win Sports Center by VTech
• Easy-Clean Fingerpaint Set by Crayola
• Ecologic Memory Game: Animals at Risk by Adventerra Games
• Ecologic Puzzle: Respect the Earth by Adventerra Games
• Ecological Puzzle: Saving Water by Adventerra Games
• Go! Go! Cory Carson Cory's Stay & Play Home by VTech
• Jiggle & Giggle Fishing Set by VTech
• Pick Up and Count by LeapFrog
• Seek-a-boo Flip-and-Find Word Cards by MindWare

READING AND WRITING: Building words with candy colored letters, reading fantastic stories that feature a child of color as the main character, or learning letter recognition, phonemic awareness, sight words and guided writing through fun games on a free app, all help children pick up essential skills to advance reading and writing.

• Candygrams by Candygrams LLC
• Duolingo ABC by Duolingo
• Jabuka by Jabuka Games, Inc
• Jambo Books
• LeapStart Preschool Success by LeapFrog
• Preschool Flash Cards Learning Bundle by Think Tank Scholar
• VersaTiles Introductory Kits by hand2mind

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE, CRITICAL THINKING AND REASONING: These outstanding products can build language structure, critical thinking and reasoning, often teaching vocabulary, concepts or grammar while delivering fun. Just add baking soda to science experiments and DIY projects while observing, solving problems, and drawing conclusions, film some role play as the weather man or direct your very own story and replay the results, or play a bingo game of synonyms and antonyms to build reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills.

• Electricity & Magnetism Top Trumps
• Great Women Top Trumps
• Is or Isn't by SimplyFun
• Just Add Baking Soda by Griddly Games
• KidiZoom Creator Cam by VTech
• Paper Flower Science Kit by Crayola
• Paper Maker by Crayola
• Slappy Camper by MindWare

STORY-TELLING / PRETEND PLAY: Whether building and piloting your spaceship across the galaxy, surviving wacky situations with three items you choose to tell your story, or serving up a yummy ice cream treat from your pop up cart slipped over a chair, children enter the world of pretend, creating their own stories with plenty of flexible props to guide their imagination. Oral story-telling precedes writing as kids learn the steps to create a good narrative.

• Disney The Little Mermaid Tubby Time by Ravensburger
• Fun Fan Fryer by Hape
• Helping Heroes Fire Station by VTech
• Large Dino Research Station by Schleich
• Magna Tiles Structures–Galaxy Rocketship
• Make Your Own Dinosaur Habitat by MindWare
• Mealtime Magic by Spin Master
• Paint Your Own Story Stones by MindWare
• PAW Patrol Dino Patroller by Spin Master
• Pop Oh Ver Builder Set by Salus Brands LLC
• Pop Oh Ver Ice Cream Set by Salus Brands LLC
• Purrfect Counting Purse by LeapFrog
• Rainbow Jellies by Spin Master
• Sparkling Friends Mia the Unicorn by VTech
• Stories of the Three Coins by MindWare
• The How I Survived Game by MindWare

SOCIAL LANGUAGE: Complementary to pretend play, social language blossoms when children play with toys and games and interact with media that encourage extended social interactions. Naming, and recognizing emotions in oneself and others through a cuddly bear with 6 interchangeable faces, interacting with a talking puppy and showing acts of kindness each day reflected on your Kindness Calendar can equip kids to better name, understand and manage their emotions, leading to stronger EQ's.

• A Year of Kindness Calendar by MindWare
• Kinetic Sand Sandwhirlz Playset by Spin Master
• Marker Maker by Crayola
• Speak & Learn Puppy by LeapFrog
• Whatsitsface

ABOUT PLAYONWORDS.COM

Playonwords.com was founded by well-respected speech-language pathologist, Sherry Artemenko. Her 35 years championing language rich play, esteemed PAL Award, popular blog, and insightful tips to parents set her apart as the leading advocate for the language component in toys.

Over 17,000 hours working directly with children has shown her that a unique set of the best toys, games and books have the capability to develop language while delivering great play. Studies show:

• Kids with highest IQs at three, had the most words at one and two
• Language learning is cumulative – early words => early sentences => language & reading
• Most kids maintain their verbal advantage through childhood
• Creative pretend play that sparks story-telling can advance future literacy

Sherry established the PAL Award to identify unique toys, games and books that through their design, quality and character, encourage play that advances language. PAL winners in the hands of kids, spark fun and creative play with lots of talk. Such toys, recognized on the basis of her child development expertise, are complemented by practical coaching in her blog, showing parents, caregivers and teachers how to get the most from toys, games and books to build language and underlying cognitive skills.

SOURCE Play On Words, LLC