Reading Books With "My Virtual Tutor": Nintendo DS Digs Into Edutainment

Games have always been a great way to encourage learning.  Board games with dice teach number recognition, adding, and counting while geography games allow children to think about a world around them with a bit more detail.

Video games take learning-while-playing one step further with My Virtual Tutor: Reading, created by Mentor InterActive in three versions ranging from Pre-K (the subject of this review) to second grade, currently on sale for $29.99 to be played on the Nintendo DS.

The best part of My Virtual Tutor is that it taps into multiple senses as the child sees and hears the game while touching the answers on the screen. Those with strengths for more interactive learning will not be at a disadvantage compared to children who approach education in a more internal manner when playing this game.

Another bonus is that, unlike classic board games like Monopoly, My Virtual Tutor is as portable as Super Mario Bros.

Game Starts Children Reading Just Like Parents Do

Like many parents, we've been reading to our kids since before they could comprehend what we were reading them. My Virtual Tutor does the same, offering visual association through moving pictures while displaying words.

As my 4-year-old daughter and I read the first story about a rabbit jumping, 2 to 4 letter words about the rabbit jumping up, down, in, out, and on were displayed. The second book was about following raccoons. What was very effective in teaching was that the previous words were reinforced, and new plural and singular words such as this and these were introduced.

As we went on to learn about things that are big and small, and the funny colors that clowns wear, several approaches to learning were used. This "staged learning process," as Mentor InterActive calls it, allows the activites and stories to advance as the child does, developing skills in the key reading areas of sound recognition (phonemic awareness and phonics) and comprehension. A total of 8 interactive books are included as part of the game.

The Virtual Tutor Starts Off as the Reader

We really enjoyed the first part of the game in the "read to me" section. My daughter read as she held her Nintendo DS sideways (as the graphics are designed) like two pages of a book with the tutor and the visual association (rabbit jumping in a box) on one side while the words are on the other.

The great part about this was that the story did not move along without us moving it, so my daughter was able to set the pace, moving along at her own confidence level. The words display one or two at a time and the stories move along as the words are being touched. While doing so, we were also able to trace letters and unjumble words.

Children are Tested on Comprehension as They Explore

The "explore" part of the game also goes at the child's pace with the tutor reading a page out of the Pre-K-level story and then asking questions. For example, after the tutor read the phrase "jump in," she showed two boxes. One has an arrow pointing into a box, the other pointing out. When asked which one is jumping in, my daughter touched the screen to select her answer. Mixing it up, she was also able to tap into her creativity (while I escaped for a bathroom break) to color on a virtual arts-and-crafts page. For the first story, she colored a rabbit.

At times, it had seemed that the tutor ventured beyond my daughter's ability, for example, displaying 4 words and asking for the opposite of a word in the story. Since she cannot read, getting right answers would be luck, but that was all right because the game offers up to four tries to find the correct answer. As she selected one that was incorrect, it told her what the word was and encouraged her to keep going.

When the stories are over, the virtual tutor asks what the book was about.  In the case of the first one [spoiler alert!], it was about jumping.

Children Explore Reading on Their Own

We'd found that the opposites were challenging, but that's why I always encourage parents to play new games with their children. Not only did we spend great quality time together in doing so, but it also helped me help her enjoy it more.

As the story was being re-read (repetition is a great element to learning), we were able to paint and draw in the familiar scenes of the stories. I felt this was a great part of the game because it allowed my daughter to unleash her creative energy in the same game that nourished her scholastically.

My Virtual Tutor: Reading has brought something unique into our home. By the fifth story, it was clear that the game was holding her attention longer than Super Mario Bros. and the most recent LeapFrog video I'd rented. This game is not only educational and relaxing — the tutor never offers reprimand or discipline, only positive encouragement, but it is also great fun that is right at our child's fingertips for under $30.

What Consumers Need to Know

The game requires an Nintendo DS console in order to play.The two available consoles are the Nintendo DSi ($170 retail) and the Nintendo DS Lite ($129 retail). Accessories such as ear buds, car charges, and cases cost extra. These items can often be found on sale and in specially priced bundles with games and accessories. These consoles and the original DS console can also be found used for a lower cost.

**My Virtual Tutor: Reading was provided to the Untrained Housewife for review purposes.**