Awards & Reviews
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STEPS4KIDS to WRITE THEIR ABCs
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CreativeChild Magazine -- "DVD of the YEAR" (2007) Creative Child Magazine is a national bi-monthly publication that provides parents with the latest information on how to nurture their child's creativity. With departments such as Kids at Play, Health and Safety, Discovering Creativity, Nurturing Talent and Tomorrow's Child - Investing for Your Child's Future Creative Child Magazine is essential and the most complete parenting publication for raising well-balanced children. |
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Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products for 2007 & 10 Best Audio-Video Products for 2007 (click here for full press release) Winners were selected from 100 companies worldwide because they provide "exciting new learning tools to help [children] do better in school and also provide more constructive activities after school. ... these smart toys and products encourage children to maximize their potential." Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D "Dr. Toy" Nationally Recognized Childhood Specialist Director, Institute for Childhood Resources (San Francisco) |
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The Toy ManTM 5 Star Award of Excellence & Editor's Choice Award (Childsafe International Corporation) (click here for full review) "Each segment ... has been carefully authored to deliver nothing but the very best combination of audio, visual and tactile stimulation to the brain. As children use this product, their critical skills are being developed far greater in virtually every sense. ... |
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KIDS FIRST! Program - Double Star Endorsement (2008) (National Coalition for Quality Children's Media) |
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The Toy ManTM Seal of Approval was conferred upon the Steps4Kids to Write Their ABCs handwriting DVD because it met the strict product evaluation standards of the International Parenting InstituteTM (IPiTM). (2007-08) |
II. TEACHER FEEDBACK:
"I am still amazed that my son [5 1/2] sat in front of the computer for 50 minutes and practiced writing. I was pleasantly surprised. While working, several times my son hugged me and kissed me. The DVD experience was finalized with my son's statement of 'I love writing!' I tried desparately not to fall over, and instead managed to smile and give him a hug. ... I am an experienced K - 2 teacher. ... If I had had this wonderful DVD years ago, I would have been able to improve quite a few more students' fine motor skills."
G. Leslie
(San Diego Area)
"I've taught for many years and loved the information on setting, seating and grips -- especially the help for left handed children ... The handwriting dvd is both very teacher helpful and 'kid friendly.' ... relating handwriting to drawing is both fun and meaningful. I hope you enjoy using this DVD as much as I have."
N. Frank, Centennial Elementary
(Oklahoma)
"I have used 'Handwriting without Tears' for years and although I still like it, your program is much better. ... I will be able to use our new technology to project the program on our whiteboard. ... The DVD is incredible! ... [I]t will make a lot of difference in my classroom."
C. M. (Pasadena ISD, TX)
"I have been using the dvd in my class every Friday. It is a great alternative to the "traditional" practice. My students almost seemed to enjoy the break from my voice and listened to the DVD. This allowed me to monitor the room and spend some time with all my students. My students especially liked the picture breaks and learning how to draw the pictures. My students that don't necessarily need Occupational Therapy also seemed to have "ah ha" moments and improve on their skills. This is something that helps all my students in some way or another."
Dina Welker, Barnard Elementary
(San Diego Unified School District, 1-2 SDC)
"I kept hearing from a fellow kindergarten teacher how her children loved to practice their handwriting. When I asked her which program she was using she told me she had started using your Steps4Kids DVD so I bought it for my class. I love it! While the class watches the DVD and practices, I go around and help those students who need a little extra help. It is like having another teacher in the class. Thank you!"
Kindergarten Teacher
(Encinitas Union School District, CA)
"I wanted to let you know how excited I am to use Steps4Kids to Write Their ABCs with my new kindergarten class. I have used several different types of handwriting programs over the past 19 years and I feel this one is easy to use and very comprehensive. I especially like the beginning, which shows children the appropriate way to sit and the way to grip the pencil. ... The other thing I really like is the use of letters to help children learn to draw. ..."
J. Best (San Diego Unified School District)
III. PARENT FEEDBACK:
"I have two kiddos, one with Autism and one NT, and I had tried everything to help with my son's handwriting issues. This dvd is amazing! The difference in my child's handwriting is unbelievable (and in a short period of time)! It was the perfect thing for my son on the spectrum and my neuro-typical kiddo! We are getting the cursive dvd next!!!" (Posted Amazon.com, M. Furnell)
RockinDeals4You.com Review: "I was excited to receive this DVD for my son. He’s very interested in learning to write his letters. He can already write a few of them, but doesn’t have it down pat yet. With the help of this great video, I have no worries that he will soon be doing it great! Steps4Kids has helped him learn were to start and stop and start his letters. I loved that it had verbal cues and simple visual demonstrations. They even take little drawing breaks that use the letters to make things like animals."
Scotti "The Grebe's" (San Diego)
"Both of my children (in 3rd and 4th grade) were struggling with their writing. After using your Steps4Kids handwriting DVD every day for 3 weeks, both of their teachers remarked at our parent teacher conferences that their handwriting had dramatically improved. Many, many thanks!"E.B. (California)
"My son is 5 years old. When we applied to private elementary schools, we were told he was doing great in all areas except for his handwriting. Your DVD helped us recognize the areas where he needed help and within a short time of using your handwriting DVD, he was doing great with his handwriting and got into the school we wanted. Wow!"
(Name withheld by request) (Houston, TX)
Helped my grandson prepare for kindergarten!
(review listed on Christianbook.com)
"We loved this DVD! I use it with my grandchildren who range in ages 5 - 9. They are all boys and each has struggled with their writing. This DVD helped them easily remember how to hold the pencil correctly and where to start and finish their letters. The Steps4Kids handwriting DVD is helping to prepare my youngest grandchild for kindergarten and is strengthening the older boys' writing skills. They love doing the drawing breaks that use the letters. My daughter-in-law -- a teacher -- was visiting and loved it too! She is going to get a copy to use in her kindergarten class because it will let her work with each child individually while the others watch and practice. I even showed it to a friend whose niece watched it and wants to order one for her daughter who she adopted from Romania and is having a difficult time with English. I gave it 5 stars."
E. Frank
STEPS4KIDS to WRITE CURSIVE
I. AWARDS & SEALS OF APPROVAL
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Dr. Toy: Selected from "thousands" of products worldwide, Steps4Kids is pleased to announce that its cursive DVD was selected as a winner of Dr. Toy's "100 Best Children's Products for 2008"! The "Dr. Toy" product review program is headed by child development specialist Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. and has been in existence for over 16 years. http://www.drtoy.com/awards/2008_3_list.php |
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The Toy ManTM: Since 1974, the Childsafe International Corporation has offered one of the most comprehensive product review programs available. Reviews are conducted or supervised by the Reverand James G.S. Fisher a/k/a "The Toy Man," (a former elementary school teacher now product evaluation specialist) who ensures that products earning recognition meet the strict safety guidelines of the International Parenting Institute and pass content review before being inducted into the awards program. http://www.thetoymanonline.com After thorough review by an occupational therapist, professional handwriting expert and elementary school teacher, the cursive DVD earned the Toy Man's Seal of Approval, and was awarded the coveted Editor's Choice Award (the top award) and the 5 Star Award of Excellence. Click here for the full Toy Man review  "The Toy Man™ Seal of Approval" serves as an emblem of professional recognition for having met the high standards of The Toy Man™ Product Guide for quality, safety, value, and product integrity. Only the products submitted to the Toy Man evaluation program which meet the high evaluation standards of the ChildSafe International Corporation are approved for induction. |
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CreativeChild Magazine/Creative Toys Award: Each year over 1,000 products are submitted to CreativeChild Magazine's extensive testing team and a select group of judges that include child educators and child psychologists who not only evaluate the products directly but also the responses of children to the products. CreativeChild Magazine is known for its attention to articles and information that emphasize the importance of nurturing a child's self esteem and creativity. The "Preferred Choice" award is bestowed upon finalists for the "DVD of the Year." The Steps4Kids to Write Cursive DVD was awarded the "Preferred Choice" award for the Educational Products category. http://www.creativechildonline.net |
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Parent's Choice: This approximately 30 year old product review program selects only 20% of the products submitted for its Parent's Choice award recognition. The evaluations are performed in order to provide parents, teachers, librarians and professionals with products that: make learning fun, do not extol violence, and which help children grow socially, intellectually, emotionally, ethically, and physically. http://www.parentschoice.org/aboutawards.cfm Click here to go to Parent's Choice |
II. TEACHER FEEDBACK :
Review from School Library Journal (Click Here)
Excerpts from Learning Magazine
2009 Teachers' Choice Award Program:
"I liked that this product is a dvd, easy to pop in and the kids can watch and learn, on their own, in a group, or with one on one guidance ... The instructions are clear and easy to follow ... The illustrations are quality and easy to view and understand. ... The step by step instructions on how to use the pencil, and the section on lefties was great. The slow showing of how to use and make the letters and the explanation was fantastic." (Teachers' Evaluation Comments - Aspects They Liked Most).
Excerpts from School Review Team for
The Toy ManTM Product Evaluation Program: Click here for full Toy Man review
"Thanks to the assistance of a local elementary school in the Los Angeles/Torrance, CA area, we had the opportunity to give Steps4Kids to Write Cursive a true hands-on consumer evaluation ... . As we entered, there was a group of parents, kids, and the teacher, grouped around the computer lab stations in the room, with a big cake on the desk at the end of the room. The teacher stepped up and said, "On behalf of our school lab, the parents and students who participated in your product evaluation, we would all like to just say THANK YOU! The mother of one of our students owns a bakery and they brought the cake you see here as our way of saying thank you from all of us. This DVD is well beyond anything we had expected and knowing it was created by two mothers puts the icing on the cake!"
To say the very least, we were all dumbstruck from the unexpected praise. From that moment on it was nothing but plenty of comments being shared about how much fun the DVD was and how it was so "neat", and how the teacher was astounded at "...how easily even my most stubborn students were willing to use the DVD". Never did we imagine that Steps4Kids to Write Cursive would be such a monumental hit, especially after our experience the last 24 hours at the school. The feedback forms had an abundance of very good comments for virtually every facet of the DVD. Based upon the feedback from the parents, school, teacher, and kids, Steps4Kids to Write Cursive was an absolute winner with everyone at this school!"
June
