Language Arts Toys

Language arts,  also know simply as "English" for most students, consists primarily of reading  and writing  although speaking and listening also play a part in learning about verbal communication. While a seemingly simple subject for adults, it is an area that proves to present difficulties for many children. Nonetheless, reading, writing, building vocabulary,  and studying foreign language  are important for kids of all ages and mastery is of utmost importance when it comes to proficiency testing. While English  isn't always the most exciting of topics for children -- just try to get a child to read a book these days -- educators and parents alike turn to toys and games  to make language arts fun and engaging without feeling like a drag.

ABC's

It's never too soon for infants and toddlers to begin practicing their ABC's.  Below are classic ABC toys at their best.

Magnetic Poetry ABC 123	Spell 'n Fun Animals w Alphabet Foam Puzzle	Magnetic Soft Foam Abc Alphabet Fun	What's Gnu	ABC Blocks
Replace magnetic fridge letters with flat magnet letter strips in upper and lower cases and numbers for a change of pace.	Bring learning to bath time! 'A' for aardvark and 'B' for bear, these animal letter puzzle pieces stick to shower walls and float for extra fun.	How do you spell 'cat'? Children must use their ears and memory to find the letters of basics vocabulary words. 10 magnetic pages.	Race to be the first to create as many three letter words as possible by using the featured letters in the "Letter Getter" and placing them in the flashcards.	It's the classic must-have for baby that gains both knowledge of letters and basic motor skills and spatial recognition through building.

Vocabulary

Wordplay for Kids Game	Datamax	Bananagrams	Apples to Apples	Nerdy Wordy Crossword Game
Get a clue and get ready to race to find the right words that are the answer to the clue. The catch is that you are required to find words containing particular letters. It's great fun and great for building vocabulary.	This unique device teaches everything from vocabulary to math and Spanish. It even has other useful functions, such as an alarm clock, calculator, phone book, and more. Suitable for children ages seven and up.	This is a great family go-anywhere game. Nothing needed but the banana and it's contents (144 letter tiles). Like a free-form version of Scrabble with a twist -- or shall we say, a split.	Each round a new judge puts down a card from his or her hand and the other players must put down a card from their hands to best match that word. The judge chooses the winner who then wins the point for the round.	With this game it's a battle of wits and words. Fight to get the most two- to five-letter words and when you're done, the game board snaps shut for ultra portability.

Reading & Writing

Groovy Tubes	Clever Catch	Bright and Beyond Reading	Really Big Words for Kids Magnetic Poetry	High School Musical Diary
It's a book! No, it's a board game! No, it's a tube of zany action figures! In fact, it's all of those things. And for the price, it's a great deal for such a colorful, festive, and informative educational toy. Choose from Dinosaurs, African WIld, Horses, or Bugs.	It's basically an inflatable ball with questions scattered across the surface. As kids toss the ball from one to another, they must read the question that is closest to their left finger and the rest of the kids must answer it. Ideal for grades three and up, or for children who have a good grasp of basic reading skills.	Bright and Beyond offers an entire line of educational card sets that are geared towards particular topics, such as reading and writing, as well as to particular age groups. There's something for everyone to help them learn. Best of all, these award winning learning flash cards are fun and simple.	Ideal for ages five and up, this kit will allow you to swap out the magnetic fridge letters for 104 basic words that make it easy for kids to make sentences. Extra large magnetic pieces are easy to handle and clean. Also try the Kid's Story Maker  for scaled-down fun that features color coded words to represent the different parts of speech.	Diaries or journals are an excellent place for kids to start writing. Plus, because it's private, they'll be able to let their imagination go without worrying about being graded or sounding silly. Once they enjoy writing, they'll find it less of a chore to do.

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