Summer is here, and I have an upcoming kindergartener who knows her letters and sounds. I could not have received the educational game Erudition at a more perfect time! It is providing us with a wonderful opportunity to review what she's already learned and will definitely jump-start her journey to reading hundreds of sight words.

First of all, I really like the packaging. Erudition comes in a very classy, attractive, sturdy box. I am impressed with the quality of the game board, and the colorful, small town scene is appealing to young children. The game board, 5 pawns, 1 die, and 310 cards are neatly arranged and are easy to put away. Few game pieces equal a happy mom! Also included in the box are easy-to-follow instructions and a pamphlet of teaching tips.

Play is easy and short! It is designed for players ages 3 and up, and the object of the game is to move your pawn through the streets and be the first to cross the finish line at the library. The player rolls the die and moves pawn the correct number of spaces. Then, the player draws a card from his appropriate reading level. If the child correctly identifies the letter or word, he earns a bonus move. (A turn is over after one bonus attempt.) The pawn is moved in the direction we read, and along the way the player will pass many familiar landmarks and street signs. The game from start to finish has lasted on average about 10-15 minutes. Even after I am tired of playing, my daughter likes to continue to play all by herself!

The cards are categorized by four different colors:

• Blue cards - letters of the alphabet
• Green cards - beginner level sight words
• Yellow cards - intermediate level sight words
• Red Cards - advanced level sight words

Children with different reading levels can all play at the same time since the cards are divided in this way. When I play with my daughter, though, I try to use the same cards she is using in order to reinforce what she is learning. We started out with the blue cards as a review but quickly moved on to the green cards. I only taught a few cards at a time so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed. For example, if I taught ten cards, she would only use those ten cards throughout an entire game. We just kept reshuffling them until the game was finished. Even though these words are considered sight words, I still teach my daughter to phonetically sound out the words. I should note that Erudition does in fact encourage using syllabication to decode words.

Playing games is such a fun way to learn! I would highly recommend the award-winning game Erudition to anyone teaching young children to read. Erudition can be purchased at www.sightwordsgame.com for $24.99 plus shipping. It truly is a high-quality, educational game, and I look forward to playing it all summer long with my daughter!