Methods and systems for education and cognitive-skills training

• US 7,470,126 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Susan Kano
• Original Assignee: Susan Kano
• Inventors: Kano, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom; Kurt
• Application Number:
  US11/248,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434/178, 434/317, 434/322, 281/15.1, 283/63.1, 283/72, 283/74, 446/147, 446/148, 446/151
• US Class Current: 434/156
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/32 comprising elements to be used without a special support

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for educational and cognitive-skills training. A method of educating a user includes an act of organizing a plurality of clues in a book. At least one search including selected clues from the plurality of clues is included in the book. The search is conducted in the book, and each of the selected clues must be found and solved in a specific predetermined order. The search clues are organized and/or selected to insure that the user cannot move sequentially through the pages. The user determines the solution to each clue to locate the next clue and, ultimately, to locate the end of the search. The solutions are organized and displayed in a predictable way (e.g., alphabetically or numerically) so that the user can “look up” each solution.

Claims

1. A method of educating a user, comprising acts of:

organizing a plurality of clues in a book, wherein a clue comprises content for which there is an unstated solution or answer; and

providing at least one search including selected clues from the plurality of clues, wherein the at least one search is conducted in the book; and

selecting at least one educational objective for the at least one search; and

selecting a plurality of identifiers each of which consists of at least one word or number, wherein at least some of the identifiers represent correct solutions to the selected clues and at least some of the identifiers support the educational objective; and

creating clues wherein the unstated solution to each clue is represented by at least one of the selected identifiers and wherein at least some of the clues support the selected educational objective; and

organizing the selected identifiers in a predictable order and displaying them in that predictable order within the book; and

determining an order in which the selected clues are to be found and solved during the search which is unpredictable to the user, wherein the user'"'"'s objective is to find and solve the clues in this predetermined order; and

providing the location of at least one starting clue used to begin the at least one search; and

displaying or associating each subsequent clue with each identifier that is a correct solution to the preceding clue in the search, and

providing at least one reward, a reward comprising an illustration and/or text; and

displaying or associating at least one reward with an identifier that is a correct solution to the final clue in a search,

thereby providing a book in which the user can perform at least one search that involves finding a predetermined sequence of physically non-sequential clues, wherein the user determines the locations of the majority of the selected clues by solving the preceding clue in the search and looking up the solution among the predictably organized identifiers, thereby moving through the pages of the book in a non-sequential order to find the clues in their correct predetermined order, thereby also determining the correct predetermined order of the selected clue solutions represented as identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifiers are words organized alphabetically within the book.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifiers are numbers organized numerically within the book.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of instructing a user to create evidence of a successfully completed search.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising an act of awarding a prize to a user who submits the evidence of a successfully completed search.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of providing at least one aid for the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one aid for the user comprises indicia, one for each search, displayed with clues and rewards to indicate the search to which they belong.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein one aid for the user comprises an Answer Form, wherein spaces are provided for the user to write a correct identifier for each clue in the predetermined order.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein one aid for the user comprises pictures or illustrations that represent at least one word or one number.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein one aid for the user comprises pronunciation keys.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein one aid for the user comprises a list of possible solutions including solutions used in the search, wherein the possible solutions are not listed in the correct predetermined order.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of providing at least one aid for an instructor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one aid for the instructor comprises material to teach or review with a student before the student begins the search.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one educational objective is focused on at least one reading skill.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one educational objective is focused on at least one math skill.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one educational objective is focused on at least one cognitive skill.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one educational objective is focused on knowledge in at least one subject area.

18. A method of entertaining a user, comprising acts of:

organizing a plurality of clues in a book, wherein a clue comprises content for which there is an unstated solution or answer; and

providing at least one search including selected clues from the plurality of clues, wherein the at least one search is conducted in the book; and

selecting a plurality of identifiers each of which consists of at least one word or number, wherein at least some of the identifiers are correct solutions to the selected clues; and

creating clues wherein the unstated solution to each clue is represented by at least one of the selected identifiers; and

organizing the selected identifiers in a predictable order and displaying them in that order within the book; and

determining an order for the search clues and their corresponding solutions and identifiers which is unpredictable to the user, wherein the user'"'"'s objective is to find and solve the clues in this predetermined order; and

providing the location of at least one starting clue used to begin the at least one search; and

displaying or associating each subsequent clue with each identifier that is a correct solution to the preceding clue in the search; and

providing at least one reward, a reward comprising an illustration and/or text; and

displaying or associating the at least one reward with an identifier that is a correct solution to the final clue in a search,

thereby providing a book in which the user can perform at least one search that involves finding a predetermined sequence of physically non-sequential clues, wherein the user determines the locations of the majority of the selected clues by solving the preceding clue in the search and looking up the solution among the predictably organized identifiers, thereby finding the clues in their correct predetermined order and determining the correct order of the clue solutions represented as identifiers.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising an act of instructing a user to create evidence of a successfully completed search.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising an act of awarding a prize to a user who submits the evidence of the successfully completed search.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of identifiers are words organized alphabetically within the book.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of identifiers are numbers organized numerically within the book.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising an act of providing at least one aid for the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein one aid for the user comprises indicia, one for each search, displayed with clues and rewards to indicate the search to which they belong.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein one aid for the user comprises an Answer Form, wherein spaces are provided for the user to write a correct identifier for each clue in the predetermined order.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein one aid for the user comprises pictures or illustrations that represent at least one word or one number.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein one aid for the user comprises pronunciation keys.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein one aid for the user comprises a list of possible solutions including solutions used in the search, wherein the possible solutions are not listed in the correct predetermined order.