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In a message dated 9/18/2000 2:55:56 PM Central Daylight Time,
braunville@... writes:

> You would not believe what I got about Pokemon! (You'd
> have to know this guy. There is no way he has enough actual intelligence
to
>
> come up with this stuff on his own.


Ewwww!

Actually, Pokemon has been pretty valuable in our house. Zack has learned
the usuals: math and reading, but he's also been studying strategy and
problem solving, monetary value, how best to stretch his allowance,
motivation to save money. His memory for the details on those cards and on
the games is frightening.

It's also been an extremely useful tool for social development. Zack is a
bit awkward socially (with kids but not with adults -- go figure!), but
Pokemon gave him something in common with lots of kids. He learned to
negotiate his trades, approach others with propositions, communicate what he
wants. He made new friends. He learned how to deal with the clerks at his
favorite card store. He also learned how to share his Gameboy, and how to
schedule turns when his friends played the games on his Nintendo. It amazes
me that he can sit down with another child or even an adult and have this
animated, detailed discussion about Pokemon.

As tired as I may be with all of it, I have to admit that it has been a real
boon for Zack.

Carron

[email protected]

Kirby (14) has been hired real-life (minimum wage and real paperwork and all)
to run the Pokemon League at a games shop. Some of the older employees and
adults who hang out there were saying that it was a luxury for Kirby that he
was running the Pokemon league and that he actually understood and LIKED
Pokemon, unlike the adults. So they expressed (in crude language) their
jealous amazement that Kirby was getting paid to do something he was already
having fun doing for nothing. <g> The quotable part was that he had
discovered the true meaning of life at the age of 14, which was doing what
you love and getting paid too.

Sandra

Cathie _

>Actually, Pokemon has been pretty valuable in our house. Zack has learned
>the usuals: math and reading, but he's also been studying strategy and
>problem solving, monetary value, how best to stretch his allowance,
>motivation to save money. His memory for the details on those cards and on
>the games is frightening.
>
>It's also been an extremely useful tool for social development. Zack is a
>bit awkward socially (with kids but not with adults -- go figure!), but
>Pokemon gave him something in common with lots of kids. He learned to
>negotiate his trades, approach others with propositions, communicate what
>he
>wants. He made new friends. He learned how to deal with the clerks at his
>favorite card store. He also learned how to share his Gameboy, and how to
>schedule turns when his friends played the games on his Nintendo. It
>amazes
>me that he can sit down with another child or even an adult and have this
>animated, detailed discussion about Pokemon.
>
>As tired as I may be with all of it, I have to admit that it has been a
>real
>boon for Zack.
>
>Carron


I feel the same way about Pokemon-I think my boys got their moneys worth out
of it. They even joined a pokemon league. We thought it would be great to
send them to a place where others speak their language! It has pretty much
worn off for them, though. They were into it for almost a year, but now they
are enjoying having allowance for other things than cards. Now Nick is
thinking of selling his cards on ebay.

Cathie
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Cathie _

That is so cool! He's a lucky kid to have found that at 14-I'm almost 40 and
haven't been paid for doing anything I love yet!

Cathie

>From: SandraDodd@...

>Kirby (14) has been hired real-life (minimum wage and real paperwork and
>all)
>to run the Pokemon League at a games shop. Some of the older employees and
>adults who hang out there were saying that it was a luxury for Kirby that
>he
>was running the Pokemon league and that he actually understood and LIKED
>Pokemon, unlike the adults. So they expressed (in crude language) their
>jealous amazement that Kirby was getting paid to do something he was
>already
>having fun doing for nothing. <g> The quotable part was that he had
>discovered the true meaning of life at the age of 14, which was doing what
>you love and getting paid too.
>
>Sandra
>
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Amy Wasp-Wimberger

I have to admit, I kinda like Pokeman. My kids are young but they like the
cartoon. Now I'm kinda hooked.

Amy (aka Pokemom) mom to Anandasaur, Zoechu and Mayapod

>

Billy or Nancy

We don't watch the cartoon, but we love the game. It is every bit as
challenging as chess!

I started taking the kids to Pokemon League and after the second time
decided to figure out what was going on. After reading the rules and
watching a few games, I started to get the hang of it. My kids let me use
their extra cards to build a game deck and I started playing and of course
learned a lot more by actually playing instead of just reading about it or
watching.

For Christmas, Glen and Lane bought me my own deck and I began to play in
earnest. I'm now a certified coach, have earned several badges, and I
frequently get beaten by kids less than a quarter my age!

League play is a great experience for kids who don't have the advantages of
homeschooling as they get real life experience in reading, math, strategy,
and negotiating skills by playing the game and trading the cards. They also
learn that age or gender is not important in determining ability (there's a
5 yo girl who regularly beats kids 3 times her age and adults often lose to
kids!). They also get the opportunity to teach the game to newcomers, and to
socialize with kids of a variety of ages who homeschool.

I think Pokemon League is a great experience for kids who are deprived of
opportunities for socializing and real life learning because they attend
institutionalized school. And for homeschoolers, it's a lot of fun too.

Billy
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Amy Wasp-Wimberger [mailto:kurt.amy@...]
-----_->
>
> I have to admit, I kinda like Pokeman. My kids are young but
> they like the
> cartoon. Now I'm kinda hooked.

LisaKK

>
> For Christmas, Glen and Lane bought me my own deck and I began to play in
> earnest. I'm now a certified coach, have earned several badges, and I
> frequently get beaten by kids less than a quarter my age!

Billy, I knew there was something about you........ <g>

I have an 8 year old that just awesome. He is my Mr. Detail Man. The child
will explain all 150 pokemon and their moves in one breath. He was asking
me to read one of the cards and I said you know.... if you can learn 150
pokemon, and all their hits, and how to play the game and how to create
decks and begin to learn the Neo's.... then you can learn the 70 or so
sounds/letter combinations we use to read with. Now, he's as cute as he can
be, with eyes that will eventually melt many a girl's heart. He rolled those
eyes and said, "70! I can't learn all of that!"
>
> League play is a great experience for kids who don't have the advantages
of
> homeschooling as they get real life experience in reading, math, strategy,
> and negotiating skills by playing the game and trading the cards. They
also
> learn that age or gender is not important in determining ability (there's
a
> 5 yo girl who regularly beats kids 3 times her age and adults often lose
to
> kids!). They also get the opportunity to teach the game to newcomers, and
to
> socialize with kids of a variety of ages who homeschool.

But it's EVERY Saturday!


Lisa - of the Pokemon Phonics Program <g>