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Parents' Choice Foundation
Silver Honor Award |
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OUR
YOUNGEST FAN
(top of page)
|
Jamie,
age three and a half, our youngest Fractiles
Fan, with his composition "Porcupine". Jamie
is proud that he made his design with with
no adult help.
(Due
to the small size of the tiles, adult supervision
is recommended
for ages under 6.) |
"I
gave my 89 year old mother a set of Fractiles
for Mother’s Day. She is confined to sitting
in a chair a lot and I felt this might be a
good past time game for her. She said 'Fractiles
gives me so much pleasure. You cannot imagine
how much I enjoy Fractiles-7. I spend hours
playing with it!' Thank you!"
- Elizabeth Nielson, Denver, CO
MUSEUM
SHOPS
(top
of page)
"My grandchildren have
enjoyed the Fractiles set I purchased for them
at the Orlando Museum of Art more than anything
I have given them in a long time. As chair person
of the committee selecting the merchandise,
I have researched Museum Stores for a year,
testing children's things on my granddaughters,
age 12 and grandson, age 9. These are the best
thing yet! The whole family has enjoyed them
and they are super for travel!"
- Diane B. Crichlow,
Museum Store Chair
Reynolda House Museum of American
Art, Winston-Salem, NC
GROWN
UP KIDS
(top of page)
 Fun
for kids if they can get it from the grownups.
"I've set this out at parties and people
are fascinated. You can play while having a
conversation and a drink...and it gets interesting
when more than one person works on something
at the same time."
--Peggy Jo (Colorado) April 19, 2007
 "Fractiles 7, I love this item. My granddaughter
received it for Christmas and I was so excited
about it I ordered it for myself. I think it
is a little too challenging for a 7 yr old -
but I love it."
-- Mavis L. Clinedinst (New Jersey)
February 14, 2007
"I found Fractiles about a month ago at
a natural history museum..... They haven't been
put away yet. Our nieces and nephews give us
a hard time. They say, 'For a couple with no
kids, you have a LOT of toys!' "
- Rebecca
PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES
(top
of page)
"As
an adult day program - we are constantly searching
for activities that will catch and keep the
attention of our Altzheimers participants.
Fractiles
has been a very successful tool for us - keeping
one participant engaged for sometimes hours
as he waits for his wife to pick him up. He
always recognizes it as something familiar when
we pull it out and ask him to help us with our
'project' ."
-
Ann Muñios Director - Carelink: Adult
Day Care Providers, City of Boulder Senior Services,
Boulder, CO
"Since
I'm incapacitated due to a stroke, I find that
Fractiles-7 is a delightful way to spend a few
hours. As a retired commercial artist, I also
find that Fractiles-7 compliments both my interests
and my meager talents."
-
John L . Retired Commercial
Artist, San Diego, CA
|
|
Dr.
George Campbell , President of the National
Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.
Dr. Cambell is pictured with students
from Burville Elementary School, Northeast
Washington, D.C., during the National
Science Foundation's Figure This Math
Challenge in 1999. |
PARENTS
(top of page)
"Fractiles
is rated for Children 6+, but my 5 year old
loves it! My father, a scientist, gave it to
him as a birthday gift. Matthew loves to make
the patterns shown on the package, and his 10
year old brother makes patterns of his own.
They have spent hours with it, and so have I.
For the younger boy, it's great for following
patterns and motor skills, for the older one
it is a creative toy. We recommend it!"
- Toy Enthusiast and father
of two from Santa Barbara County
"I
bought Fractiles for my son who was 3 at the
time and he played with it for hours at a time.
He still plays with it and is now 5. He can
make all of the designs on the outside cover.
He also comes up with cool designs of his own."
- Denise M.
"I'm
getting my grandson more Fractiles for Christmas.
They are great for children who get restless
during church services. Thanks!"
- Janet P., Chattanooga, TN
ONLINE
REVIEWS
(top
of page)
Editorial
Review
toysrus.com & amazon.com
Wonderful fun with symmetry! Arrange 192
magnetized plastic tiles (in yellow, red,
and blue) on a 12-inch square steel activity
board and discover just how many patterns
and combinations are possible. (You guessed
it: a lot!) The clever part is that all
three shapes are types of diamonds, and
their angles represent six different fractions
of 360 degrees. Dozens of clever designs
and pictograms are featured on the cardboard
carrying case, including "Ribbon
Candy," "Scrambled Mandala,"
and "Funky Chicken." But creating
designs is only half the fun; instructions
are given for several puzzles and games
too, plus an explanation of different
kinds of symmetry. Ideal for travel, though
the tiles are probably too small for children
under 6.
- Richard Farr |
Funky Chicken |
Customer Reviews
(top
of page)
Toymagnets.com
Best new toy for grownups in ages!
|
A great activity for kids
Posted 5/18/2009 by Lora Silagy
Rating: 
This game is a great representation of why I love having kids in this era. It can't get any better than learning while you're having fun. Fractiles is a great way for kids to learn geometry and patterns. The visual component is powerful and hey, it's fun at the same time. I love that we can all sit down together to play with this toy but that it is equally entertaining for them to do on their own. Plus, I'm hooked on it as much as they are. I would highly recommend Fractiles. You'll be amazed by how hard it is to put it down.
Fun for everyone
Posted 1/06/2009 by Stacey McElhaney
Rating:
I bought this for my 5 year old for Christmas. He loves it, I love it, and my husband loves it. I even developed what I call 'Fractile toe' from sitting in an odd position for so long when I play with it. I took it to my office and my co-workers played with it. My son is amazed at what beautiful sophisticated designs he can make. We started off just copying some of the designs on the package but quickly gained the confidence to make our own.
Versatile Toy
Posted 10/27/2008 by Carol
Rating:
My daughter received this for her 6th birthday and loves it! Our son who is 4 also loves it. It seems to really help with spatial relation and patterns. As a bonus to Mom and Dad, it's QUIET. No batteries required here! And best of all MADE IN THE USA!
Teamwork challenge
Posted 8/24/2008 by Phyllis Dolan
Rating:
Fractiles-7 are everything they say they are. It is so convenient that they are magnetic, stay in place, don't get lost easily, etc. You can make beautiful designs with them and be very creative. Right now we are using them at work for a "teamwork" challenge.
Fractiles are absolutely excellent!!
Posted 7/8/2008 by Rebecca Phelps
Rating:
Absolutely excellent!! My 7 yr old LOVES this!! Even with a learning disability, she spends hours making different designs! Great for problem solving and spatial activity!
A hit with co-workers
Posted 6/3/2008 by Brad Pipins
Rating:
I bought this for myself - my new office has magnet-friendly walls. I have always been interested by geometric patterns and the Fractiles-7 set really captured my attention. When I first opened the set I ended up playing quietly with it for at least two hours. At work the set has been a hit with co-workers rearranging the tiles into interesting patterns often. It's like poetry magnets for graphic designers! "Poetry is just copy. Shapes, colors, patterns - that's where it's at!" Overall, Fractiles-7 functions well as precision cut brain food for creative types. I'd imagine your kid will dig it too!
Love this product!
Posted 4/30/2008 by Eileen J Robben
Rating:
My son is 6 and my daughter is 7 and they haven't stopped playing with Fractiles. We've had it a week now & they both love to make patterns and trying to copy the ones on the box. I might buy another so they can both make new designs. Love this product.
Great Item!
Posted 4/8/2008
Rating:
Great item. My 5 year old grandson just loved it. He could not quit playing with it. Our 7 year old grandson came over following day. He also enjoyed it, making several of his own designs. We are very satisfied with the quality of the product and all the variations you can make with it.
Great Designing Tool!
Posted 1/25/2008 by Shirley Keene-Gefvert
Rating: 
This is a great designing tool! My son is 4 and he is getting used to it as some of the smaller magnets are hard for him to handle. He loves that he can make different and colorful patterns.
Really a Hit!
Posted 1/23/2008 by David Paden
Rating:
I bought one for my 8 year-old granddaughter. She spent hours playing with it both alone and with her cousin and myself. It is great for both matching the pictures included and making up your own patterns. We both enjoyed it so much that I bought another one to use with my gifted students. It has really been a hit. Do be careful when you take the pieces apart when you first get it. Young children need help.
Granddaughter Delighted!
Posted 1/12/2008 by V. K. Leonard
Rating:
My 10 year old granddaughter was delighted when she saw it. She has enjoyed making the different patterns ever since.
Love Making Fabulous Designs
Posted 1/7/2008 by Bhavya Dhulia
Rating:
My 5 years old son loves making the fabulous designs from Fractiles. It's so interesting that even I love playing with him this.
Fractiles-7
Posted 1/5/2008 by Debbie Smalley
Rating:
The Fractiles were a gift for my 7 year old grandson. He really likes them. I like the fact that they allow him to be creative and use his imagination. They are of very good quality. In addition, it is very important to me to know that this toy was made right here in the United States.
Engaging
Posted 1/3/2008 by Beverly Craig
Rating:
A great product with great idea pictures on the cover. My kids create all kinds of really interesting patterns & pictures and use the idea sheets as jumping off points. They have me take a picture each time they create something new. We love the magnetic function. We have something similar with stickers from Lakeshore but this is much better.
Fun and Educational
Posted 1/3/2008 by Roy
Rating:
Fun as well as educational. Lots of good examples to copy from and then you can make up your own designs.
Incredibly stimulating, mentally challenging for all ages
Posted 1/3/2008 by Susan Parker
Rating:
This game is incredibly stimulating and mentally challenging for all ages. We purchased it for our 8 year old, but adults and children alike have been mesmerized by it. Excellent in developing spatial skills and concentration!
Enjoyed by WHOLE family
Posted 1/2/2008 by L Holmes
Rating:
Fun gift, enjoyed by whole family. All the kids and even my husband have enjoyed making cool patterns with the Fractiles. We like the magnetic thing... pieces don't fall around on the car floor.
Fractiles - 7
Posted 1/1/2008 by L. Irwin
Rating:
The magnetic board is excellent and strong. The tiles don't slide around.
Big Hit
Posted 12/31/2007 by Carol Gibson
Rating:
I bought my 7 year old granddaughter five toys for Christmas, but it was this one, the Fractiles-7 that was the big hit. She could not put down. She took it with her everywhere. I highly recommend it!
Instantly Engaging
Posted 12/30/2007
Rating:
My 9 year old nephew was instantly engaged, creating both the patterns shown on the packaging, and his own. He was especially excited with how, when placed together properly, the shapes create a 3-D optical illusion. He is an incredibly bright kid with a strong understanding of building principles and is a visual/spatial thinker, so Fractiles are right up his alley!
Fractiles Rock!
Posted 12/29/2007 by H. Gjengdahl
Rating:
The Fractiles allow my kids to build on their experience with the small set of tangrams that we have. Fractiles are open-ended and challenging. They immediately caught the interest of their 40-something uncles as well, who also enjoyed playing with Fractiles. I recommend Fractiles to parents who are looking for an educational game that doesn't act or look like one.
Love This Product!!
Posted 12/29/2007 by Tim H
Rating:
What a great toy! My kiddos (4 and 6) loved this toy immediately. I was a bit surprised by the size of the tiles (they were smaller than I'd expected), but they don't seem to have caused any problems with my kids. They took the toy and spent hours with it. My only complaint is that the toy could use a better storage system for the tiles. A small Ziploc bag is provided, but that's it. I'd prefer to see something more durable that attaches to the metal board it comes with.
Excellent Learning/Play Tool
Posted 12/27/2007 by Beckie Hilton
Rating:
This is an excellent "toy" for my granddaughter who is 5. It helps her to identify the geometric shapes, and with eye/hand coordination as she aligns the shapes to create designs. She gets a good mental workout as she figures out how to duplicate the designs. She immediately figured out that she could create her own designs rather than following the patterns in the set. I think this is an excellent learning/play tool.
Chosen Over All Other Toys!
Posted 12/27/2007 by C. Clark
Rating:
My 8 year old grandson chose to play with Fractiles-7 over all the other toys he received. It really stimulated his composition and spatial acuity. I thought it might help with some problems he was having in school. The great part was that his l7 year old brother became interested and wanted to help with the different designs. It promoted togetherness without a lot of competition. They were just surprised at the beautiful designs that they thought up.
Challenging and Interesting For Both Children and Adults
Posted 12/27/2007 by Ekaterina Vorobieva
Rating:
My daughter (5.5 years old) and I both like puzzles and brain-twisters of any kind. We love this toy. It allows both to copy existing designs and creating your own. After my daughter creates one of her own, we take a picture. She is excited. It also encourages "family time" as my daughter needs help with some of the designs. I recommend this toy to someone who likes puzzles and creativity. Keep in mind that some of the magnetic pieces are small and are not recommended for small kids. I find the packaging convenient too. There is a small plastic bag for the mosaic pieces and magnetic board fits well into the envelope- no mess. I guess you can also use the pieces on a fridge.
Review of Fractiles-7
Posted 12/26/2007 by Edith Hetherington
Rating:
We have had a partial set of Fractiles on our refrigerator for nearly a year and visitors have made some marvelous creations, but everyone has complained that there were not enough pieces to make something really good. I bought the largest set available. I plan to keep all my visitors busy making things on the fridge.
Exceptional Toy!
Posted 12/26/2007 by Kristian Speck
Rating:
Exceptional toy! I bought this for my 9 yr old son. He plays with it, his 6 yr old sister plays with it, his cousins play with it, and I must confess, my husband and I occasionally pick it up too! Educational, fun, and engaging. This is one of those toys that they come back to again and again.
A Creative Adventure Puzzle for All Ages
Posted 12/23/2007 by Lynette Sali
Rating:
A puzzle to delight children as well as adults. Our 5 year old grandson loves them and we find them fun and creative, too. We used the back of a cookie sheet so the magnetic pieces would stay in place. There are many possible designs and you never get tired of looking for new ways to use them. We liked out first Fridge Fractiles set so well that we ordered two of the larger sets that come with a metal board (so that more people can play). I highly recommend this interactive toy. It challenges you each time you play. You can make the pictured puzzles or design your own. This one will be around a long time at our house. Our grandchildren like Fractiles so much they ask for us to bring it when we go for a visit.
Popular With Grandchildren and Students
Posted 11/26/2007 by Mary I Wauson
Rating:
Popular with my grandchildren and with my students. I ended up buying another set so I didn't have to carry it back and forth.
Excellent educational toy even for adults
Posted 11/16/2007 by Florence Rosenberg
Rating:
Excellent educational toy even for adults. Really is great for traveling in a car or airplane. It was a gift for a 7 year old, however got the attention of many of the adults at the party.
Great for my students!
Posted 11/2/2007 by Susan Martin
Rating:
As an art teacher, this is great for my students in third and fourth grades. They make a design, I take a photo of it and they recreate it with paint!
Review for Fractiles-7
Posted 10/24/2007
Rating:
Fractiles are an excellent toy for individual and group use.
Timeless toy!
Posted 10/23/2007 by Arlene Tani
Rating:
Great for encouraging creativity. A timeless toy.
Relaxing and creative
Posted 10/12/2007 by Lee Sloan
Rating:
It is a relaxing and creative way to pass the time. I'm a 45 year old woman and not the least embarrassed to say this was purchased for my own personal use.
Fractile Fun
Posted 7/1/2007
Rating:
We ordered the Travel Fractiles and it kept our daughter busy for hours in the backseat. However, she wanted to make bigger designs . . .so we upgraded and she loves it!
Excellent
Posted 4/10/2007 by Fabian Cruz
Rating:
This item is good, relaxing fun. Its simplistic design can render very beautiful images.
A lot family participation
Posted 4/8/2007 by A. Barracca
Rating:
My son saw Fractiles at a pediatric doctor's office and he had a lot of fun there. The one at the office had larger magnetic pieces than the one purchased which made it easier to manipulate. However, I do not see that as a major disadvantage. I see a lot family participation with this toy.
Great product
Posted 2/21/2007 by Maria Leibovsky
Rating:
This is a great product. My son is 7 years old, and he is fascinated by it. Instead of copying the pictures he made his own. It is very bright, with only primary colors used. Good educational tool, good quality.
Great Toy
Posted 2/19/2007 by Moira Chas
Rating:
This toy presents interesting challenges for every person in my household. My daughter (age four) likes to make figures, thinks about magnets and works on hand coordination. My son (eleven) makes designs. And I, as a mathematician, enjoy all the aspects of this toy. We bought ours a few months ago, and it is still in perfect condition. We just bought another one as a present.
Great Game!
Posted 2/15/2007 by Bugsy
Rating:
I am an occupational therapist working with kids who have many different needs and abilities. This toy is staple for encouraging more precision and control in fine motor skills, as well as visual perceptual and visual motor skills. So many of my kids love this toy and love seeing that they can make these incredible designs that look so complicated, but really take one simple step at time and a little bit of planning to complete! My only complaint is that the magnetic pieces, while sturdy enough to last a long time for a single child I'm sure, tend to wear out a bit for my uses. Still, as toys like this go, it has lasted a good amount of time before starting to wear. I highly recommend this one!
Product review Fractiles-7
Posted 2/11/2007
Rating:
Our son, age 8, has always loved pattern blocks and plays with them at school. I was thrilled to find this set which is magnetic, thus making it mobile and less easily disturbed by younger siblings! The quality and size of the board and pieces are great.
Product review of Fractiles-7
Posted 1/24/2007 by Jackie Rose
Rating:
My six year son was so proud of his Fractiles that he took it to school. Now his teacher wants a set too!
Fractiles Are Loved By All!
Posted 1/9/2007 by Susan K.
Rating:
Our house is on our second set of Fractiles. We simply love them! My 10 year old, loves to create his own designs. His sister who is 5 enjoys making the pattern on the cover. I also enjoy a quiet moment building one of the designs. We would love it if we could get more of the magnetic tiles so more designs could be invented. Fractiles are such an imaginative toy for the whole family!
|
Fantastic
Fun
Posted 10/03/2005 by kristen fleck
Rating:
My 6 Year old daughter loves Fractiles!
We took it on a trip recently and it was
a life saver. Great investment!
|
Fractiles
7 Travel Ed
Posted 09/26/2005 by Fran Morris-Higgins
Rating:
I really love this puzzle. I had a car accident
13 years ago and went through many years
of cognitive retraining. I started using
Tan-grams, etc during this time frame. I
am always looking fof new puzzle-like items
to keep improving my brain function. This
is wonderful! It is enjoyable and challenging
at the same. I use almost every day.
|
Great
Product
Posted 09/12/2005 by Jeannine Wargacki
Rating:
"Fractiles is a great product. Even
my barely three old loves it. I purchased
it for an upcoming flight to keep her busy.
If it doesn't keep her busy for the whole
flight it'll certainly keep me busy. Thanks
again for the great product."
|
Fun
Educational Toy
Posted 09/08/2005 by Jennifer Jensen
Rating:
"My seven year old loves this toy.
I just gave it to her last night and she
hasn't stopped playing with it. She uses
Fractiles at school so this is a good way
to reinforce what she is learning. I like
that it is magnetic so she can carry her
'creations' from room to room to show me
and her father. It'll be great on trips."
|
Completely
Delighted
Posted 08/18/2005 by R. Skirm
Rating:
"This is a wonderful toy and a learning
tool. It's the perfect size and has enough
pieces to create complex designs. I was
completely delighted when I first opened
it up. It is suitable for kids interested
in geometry, color, pattern, construction." |
Likes Fractiles
Best!
Posted 05/16/2005 by Kandi Chapman
Rating:
"I've used tiles in a few different
forms - foam and wooden pieces - but I like
the Fractiles magnetic tiles best! One of
my complaints was that the children could
not make difficult shapes and patterns without
messing up their design while pushing the
tiles up against each other. This would
make the child extremely frustrated, but
the magnetic tiles stay put! Good work!" |
Brain Stimulating
for Children
Posted 04/28/2005 by Robert D Lewis
Rating:
"Fractiles-7 is a wonderful toy for
either the mathematically or artistically
inclined adult. The process of creating
patterns is both meditative and engrossing.
Since the tile set can be enlarged by
the simple expedient of ordering more
sets, the possibilities truly are endless--and
the results are beautiful. It makes a
fantastic, brain stimulating gift for
children, too." |
A
hit with WHOLE family!
Posted 03/17/2005
Rating:
"I bought Fractiles as a birthday gift
for a boy turning 8. His mother says he
loves playing with it, so does his 5 year
old brother and so does she! I'm pleased
with Fractiles-7 as my gift choice!"
|
A Set For Each
Kid
Posted 02/25/2005 by Brenda Geary
Rating:
"I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old
who simply LOVE Fractiles! We have had so
much fun as a family making designs on the
board. We bought 2 sets - 1 for each kid
and I am glad we did - they would certainly
be fighting over who would get to use it!" |
Pretty Fun
Posted 02/25/2005 by Paula McKinney
Rating:
"These are pretty fun. There are
lots of ideas on the back of the envelope.
Each of the colors is cut with different
angles. The only bad thing is that even
though it seems that it has a lot of pieces
in the package, they get used up pretty
fast. I would recommend getting a bigger
package of these if you have more than
one person who is going to be playing
with these." |
Genius
in its Simplicity!
Posted 02/25/2005 by Francesca
Rating:
"This toy is genius in its simplicity.
The enclosed booklet is great for generating
ideas and it does travel well, thanks to
the magnets and plastic bag with seal that
comes with." |
Love Travel Fractiles!
Posted 12/02/2004 by Marianne Houghton
Rating:
"I really love this item. My 8 year
old son received this as a gift two years
ago and all three of my children play with
it (ages 5,7,8). It is a great size to fit
in the children's backpack and also perfect
for car trips. I often walk into the bedrooms
and find one of them on the floor creating
some design. Also the size and weight is
great for the gifts that require shipping."
|
Fun, Not Overwhelming!
Posted 12/01/2004 by Veronica Larvie
Rating:
"I intend to give this to my kids (ages
3 and 6) to use in the car. I've looked
it over and like it a lot. The magnets are
strong, which is critical, and the overall
package is big enough to be fun, but not
overwhelming for small hands in a tight
(car) environment." |
DEVELOPMENTALLY
DISABLED
(top
of page)
"My
32 year old developmentally disabled daughter
Amy really loves Fractiles-7. Amy enjoys hours
and hours of playing with Fractiles. The magnetic
tiles are easy to manipulate and help keep her
designs in place."
- Joan S.
HOSPITAL
PATIENTS
(top of page)
Fractiles
has been chosen for children's hospitals program.
"My
eleven year old granddaughter was recently in
the hospital for surgery. The pre-op nurse,
always looking for calming and soothing activities
to help relax the children before surgery, gave
my granddaughter a set of Fractiles to play
with. My granddaughter and the other children
awaiting surgery just loved Fractiles. And it
did have a calming affect. My granddaughter
enjoyed Fractiles so much that I bought her
a set of her own. She and her cousin play with
Fractiles together for hours on end, totally
ignoring the TV!"
BOULDER FRACTILES FANS
(top of page)
TRAVELERS
(top of page)
Cool Toy for Travel!
Posted 07/04/2005 by Karen Shelton
Rating:
"This is a great travel toy. The size of
the board and the magnetic surface makes it
great for the airplane or car. It encourages
creativity and builds visual-spatial skills.
My husband is having as much fun using it as
my 6 year old."
Excellent travel
companion!
Posted 02/25/2005 by Mary Schneider
Rating:
"I purchased two of these, one each for
my daughters--5 and 7. They absolutely enjoy
working and designing with this product. They
don't even realize they are learning as they
create. Hours passed by on the plane as they
put together countless designs to be shown to
others. This item is a wonderful idea as it
is neither too difficult for my 5 year-old nor
too easy for my 7 year-old. Each created beautiful
designs from the start without it being too
frustrating. I would recommend this product
for children 5 and over especially while traveling
because it truly engages children."
"Our children, ages six and seven, just play
with Fractiles all the time! We bring it in
the car for long rides and it really keeps them
content. Fractiles is a wonderful travel toy!"
- Terry, Mother of Two
"My
grandchildren have enjoyed the Fractiles set
I purchased for them at the Orlando Museum of
Art more than anything I have given them in
a long time. As chair person of the committee
selecting the merchandise, I have researched
Museum Stores for a year, testing children's
things on my granddaughters, age 12 and grandson,
age 9. These are the best thing yet! The whole
family has enjoyed them and they are super for
travel!"
- Diane B. Crichlow, Museum
Store Chair
Reynolda House Museum of American
Art, Winston-Salem, NC
MATH
PUZZLE FANS
(top
of page)
"Tiling
theory is one of the hottest topics in today's
mathematical research. Fractiles-7 is a marvelous
way to introduce the wonders of tiling patterns
to pre-college age students. The 7-fold patterns
are positively addictive! One can spend tireless
hours creating endless patterns of amazing intricacy
and beauty."
- Martin Gardner, World Famous Scientific
American Puzzle Master
"If
you are like me, you will want a set of these
magnetic little rhombuses to build many wonderful
and imaginative designs. There are extensions
of this concept, in the genera of geometric
"dissections" that take this concept well beyond
mere child's play, and may have implications
for design paradigms with deep educational and
even professional consequences in such fields
as architecture and publishing."
-
Dr. Phillips Verner Bradford ,
Former Executive Director of the Colorado Advanced
Technology Institute and Author of the remarkable
book Ota
Benga, the Pygmy in the Zoo
DANICA
McKELLAR AND FRIENDS
(top of page)
|
Pictured
with students: Danica McKellar, actress
and mathematician.
She played "Winnie Cooper"
on the ABC series The Wonder Years. |
EYE
DOCTORS
(top
of page)
"Thank
you for creating the Fractiles product! In our
vision therapy we use Fractiles to improve visual-perceptual
skills in children and adults. Fractiles is
a great tool to improve visual-spatial relations,
visual memory, visual form perception, visual
discrimination, visual form, constancy, visual
closure, and visual figure-ground skills. As
behavioral optometrists, we recognize that vision
develops during infancy and childhood and adequate
visual skills will only develop if the proper
stimulation to the visual system is provided.
We use parquetry blocks to develop many of these
skills as a beginning activity. Once the visual
patient is successful with this type of task,
Fractiles is introduced as a fun, creative and
challenging way for our patients to hone their
visual-perceptual skills. Thanks again!"
Sincerely,
Dr. Dorothy M. Parrott
Dr. Marisa Atria Kruger
Dr. Audrey L. Dockins
Behavioral Optometrists
Lakewood, CO
TEACHER
TESTIMONIALS
(top of page)
"What I did with Fractiles turned out to be really neat and I was very pleased. My classes consist of students from entirely different communities who come together once a month. Two classes at a time, usually an urban multicultural group paired with a suburban group with much less diversity. What I did was to give pairs of kids from the partner schools one board and a set of Fractiles, and ask them to make symmetrical designs, since the theme for the program is symmetry. This worked beautifully! They loved the materials and they had to interact and to talk to each other. The Fractiles were a great medium, and the kids were proud of their designs. Some made figural designs like Transformers, and many made kaleidoscopic designs. This is an idea that could be used anywhere as an icebreaker, although it was not the first time they had met."
-Margie Lord
Professional and Career Services Director
LEARN, Regional Educational Service Center (RESC)
Serving 24 school districts in Connecticut.
"Fractiles has been a great addition to our 5th grade Curriculum 'Measuring Polygons: 2D Geometry and Measurement'. It is a great connection for the kids! There is also a section in our unit in which they measure the angles of the shapes based on other shapes they already know. The kids thoroughly enjoyed being able to show their work on the Fractiles board instead of having to draw the shapes out. I also found the board to be very useful when I had students with questions. It gave me the flexibility to walk around to tables and demonstrate as the kids worked because the pieces are magnetic and don't fall off the board.
"The Games and Lesson Plans packet http://www.fractiles.com/classroom.html was very helpful when planning for class and I was able to use them to challenge my higher thinkers as well as to design further lessons which made the learning even more exciting and enjoyable for the kids.
"The students in my class also enjoyed having the board out 'just for fun'. They have spent hours making designs in class and sharing them with each other. I even heard a student comment 'This is the best thing ever, and I can't wait to get home so my mom can buy me one'.
"Thank you again. It has been a great addition to my classroom. I would certainly recommend Fractiles to any classroom teacher to use with curriculum or just for fun."
- Sara Stites, 5th Grade Teacher, Ralston Elementary School, Golden, Colorado
Encourages
creativity and thinking skills!
Posted 02/25/2005 by Sarah Wilson
Rating:
"One of my 4th grade students was enjoying
the Fractiles so much, it inspired me to purchase
a set for each of my two 7-year-old nephews!
The magnetic board is a great asset and the
product encourages creativity and thinking skills.
"
"My first graders are learning about shapes
in our math class and using Fractiles-7 is a
complimentary activity which they thoroughly
enjoy. It's so popular that we have a sign up
for equal turns!"
-Marilyn Bowker, First Grade
Teacher Willett Elementary School, Davis, CA
"I
find my students are captivated by Fractiles-7.
Their sense of pride and accomplishment is immense
when they show me what they have created. It
makes them feel extra special about math. What
a motivator! Fractiles is a terrific training
aide that disguises learning as fun. It is reasonable
to predict that Fractiles will remain a staple
in my curriculum."
-Bob Curry, Elementary School
Teacher The Learning Adventure School, San Diego,
CA
"My
8th grade students are fascinated with Fractiles
and enjoy making designs with them. Fractiles
is especially applicable because we are studying
geometric shapes and their relationships. I
know they will be useful for a long time."
-Juanita Smith-Nakao, 8th
Grade Math Teacher James Curran Middle School,
Bakersfield, CA
"My
students love Fractiles!"
-Patricia Hardwick, 4th Grade
Teacher Zilker Elementary School, Austin, TX
"My
7th and 8th graders live for free time so that
they can play with Fractiles."
-Sandra Bullard, Teacher,
The Prentice School "Where children with dyslexia
learn to learn"
"Fractiles-7
is a tremendous addition to my grade 2 Math
and Design Program - plus the students love
them!"
-Sydney Tyler-Parker, Cabrillo
Elementary School, Pacifica, CA
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