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ArtsceneBoard game inventor masks learning with funBy Dominik KurekTheyre laughing and OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFhaving a great time,buttheyre not realizing theyreakvilles Susan McArthuractually practicing their knew that learning can beOfun for children; so toreading;theyre working ondevelop an idea for such a tool shesentence structure,oral got inspiration from her late moth-communication,oral er.expression and grammar.The result is an educationalreading board game for childrenSusan McArthur,aged six to 10 years, similar to oneNounSense creatorMcArthur played in her childhoodwith her mother. The game, calledNounSense, which was released inous reasons the idea moved fromApril of 2010, also received the topcompany to company. Five yearstoy rating of 3 Stars by thelater, she went to the Canadian ToyCanadian Toy Testing Council.Fair where she met a marketerShe said the game manages towho would help her produce thehave children learn while havinggame herself.fun.During that time new thingsTheyre laughing and having awere added to the game, such asgreat time, but theyre not realiz-the wild words, and the boarding theyre actually practicinggame aspect that was not part oftheir reading; theyre working onher mothers game.sentence structure, oral communi-I just made it richer, she said.cation, oral expression and gram-Eventually the game wasmar, she said.released and is not available at aThe game features story cards,number of stores in Ontario,picked up by the players. Theincluding at Pinocchios Pick of thenouns in the stories on the card areCrop in Oakville and has been sell-missing and players have to chooseing well. Furthermore, McArthurfrom a field of nouns to completewill have a booth at the Canadianthe stories. The game also featuresToy Show in Mississauga Jan. 30 towild words for extra points andFeb. 1.there are variations of game playThe toy fair will hopefullythat make it possible for verybring me more customers becauseyoung children to play, up to thosethose people are from acrossin the early years of elementaryCanada, she said.school.She said the game is a greatThe game play is flexible.learning tool and encouragesPlayers can play with a scorecardteachers and parents to buy it.or it can also be played co-opera-This game is already in sometively without a point system,schools, she said. They are usingwhich can help make the gamethem in their classrooms andplayable to all reading levels ofactivity centres and Ive had achildren.number of teachers tell me its aYou can also just play for fun,fabulous game because it makesyou dont have to play for points,the children laugh while theyreMcArthur said.learning.She said children as young asShe added the game has alsofour years old could play the gamebeen used by and is a good tool forCHANTAL AYOTTE / OAKVILLE BEAVER with just the noun cards, whichlearners of English as a second lan-GETTING KIDS TO READ:Oakvilles Susan McArthur is making learning to read fun after creating a board gameinclude pictures of the word, whileguage, for children with learningthat is similar to a game she played with her mother as a child.The game is called NounSense.someone can read they story boarddisabilities and even elderly peopleto them. This helps children withwho have dementia.word recognition.she did not want to do that anyous. Wed be rolling on the floorI thought to myself I dontThe game sells for $29.95. TheThe game development tookmore.with laughter.think so, but she was absolutelybox also has a dedication toabout 10 years. McArthurI then had a brain wave andShe went to a women inventorsright, McArthur said., a formerMcArthurs mother. For moreelementary school teacher work-wondered what I could do with theconvention. A woman there saidShe then made a prototype ofinformation and a list of store loca-made up game of my mothers thatthat the process of making herthe game that she shopped arounding as a training consultant in thetions with the game, visitcorporate world at the time, butwe played as a family. It was hilari-game would take 10 years.to various companies and for vari-www.nounsense.net.31 Friday, January 28, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER www.oakvillebeaver.com