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Watch the child explore new worlds with Cosmo while having fun learning!

Cosmo’s Learning Systems introduces an innovation in learning for children of developmental age 2-to-8 years with and without disabilities.

The state-of-the-art technology features a computer interface device, Mission Control, which serves as a command centre for operation of Cosmo’s Play and Learn software activities.

Cosmo’s Learning Systems is an interactive computer system promoting the integration of physical and occupational therapy with a child’s educational and social development.

For children with disabilities, Cosmo’s Learning Systems is an excellent motivator for physical, occupational, speech/language, and recreational therapy practices and special education segments of the rehabilitation market.

View/download info at a glance about Cosmo’s Learning Systems (pdf 97 KB)

View Cosmo’s Learning Systems Flash Video (Opens in a new window. If the Flash movie does not work you may need to download and install free Flash player plug-in)

Benefits and Features

Cosmo’s Learning Systems
• Highly motivating educational learning experience for both children with and without disabilities
• Entire system (hardware and software) created by a team of clinicians, educators, engineers, and parents

The Hardware: Mission Control

• Easy to manipulate alternative keyboard
• Four (4) colourful and easy to access aFFx™ Activators aligned horizontally on a secure platform
• Different than a switch, an aFFx activator senses duration and pressure, allowing for increased interactivity and adaptability
• aFFx Activators are calibrated according to the child’s skills and abilities.
• Includes a functional built-in microphone to allow a child to access the software program with their voice
• Mission Control has an innovative design that encourages strength, range of motion, and coordination, and enhances language skills
• Four ports at the front of the device for connecting optional external switches

The Software: Cosmo’s Play and Learn

• Features a brightly animated virtual robot named Cosmo™.
• Animations and character designed to capture a child’s interest and motivate them to learn.
• Targets developmental ages 3-5.
• Accessed via Mission Control through aFFx Activators or built-in microphone.
• Uses innovative prompt system to support the child through a variety of learning experiences.
• Global default settings are adjustable to enable customization to each individual child’s physical or cognitive skill level.
• Database saves the settings for each child for future use.
• Content and process goals were designed using development curriculum guidelines.
• Content/Process Goals include: colour identification, relative size and amounts, directionality, prepositions, introductions to numbers and shapes, self mastery, attention and focus, sustained play and exploration, and problem solving.
• Playground Discovery features real learning opportunities set in a playground.
• Includes a carefully designed Curriculum Guide that serves the dual purpose of operations manual and activity guide.
• Curriculum Guide reinforces the learning objectives of the software through the use of pre-activities and post-activities.

Cosmo’s Play and Learn™ Software

Cosmo’s Play and Learn™ software is a family of educational and computer games that aim to entertain children of developmental ages 2-to-8 years. This unique, developmentally appropriate software was created by a team of educators; physical, occupational, and speech-language therapists; and assistive technology practitioners. Children empower a virtual robot “Cosmo” to explore new adventures in a playground filled with activities, by utilizing the specially developed analog functionality of Mission Control.

Click here to find out more about Cosmo’s Play and Learn™ Software benefits and features.

Playground Discovery Software

Playground Discovery, the first software program in the Cosmo’s Play and Learn series, motivates the child with entertaining activities that are designed to meet individual goals.

Click here to find out more about Cosmo’s Play and Learn: Playground Discovery Software.

The Hardware: Mission Control

Mission Control is a versatile computer access device designed for children who do not use a standard keyboard and standard mouse. Innovative in today’s marketplace, Mission Control is designed to empower a child of developmental age 2-to-8 to control the actions of Cosmo™, a virtual robot, during its explorations in Cosmo’s Play and Learn software. The child uses Mission Control to control computer games by applying different amounts of pressure to the four large aFFx™ Activators and receives feedback while playing the software game.

A multi-functional adaptive computer interface, Mission Control integrates the four patented aFFx Activators, content software, a built-in microphone, and data collection capabilities in one device.

Click here to find out more about Mission Control and aFFX Technology.

Education Scope and Sequence

AnthroTronix, Inc., a human factors engineering firm, created a content team to develop the educational scope and sequence and, in coordination with 360Kid, a children’s software developer, to develop Playground Discovery. The content team consisted of an occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, educational curriculum specialist, disability advocate, and engineers. This team developed the curriculum scope and sequence, activities, and Curriculum Guide and designed the magnetic manipulatives. The team focused on creating a pre-literacy and pre-numeracy scope and sequence for children of developmental ages 3-to-5 years, while highlighting the functionality of Mission Control and creating a very compelling and motivating graphic environment. The team designed the content to be used in a school or clinical environment to work on educational and therapeutic goals.

The Scope and Sequence developed for Cosmo’s Play and Learn software is based on “Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs” developed by the US National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, http://www.naeyc.org/), an organization which focuses on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age eight.

What’s included in the Cosmo’s Learning Systems?

• Mission Control and USB cable
• Cosmo’s Play and Learn Playground Discovery Software
• Curriculum Guide – The Curriculum Guide is a tool for educators and clinicians that describes each activity featured in Cosmo’s Play and Learn™ software, explains learning objectives, and offers a host of pre-session, post-session, and at-home activities to reinforce educational goals presented in the software.
• Set of Magnetic Manipulatives – Cosmo’s Learning Systems™ also includes magnetic manipulatives for pre-session and post-session play. A 28cm x 43cm (11” X 17”) magnetic dry-erase board is included for use with the more than 50 magnetic pieces from the Playground Discovery software program.

Additional Tools

Cosmo’s Learning Systems™ is an interactive learning system designed for young children and children with disabilities. To help reinforce the concepts taught in the Playground Discovery software program, numerous activities have been developed to complement what the child has learned on the computer. These hands-on tools allow the child to practise the concepts experienced with Cosmo™, the virtual robot, while in the outer space playground in Cosmo’s Play and Learn™ software.

Click on this link to go to Cosmo’s Fun and Games and download the featured worksheets that reinforce the educational and therapeutic goals introduced in Cosmo’s Play and Learn software. Check back regularly as new ideas will be added to Cosmo’s Fun and Games to allow the child to creatively play while practicing new concepts learned in school or during therapy.

“The handbook contains great extension activities for the classroom, as well as useful at-home tips. It is far more detailed than any other software handbooks I have encountered. It can and should be utilized as a curriculum guide, rather than just a handbook to the game.

“The games are vibrant and high-interest, and cause and effect is done well. Multi-step direction is a useful skill for children with developmental delays to practice. Special education teachers will appreciate the way the games make this skill more fun to practice.” Angie Schafer, Teacher, Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities, Baty Elementary, Del Valle, Texas, US

“I really enjoyed the software handbook and was impressed with the wonderful and well thought out extension activities; the activities tie in nicely to what the child is learning in the software program. Not only does the software handbook provide a great guide for the teacher, but it is also an informative resource for the parents.

“The software program is child-friendly; the colourful graphics are very appealing. The software program covers basic and fundamental areas of learning in early childhood education (i.e., colours, shapes, numbers) in a welcoming and positive way. Children at all developmental ages can learn from this program at their own rate in one way or another. It appeals to all learning styles (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile).” Anthe Gimenez, Teacher of Three-Year-Old Toddlers, Good Shepherd School, Austin, Texas, US

Also Available Separately

• Cosmo’s Play and Learn: Playground Discovery software
  
• Mission Control input device
  
• Cosmo’s Magnetic Manipulatives and Board

Requirements and ResourcesexpandClick to collapse

Prices

	Code	Media	Platform	$NZ Price	$NZ GST
	Cosmo's Learning Systems (Complete System)	Includes Mission Control input device, Cosmo's Play and Learn Playground Discovery Software, Curriculum Guide and a Set of Magnetic Manipulatives
	AKCLS	CD-ROM	Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Win 98, Win 2000, Win XP	$960.00	$144.00