this game is good for kids who need help with:

Working Memory

There is only one objective in Zap Phonics -- to place letters into a basket. But the benefits of the game extends far beyond it's seemingly limited design. Players keep playing until all the letters are gone, upon which Zap cheers and commends players for their performance. But because players are constantly hearing the letter sounds each time they drop one into the basket, they are internalizing each playful sound. Soon, they will be anticipating what Zap will say -- maybe even with the right emphasis. The more the game is played, the more familiar young players will become with letter sounds. It's less about rote memorization and more about application.

Flexibility

Letters do not always make the same sound. Vowels in particular, are read differently depending of the letters that come before or after them. While the Zap Phonics takes things "one letter at a time," it's important for players to realize that while there are only 26 letter in the alphabet, there's a much larger range of sounds that they make. It takes strong adaptive thinking skills, as well as exposure to more advanced language, to understand when to apply different sounds. Players should take things one step further and explore the myriad pronunciations and possibilities of the English language.