Geography and spatial-reasoning skills; what a unique combination, but it works. Familiar sights from around the world, including a variety of well-known places of worship such as the Blue Mosque and Saint Basil's Cathedral; landscapes including the Matterhorn and Niagara Falls; and man-made wonders such as Mount Rushmore and the Moai Statues on Easter Island; these will whet your child's appetite for knowing more. Half the book is made up of mazes with landmarks and the other half consists of mazes in intricate designs. An indispensable element of this book is the map at the back. It will help your child locate the country of origin, find other mazes/landmarks from the same country, and give you a starting point for more research. For ages five to seven.

About Mazes:
What child doesn't love the challenge of mazes? Mazes allow your child the opportunity to practice basic pencil control in an enjoyable, exciting way. These pencil skills are necessary for the legible writing of letters and numbers. Plus because mazes are naturally absorbing they help your child acquire the ability to reason, interpret, understand and concentrate. These elemental skills are some of the bedrock essentials for later academics.

Over 20 years ago, when our family began this delightful home school adventure, workbooks for toddlers and preschoolers were hard to find. But that was just as well because the ones that were available were inane, insipid or intolerable. (Why would we choose to prohibit watching corrupting television, then turn around and use workbooks with those same characters depicted in them?)

Workbooks are not appropriate for all young children; many are simply not ready for the fine motor skills that are necessary. Let those children continue to learn at their God-ordained pace and in a way that encourages a love of learning. But when your children are ready to move to focused learning, reach for Kumon Workbooks. The captivating illustrations are child-friendly and the scope and sequence are just what educating parents have been looking for.

Kumon centers have been helping children master fundamental skills for over 50 years. Originating in Japan, they have excelled in their primary emphasis of math and reading instruction. With the exception of a page or two of nonsense, these are outstanding books, worthy of any child's time and effort. The skills taught are essential and appropriate, and their presentation can entice even the most hesitant learner. The assignments are short; each is slightly more challenging than the last so that your child progresses at a gradual, comfortable pace.