Educomp’s US subsidiary, Edumatics Corporation, has partnered with Siboney Learning Group to launch and market Practice Planet, an easy to use tool to prepare US students for high-stakes tests.

Practice Planet (www.practiceplanet.com) is available online and leverages web technology to provide 24/7 access and precise data management, all on a simple and easy to use interface. The program’s pre test identifies areas of strength and weakness and then students practice the assigned concepts. Post tests show his or her level of growth. The reporting feature provides students, teachers and administrators with real time data to pinpoint areas that need additional work.

Practice Planet is fun to use, for the students. When a student completes a practice module, he or she is rewarded with an interactive game that is designed to be both challenging and pure fun. The more the student plays, the more skill he or she develops-and the more skill, the higher his or her game score. Students will enjoy competing and comparing game scores. The secret of Practice Planet’s games is that they motivate success: the amount of game play awarded is based on the number of practice items answered correctly-more correct answers, more game play.

Practice Planet has been well received and has won numerous awards in the short time, since its launch, including the Fourteenth Annual Bessie Award in 2008. Teacher and administrator testimonials include the following:

"Since Practice Planet is web-based, teachers also report that students are actually practicing skills for longer periods of time through the accessibility from home. Students voice that learning is fun! Imagine that?"
Wanda Conner, Coordinator Elementary Education
Columbia County Schools, FL

"-(Practice Planet) is so nice because it gives the kids immediate feedback. They know right away what’s right and what’s wrong."
Debbie Eitner, Tech Coordinator
Monroe Middle School, San Jose, CA

About Siboney

Since the mid-1950s, Siboney has developed educational materials for teachers and schools through its Gamco subsidiary. To adapt to the needs of educators over time, Siboney began the development of educational software in the early 1980s to target essential skills. In the mid-1990s, Siboney reacted again to the needs of schools by developing Orchard, a solution-based educational software program that provides a total solution for schools. Additional releases of Orchard focused on assessing students’ knowledge of state standards, assigning the appropriate instructional content to address deficient areas, and providing reports that help teachers inform future instruction. Today, schools are focused on assessment-based outcomes, and Siboney has partnered with Edumatics Corporation in the development of an online test prep program to help improve test scores.