THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 28, 1994 TAG: 9406280101
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ANGIE MARBURY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940628 LENGTH: Medium
Philip Caloia, 39, of Philications in Virginia Beach has set out to prove you wrong.
{REST} In his newly published ``Open Says-a-Me,'' Caloia has filled a book 2 inches thick with more than 100 games and 50,000 other supplements such as fill-in-the-blanks and word searches that he says are educational, fun and suitable for ages 5 to 95.
The games in ``Open Says-a-Me'' use such everyday items as cards, words, dice, money, stamps, maps, newspapers, dictionaries, pictures, almanacs and encyclopedias that, Caloia says, can strengthen students in various subjects.
Caloia, who is single and has no children, says he invented the games to stress reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, arithmetic and other common subjects in such a way that the players will not realize they are learning.
He said that this method of learning is productive because it not only promotes learning but also solidifies families.
``This will take them (children) off the streets,'' Caloia said. ``I've seen it happen. They're not playing to think they're learning. They're playing to think they're beating mommy or daddy.
``No matter where they are or what they're doing, whenever they get ready to play one of these games, they will always remember, `Mommy taught me this game' or `Daddy taught me this game.' Plus, they'll get into the habit of learning. If your mind is idle, that's when we get in trouble.''
Kimball Carr of Virginia Beach, who bought Caloia's book, said his family loves it.
``It's really incredible. He's compiled more than I can possibly count in one volume. That's why I found it so unique,'' Carr said. ``I used to bring stuff home and try to read with them (his children), and nothing would hold their attention. When I brought this, we all sat down and read through it and they went crazy. They are locked into them (the games) and we have to pull them away.''
The book is divided into six sections.
Section 1 contains instructions for more than 100 games. Section 2 contains a problem a day for the equivalent of more than seven years. Geography is in Section 3. Section 4 contains word searches, fill-in-the-blanks and other items. Section 5 is a collection of lists that can be used when playing the games. And Section 6 contains more of Caloia's original games.
Carr says his kids are big fans of Eternal Dice, which Caloia says stresses arithmetic. Basically, players throw dice and add up the numbers, following the rules for allowable points.
Carr said his children, ages 4 and 5, ``just sit there and play it over and over.''
Caloia said he decided to create the games as a way to alter two educational trends he finds alarming.
American high school students spend about 1,500 hours in English, math and science classes per year, while German students spend more than 3,500, he said. And the average class period in America is only about 50 minutes, he continued.
Caloia said that when he first sat down to invent a game, his creativity failed him until he said, ``Lord, if it was meant to be, bring it to me within one hour.''
``And before the hour was over,'' Caloia said, ``I came up with not just one game but three or four.''
He first compiled his games into booklets, spending hours at his kitchen table stapling and taping photocopies together. He marketed them at conventions for home schoolers in North Carolina and Virginia Beach.
But Caloia said he realized that the games needed to be presented in better form, so he sent the book to a printer in Florida who charged him $20 a copy for 1,000 copies.
``I had to take out a loan, but it was important to me,'' he said. ``I quit my job at Chi-Chi's to do this 15 hours a day.''
Caloia sells the book for $50. Since its April 15 release, he has sold 30 copies.
by CNB