About the PAL Award

About: Sherry Y. Artemenko, Speech-Language Pathologist, has worked with children for over 35 years, in the schools and private practice, building language skills through play. Since early language proficiency correlates with later performance in school—reading, writing, and critical thinking—and influences emotional, cognitive and social growth, choosing the best toys and books is critical to practice and develop these skills.

Parents continuously ask Sherry for recommendations which prompted this award. Her unique reviews from an expert’s perspective,  provide tips on how to use the product for maximum language building. Recently a public relations representative commented on Sherry’s review of her client’s toy, “As always, your reviews look great! You are always teaching us new ways that our company’s products can promote language skills and engage little ones in learning!”

Learn more about the PAL Award: Click here

Submission Process

PAL’s selection process is unique in that Sherry heads the toy testing teams of parents, educators and kids, based on her expertise working, helping and playing with kids and families.

There is a $250 submission fee per product.

Submission Form, Click here

Send one submission form per product along with one sample of your new product (released within the last 18 months) with a $250 fee per product:

PAL Award

Sherry Artemenko

909 Grassy Lane (Sending UPS or FedEx, use the street address)

P.O. Box 554  (Sending US Mail, use the PO Box)

Elkhart Lake, WI 53020

Playonwords.com will review noteworthy products, publishing reviews on it’s website throughout the year and make a selection of the top toys, games and books to receive the PAL award, to be announced throughout the current calendar year. Samples are not returned and not all products that have been submitted will be reviewed or receive awards. Playonwords.com gives samples to toy tester families and charities that serve mothers and children in need. Due to the large number of products we review, feedback is not provided to companies .

Criteria

The PAL award recognizes outstanding children’s products that by design, content, quality, and character, engender play that advances language and appeal to all children for lasting play value. This may include products that are helpful to children with special needs, but to win a PAL Award the toy, game or book must be exciting and engaging to the general population of typically developing children.

Winners are selected on the basis of exceptional representation of the following criteria as described at the Scribd link below:

20120125_pal Award Criteria//