Edmark

Edmark Corporation is a publisher of educational print materials and an educational software developer in Redmond, Washington.^[1] They developed software for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS in several languages and sold it in over a dozen countries.^[1]

History

Edmark was founded in 1970 by Jennifer Edmark and her husband, Robert Edmark and owned by Gordon B.Bleil by combining the assets of Educational Aids and Services Co. a small supplier of educational materials and programs and L-Tec Systems Inc. which had developed programs from its research. The Child Development and Mental Retardation Center of the University of Washington under the direction of Dr. Sidney Bijou had conducted research into the operant conditioning and reinforcement theories of B.F. Skinner as applicable to human learning. From this research they developed academic programs which for the first time proved the viablity of teaching reading to people with severe mental limitations. Bleil adapted this research into The Edmark Reading Program which for the next decade was the principal product of the company.

They began developing software in 1992.^[1] Edmark was listed on NASDAQ.^[1] Their audience was children between the ages of 2 and 16 years.^[1] Edmark had more than 65 industry design awards.^[1]

In 1989, their children, Richard, Lucy, Heather and Chris became directors.^[1] Richard became the chairman, Heather became the CCO, Chris became the president and Lucy became the CEO in October 1989.^[1] Edmark hired former teacher Donna Stanger as vice-president of product development in October 1991.^[1] In 1992, Edmark released Millie's Math House and KidDesk.^[1] Sally Narodick resigned as CEO in September citing the stress, and Donna Stanger became the CEO^[2] Edmark was acquired by IBM on November 13, 1996 for $102.3 million ($15.50 per share for two-thirds of Edmark's shares) to expand its presence in home software.^[2][3] In September 2000, it was sold to Riverdeep Interactive Learning^[4] for about $85 million.^[5]

Software

1991

• Strategy Challenges Collection 1 (formerly Strategy Games of the World)
• KidDesk
• Strategy Challenges Collection 2: In the Wild (1997)^[6]
• Stanley’s Sticker Stories^[7]
• ThemeWeavers: Animals^[8]
• ThemeWeavers: Nature
• Travel the World with Timmy! Deluxe^[9]
• Let’s Go Read! 1: An Island Adventure - ages 4–6^[10]
• Let’s Go Read! 2: An Ocean Adventure - ages 7–12
• Stories & More: Animal Friends
• Stories & More: Time and Place
• MindTwister Math^[11]
• Space Academy GX-1
• Virtual Labs: Light
• Virtual Labs: Electricity
• Talking Walls^[12] - runner-up for the Macworld 16th Annual Editors' Choice Award for Education^[13]
• Talking Walls: The Stories Continue^[12]

House Series ^[14]

1992–present

• Millie's Math House (1992)
• Bailey's Book House (1993)
• Sammy's Science House (1994)
• Trudy's Time & Place House (1995)

Thinkin' Things

1991-1999

• Thinkin' Things: Toony the Loon’s Lagoon (remastered version of Thinkin Things Collection 1)
• Thinkin' Things: All Around FrippleTown - ages 4–8, won the 1999 Macworld Editors' Choice Award for Education^[15]
• Thinkin' Things Collection 1 (1993)^[16]
• Thinkin' Things Collection 2 (1994)^[17]
• Thinkin' Things Collection 3 (1995) - ages 8–12^[18][19]
• Thinkin' Things Sky Island Mysteries - ages 8–12^[20]
• Thinkin' Science
• Thinkin' Science Series: ZAP! (1998)^[21]
• Thinkin' Space

Imagination Express

1999

• Imagination Express: Castle^[22]
• Imagination Express: Neighborhood^[23]
• Imagination Express: Rain Forest^[24]
• Imagination Express: Ocean^[25]
• Imagination Express: Pyramids^[26]
• Imagination Express: Time Trip, USA^[27]

Mighty Math

1994-2001

• Mighty Math Carnival Countdown
• Mighty Math Zoo Zillions
• Mighty Math Calculating Crew
• Mighty Math Number Heroes (1996) - 3rd- to 6th-graders^[28]
• Mighty Math Astro Algebra
• Mighty Math Cosmic Geometry

External links

• Educated Ideas
• COMPANY NEWS;EDMARK STOCK IS HURT BY OUTLOOK ON EARNINGS
• Edmark Corp. reports earnings for Qtr to Dec 31
• Behind the Fading of a Onetime Software Star
• I.B.M. In $110 Million Deal For Ailing Software Seller
• LIBRARY/THINKING SKILLS; Thinkin' Things Collection 3
• SOFTWARE; Home Lessons For Children Ready to Read

References