Features

• Explore the world of dinosaurs with the popular show's characters
• Choose from 7 different locations in 3 prehistoric time periods
• Puzzles and games teach facts about prehistoric life
• Lots of cool pictures, graphics and sounds
• More than 20 fun multimedia reports

Reviews (20)

Great fun with the Frizz
My daughter (age 6) loves the Magic School Bus television series and she loves the computer games also. These games mirror the educational series while adding a great deal of interactivity and fun/educational games for children. My daughter saves her allowance in order to purchase these titles on her own. They are great fun.

Spotty
This is not the jewel in the crown of the Magic School Bus CD series (Animals, for example is much better), but it does have some good features. In particular, the activity on ozone & the greenhouse effect is excellent- our 2nd grader really grasped the concept after playing with it for a while.

The plot, however, is to find Ms. Frizzle, which our kids found frustrating. You get clues by earning tokens from an arcade-type game- the only MSB title we've seen that requires you to play an arcade game in order to complete it. It may be that the Microsoft progammers figure that space=boys=arcade game, but our kids were annoyed about it. They were even more annoyed when they worked out from the 1st clue where she was and found out that you have to get all 3 clues anyway.

On the other hand, kids who like arcade games might be induced to learn a bit about the solar system.

MSB does the ocean... not as well as I'd hoped!
I am a MSB fan and am trying to get my young children interested too. The Ocean was the first MSB software we got, and I'm afraid it will be the last. It's ok, but I'm disappointed that the software doesn't load correctly (on 3 different computers and 2 operating systems (win98, XP)! None worked right!). It will start, but it is very difficult to navigate the first few times until you "learn" where things are. Finding out where to go and what to click on is trial and error for the most part. Maybe I just haven't "found" the good stuff yet, but I was hoping for better!

Dinosaurs Never Looked So Interesting...to a small child!
For the price. For the value. For the impact. For the utlility. For your child. Buy it....

Rainforest!!?
The rainforest comes alive with this MSB issue. Microsoft shows us why most of the cures for our maladies, etc. comes from rainforests. And, why we shouldn't keep destroying them. Kids learn all about the value of a rainforst. My seven year old played the heck out of this selection, and when we visited a real rain forest in Nov. 2003, he knew what to expect. And, of course, MSB helped... ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Achieve! Math & Science brings four award-winning educational titles in one to your child's desktop. Designed for young learners, a series of challenging puzzles, brain-boosting problems, and irresistible games cover essential math and science skills. Sharpen math skills, explore geometry, learn about electricity, experiment with gravity, and more. Featured titles include: Mighty Math: Calculating Crew, MindTwister Math, Space Academy GX-1, and Thinkin' Science: Zap!. When math and science are made this much fun, young learners achieve at learning. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Wonderful resource for the serious homeschooler!!
We have been proud owners of this package for two years and have used it diligently to supplement skills and concepts introduced throughout the year for first and second grade. It has been a WONDERFUL supplemental resource. Unlike a lot other educational software packages that claim to cover a wide range of ages, this one means it when they say "First through Third grade". It is simple to use: After a concept (example: 2 digit addition) has been introduced to the student, you specifically set up games to reinforce those particular skills. After those skills have been mastered you then go back in (with a simple click of the mouse and check-mark skills you want to reinforce from a large pre-set list) It is honestly very simple to do. Explaining the process actually takes far more time that it does to actually do it. Although the games are very "friendly", with engaging characters and settings, the software is not meant to "entertain" as much as it is to teach. I would not at all be surprised to find this package in a lot of school computer rooms for kids to reinforce their skills on. If you are looking for a true educational software package that would be appropriate for (no younger than)first through third grade, this would be perfect for you and your child.

I would give it ZERO stars if I could!
I completely agree with what everyone else has said. This was a total waste of money. The other reviewer was right when he said the extra software included (for us it was Star Flyers) was the ONLY good thing!

How can they market programs that were designed for 3-5 year olds for Grades 1-3? Its ludicrous!

DO NOT waste your money! The whole thing is unprofessional. There are no guides and even the paper inside the CD looks like it was BADLY photocopied.

Again, if I could give it ZERO stars I would!

This is going back
I was looking for some software to help my fourth grader with math facts, computations, etc. (He's an Everyday Math victim.) The activites, even at the most advanced level, are much too easy for him. Pointing and clicking at different piles of cookies is not division. This is a complete waste.

This is being returned to The Learning Company
I just purchased this today, and it is extremely disappointing. I was looking for a software package that would help my 2nd grader learn his math facts, and this certainly isn't it, as far as I can tell. There is zero documentation included, so there is no way to steer your child towards games that would help his or her weak areas. I couldn't find a game that drilled them on anything, just a lot of pointless point and click activities.

Product is not very good
I got this product for my 5 year old, and it is about right,
any 3-6th grade would not like it at all. The best thing in the game is the free cluefinders monkey adventure in my costco box.
Most of the games look like they were designed for windows 95.

I liked the clips from grammar rock, I remember these as a kid, but you could by the DVD of Schoolhouse rock and get better versions of those. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Toddlers explore a bright garden world where they can make snails count and critters with instruments play the Blue Danube Waltz. Their playmate is an engaging duckling named DeeDee, who's visiting her grandmother. DeeDee's gran has a heck of a fun place: there's a Treehouse of Shapes, a Numbers Pond, a Garden of Colors, a Musical Waterfall, a forest full of Peek-a-Boo Animals, and ABC Toadstools in the garden. Go inside and there's Gran, all set to play Picture Playtime. All seven activities can be initiated and played with a sweep of the mouse or by hitting random keys--no clicking required. Parents should plan on guiding younger toddlers around this program. DeeDee's explanations are no substitute for seeing Daddy do it.

JumpStart Toddlers sneaks the learning in everywhere. While you're counting in the Numbers Pond, sweeping the feather cursor over a lily pad makes a letter of the alphabet pop out, and DeeDee cheerfully interrupts her counting to utter "A!"(or whatever the letter is). Letters also appear like subliminal advertising behind the Musical Waterfall. Music is everywhere on this CD-ROM as well; each activity has a corresponding song, belted out in DeeDee Duckling's Broadway best.

We occasionally find JumpStart's characters a bit cloying, but whoever designed DeeDee gave her some of the very same qualities that make toddlers so endearing. DeeDee fidgets, rubs her nose gleefully, and chews on the ends of her bonnet ribbons.

The Learning Scrapbook that comes packaged with this CD-ROM is simply a series of printable templates that parents can use to build a baby scrapbook in that cutesy JumpStart graphic style. (Ages 18 months to 3 years) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (27)

What are you thinking?
Ok.. I do not own this title. I am looking for something to buy for my 18 month old since he's bored with jumpstart baby. I have a major issue with most of these reviews --- MANY people say that a big problem with this software is that it requires the parents to be there and do it. DUH. These are toddlers - little kids! Of course a parent should be sitting right there helping out!!! My son loves moving the mouse around because I taught him how to do it, not some software. (white curser on black blackground did the trick, btw). I have no intention of plopping my baby down in front of the computer and walking away. It's just like watching the TV - a parent (or other adult) needs to be sitting right there explaining stuff and interacting with him. I don't understand how you can give a bad rating simply because it requires an adult to interact with the child. If there's something wrong or bad with the software, I want to hear it. But saying it's bad because it forces a parent to spend time with the kid is not a good reason for a bad rating!

Great start for beginning computer users
At around 2 years old my son began showing interest in computers. His dad is an IT Administrator so our son was around computers all the time. Also, he was (and still is not) interested in learning the traditional way (through books, play, etc.), but rather through computers. We were NOT disappointed with this piece of software! Through this program my son has learned most of the alphabet, shapes, numbers and colors. We have had this one for about six months and he has not lost interest in it.

However, there are some things that I was not pleased with. First, this product is recommended for children 18 months-3 years. It would probably be more suited for children 2 1/2 to 4 simply because it requires basic knowledge of how to use a mouse and the program does NOT teach this skill. Also, the concepts it teaches (letters, numbers, shapes, colors, music, animals, memory skills, etc.) are more geared toward the preschool crowd. Second, the layout is "busy" and it is hard to see all of the different entrance areas (even for me an adult). Finally, another minor complaint (it is very minor) is that the duck's voice can get annoying after 15 minutes or so for me, but my son enjoys it so this is tolerable.

Overall, I highly recommend this software, however, for children over the age of two.

Teaches Mouse Skills
Regardless of what other reviewers said this is THE ONLY SOFTWARE WE HAVE FOUND THAT TEACHES MOUSE SKILLS. We bought this software along with toddler verisons of Reader Rabbit, Winne the Pooh, and Sesame Street when our oldest child was about two. For over a year she was frustrated with not being able to make the games do what she wanted. Then one day we helped her 'find the animals under the leaves'. The game responds to mouse movement so clearly that in less than an hour she had it down. Now she can use the mouse to do what she wants in all her computer games with little assistance. Unfortunately, the kids stepped on and broke our Jump Start Toddler CD. We have been trying to teach mouse skills to our younger children using the other games we have, but the games just aren't cutting it. We'll be getting another copy of Jump Start Toddler soon.

My advice is to buy it at 18 months. Play the 'find the animal' game once every 3 weeks. When your child is able to understand how the mouse works, they're ready to play more often and try the other games on this software. Then get the preschool versions of Jumpstart and/or Reader Rabbit ready for the day they get bored with the toddler games.

Very disappointed
Jump Start Baby was fantastic so when my twins became toddlers I decided to buy Jump Start Toddlers. The graphics and sound quality are fine the but usability is not easy and very erratic. Take the counting game for example. 10 fish are displayed on the screen and it is supposed to count from one to ten so the child can learn to count. What happens is if the keyboard is clicked (which it is all the time) it goes on to the next group of fish to count. So basically your child is just hearing the number 1. This also happens with the colors. The flowers change color and as soon as the keyboard is clicked it goes on to the next color to change cutting Dee off in mid sentence. I think the product would be really good if this feature were fixed. We have stopped using this product.

Diappointing
This game is very disappointing. There is actually very little to do and see. It requires a parents help to point and click the mouse and has very little interaction. Other CD's capture my 21/2 year olds attention for 3x as long. It is rather expensive and keeps a young childs attention for only 10-15 minutes. I read several other reviews saying it would be better for older kids - but my 5 year old daughter complains the CD is boring with nothing to do. I suggest Reader Rabbit or Fisher Price Little People instead. ... Read more

Features

• 3-in-1 set teaches reading, early math, problem solving, and creativity
• Discover entertaining reading activities with Clifford Reading
• Tackle riddles and various challenges with I SPY School Days
• Solve problems and play creative games with Huggly Saves the Turtles
• For kids ages 4 to 7

Amazon.com Product Description

Every day can be a fun-filled learning adventure with the Adventure Workshop Preschool-1st Grade, 4th Edition, featuring three award-winning educational titles for ages three to seven. Your child will love playing, learning, and just spending time with his or her favorite characters, and you'll love watching your child laugh and learn through colorful and clever activities that build valuable skills in subjects that include geography, science, memory, logic, reading and reading comprehension, phonics, and writing.

The software bundle contains Paddington - The World Mystery Tour (the popular bear's first CD-ROM, featuring 30 activities, 40 minutes of interactive video, and travel in five countries with 60 exciting locations), Reading Rabbit's Reading Ages 4-6 (help Reader Rabbit and Sam the lion as they travel to many Letter Lands, learn their sounds, and take giant steps toward real reading), and Millie & Bailey Kindergarten (with which your child will build skills and the ability to solve problems using best selections from Millie's Math House, Bailey's Book House, and Sammy's Science House). ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This CD-ROM game is based on the award-winning I Spy book series. The game engages children with clever and colorful scenarios and builds learning skills through riddles, puzzles, and games. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Gotta love I SPY!
We love all of the I Spy software and books. This one was not a disappointment. All of the I Spy games are simple for the very young child... So long as they can click the mouse, they can play the game. Clues are read to you so that reading is not necessary. This particular I Spy game is NOT as good as the others in the series, however it is a must have for any I Spy fan!

Perfectly suited for preschoolers
My son just turned three and this program is perfectly suited to his skills. The six differect games within the program provide a good variety of activities. There's even one game where you can create you own I Spy page to print out. The oral directions are very clear and simple for little ones who cannot yet read.
I believe this game is time well spent on the computer. The program presents challenging thinking games and not just mindless flash. We also like the music that introduces and ends the program.

Very Cute.
This is a very cute set of games all based on the I Spy books. In one game the kids search for items just like in the book, in another game they sort objects into venn circles. My two going on three year old son enjoys playing this for about a half an hour at a time. This helps develop visual discrimination among other things.

Having said all of that, this is one of my least favorite computer games to watch him play. Compared to some of the others he has, I find this one to be a bit boring. But it's not me that is playing it. I'd rate it a high four or low five because of this one reason. Otherwise I think it's a fine set of games.

The pictures are excellent. The skills that children learn in these games are good pre reading skills and that is good.

Enjoy.

No legs
This game is great. My 46 month old really enjoyed it ... for about two or three hours, when she had played it out. There are a very limited number of "screens," and they don't even randomize their arrangement.

It's a shame, because the puzzles with the circles (think Venn diagrams from elementary school math) are a wonderful twist.

Therefore, I have to say the game "has no legs."

Does not Work on Windows XP
This game would not run on Windows XP out of the box. Scholastic support did not have a solution but I found it would run in compatibility mode.

My son loves the games and puzzles. This was a truly great learning game for kids. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Encarta Africana is an absorbing interactive exploration of the historyof African culture. From early man's appearance 4 million years ago on theAfrican continent to Sir Mix-A-Lot explaining the technology behind making arap recording, this comprehensive CD-ROM tackles a massive amount of culturalhistory, fully utilizing its multimedia format to make the informationeducational, entertaining, and enlightening.

The program's introduction reflects the ambitious scope ofEncarta Africana; therich harmonies of Zulu choral music swell as a montage flashes across thescreen: Nelson Mandela, art from 4000 B.C., and a raised fist are among theimages. These pictures are superimposed over a patterned background that, uponcloser inspection, is actually a diagram of a slave ship, jam-packed withhumancargo.

The program itself is divided into nine sections: a library of black America;a history and music timeline; a civil rights chronology; a section entitledAfricana on Camera, in which famous blacks discuss different issues; historicsites; an interactive map; a section called Africa to Americas that tracks howAfricans were dispersed throughout the Americas; virtual tours; and TopicTreks, a feature that allows users to explore various topics in greater depth.Each of these sections (with the exception of the library) is vast, easy toexplore, and filled with articles, photos, sounds, dates, and facts. Thoughthelibrary doesn't serve up pictures or sounds, it does include the completetextsof 160 poems, essays, and novels about the experience of being of Africandescent in America.

Sound weaves itself throughout this multifaceted program. Progress along ahistorical timeline, and the soundtrack transitions from spirituals to ragtimeto hip-hop as the people and achievements grow closer to present day. Visualvignettes are present throughout as well: the familiar forms of the pyramids,asmall swatch of Asante kente cloth, a short film of Whoopi Goldberg discussingrace. Encarta's developers adeptly exploit this medium, seamlesslyblendingsound, visuals, and written information to superbly capture the powerful storyof African culture. --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

great resource
My music instructor suggested this cd rom for intro to music, from my oppinion,I think it is the best thing any student can use while in school. Since then I used it for my art presentatin, and history. Also, I think that every one should have one of this in their library.
I give this a five star rating.

A Must Have
I attempted to locate this software at CompUSA & Best Buy. Unfortunately both failed to have this displayed for sell on their shelves. (Possibly discontinued?) However, I purchased it ... and use it daily in furthering my research on Black History. The Researcher function of the program helps to tie in resources found on the Internet as well. My daughter also has found it helpful in retrieving additional information for school projects.

A Must Have
Certainly worth all of the pennies I paid for it and more!!!!

Informative
I haven't seen any other software like it. Very informative with a reference section for doing papers. A MUST for researchers, students, and teachers alike!

This is a great resource for students!!
I am a college student and this software not onlt helped me projects but has taught me a lot about my history -- Even on topis that I am familiar with! Samples of music, clips, Internet searches - it's GREAT!! Also, you can have the program read articles out load so you can concentrate on your notes. There is also a great reference tool. Colleges make a big deal about citing references and Encarta Africana assists with that. This is a great learning tool! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

this is a terrible game
I would give this game zero stars, if the rating system allowed. I bought it for my son. We cannot figure it out; he plays for a short time and gets a disease or some other catastrophe and the game quits and has to be re-started. There is absolutely no customer support, no information for parents. We have not been able to figure it out, and it's too boring to spend any time trying.
I strongly, strongly recommend against purchasing this game. In general, my son has really enjoyed games from The Learning Co., but this is by far and away the worst game I've ever seen. We also tried Amazon 3, hoping it would have some system of help or something, but it was just as bad.
Total waste. Don't buy it. zero stars.

Oregon Trail II
This game has great graphics and animations. The hunting is very good. You can see and do a lot more than in Oregon Trail one. You can interact with the people as well. This is a great game for young and old. Pre-schoolers can play with some help. It is a great improvement ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Birds twitter, didjeridoos moan, and an excited Ms. Frizzlehits the high notes as she explains the science of sound and teacheskids to listen creatively. On the bus, kids can hear what different sounds do in differentlocations with the Acoust-O-Matic, play Name That Noise with MikeyMicrophone, or learn how sound travels in the Wild Waves experiment;there's even an ultrasound and an oscilloscope onboard. Outside thereare more activities, and the kids take the concert stage with variousinstruments they play and explain.

The program hums, roars, and ooompas right along. Sound is everywherein this inspired, informative bunch of racket: jets whoosh above in thesky, and thunderclouds grumble. Two ingenious touches are a microphonekids can drag about the set to record sounds (it even produces feedbackif you brush the cursor against it) and a pair of click-and-draggoggles that show how different sound waves look when they're laid overan instrument.

Don't buy this expecting a music theory class--there's not a trebleclef to be found unless you count the one on Ms. Frizzle's skirt--butfor a child who's all ears, curious about how tape recorders work andwhy bats squeak, it's sure to hit just the right note. (For ages 6 to10) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Magic School Bus in Concert
The Magic School Bus in Concert is a good game, except the voices are different than the hit TV show, and Arnold, Wanda, Tim, and Dorothy Ann aren't included in the game. I am 10 years old, and I collect Magic School Bus computer games. I would recommend this game for 6 to 10 year olds who want to improve their music skills.

Great for the Imagination
My seven year old seemed to enjoy this more than my 9 year old. Perhaps just because she enjoys music more. Still a wonderful game, allows players to create their own scores and teaches them about ultrasound. It definately allows them to put their imagination to work. Not so much an educational game but definately fun!

The memory game, Sound Off, was a little hard for her, but that would probably vary from kid to kid. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System features the irrepressible science teacher, Ms. Frizzle, and her inquisitive class in an out-of-this-world adventure. Kids can take control of the bus and explore the nine planets in our solar system, conducting science experiments and playing games at each stop. Based on Scholastic's book series, this CD-ROM is designed to encourage a sense of adventure and exploration, and an interest in science and technology. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great fun with the Frizz
My daughter (age 6) loves the Magic School Bus television series and she loves the computer games also. These games mirror the educational series while adding a great deal of interactivity and fun/educational games for children. My daughter saves her allowance in order to purchase these titles on her own. They are great fun.

Spotty
This is not the jewel in the crown of the Magic School Bus CD series (Animals, for example is much better), but it does have some good features. In particular, the activity on ozone & the greenhouse effect is excellent- our 2nd grader really grasped the concept after playing with it for a while.

The plot, however, is to find Ms. Frizzle, which our kids found frustrating. You get clues by earning tokens from an arcade-type game- the only MSB title we've seen that requires you to play an arcade game in order to complete it. It may be that the Microsoft progammers figure that space=boys=arcade game, but our kids were annoyed about it. They were even more annoyed when they worked out from the 1st clue where she was and found out that you have to get all 3 clues anyway.

On the other hand, kids who like arcade games might be induced to learn a bit about the solar system.

MSB does the ocean... not as well as I'd hoped!
I am a MSB fan and am trying to get my young children interested too. The Ocean was the first MSB software we got, and I'm afraid it will be the last. It's ok, but I'm disappointed that the software doesn't load correctly (on 3 different computers and 2 operating systems (win98, XP)! None worked right!). It will start, but it is very difficult to navigate the first few times until you "learn" where things are. Finding out where to go and what to click on is trial and error for the most part. Maybe I just haven't "found" the good stuff yet, but I was hoping for better!

Dinosaurs Never Looked So Interesting...to a small child!
For the price. For the value. For the impact. For the utlility. For your child. Buy it....

Rainforest!!?
The rainforest comes alive with this MSB issue. Microsoft shows us why most of the cures for our maladies, etc. comes from rainforests. And, why we shouldn't keep destroying them. Kids learn all about the value of a rainforst. My seven year old played the heck out of this selection, and when we visited a real rain forest in Nov. 2003, he knew what to expect. And, of course, MSB helped... ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

A mysterious villain called the Prankster and his battalion of robots are causing out-of-control weirdness everywhere you turn! You've been recruited to join the secret Spy Masters team to stamp out the trouble. Create your own secret identity by choosing your "cover" from head to toe, then earn the state-of-the-art spy gear you'll need to accomplish your missions. But don't forget to claim your gear; you'll need the power to defeat the villains. The more missions you solve, the more spy gear you earn. Then take all the spy gear you've earned into each new Spy Masters title.

You must stop the Prankster, using your cutting-edge gadgets to halt his slick tricks and army of trouble-making robots. Navigate your way through 3-D worlds with ancient cities, abandoned amusement parks, the robot factory, and more. Play more games in the Spy Masters series and unlock more of the 3-D worlds. Also play online! Start a team of your own or join one--use the spy gear you've collected to snag your rival team's flag. Get to work saving the day while using your knowledge of history, geography, math, and language arts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This game deserves ten thumbs! ( if you have ten thumbs that
Ok ok I can't really say I've had the pleasure of buying this game (frankly I think it's a bit over priced ) but I can say I've purchased Knowledge Adventure's previous merchandise before it has always had complete satifactory. I've bought a few of there items in the past and they were very educational and benifitial .Knowledge Adventure trys to make there software educational and fun . That's what's important right? You wanna teach your children and help them to learn yet try to catch there attention with something at a children's level. This spy idea sure did catch MY attention ! I think it's one of the best ways to teach children instead of forcing facts in to there heads with telvision shows all the time and work books. In conclusion I'd like to say this item sounds like a good way of teaching your children langauge , math facts and so on . Go ahead and buy it!

great game
This game was challenging even though I'm a strait "A" student in 8th grade I learned alot from it. If you want to learn or your parents want you to buy a fun educational game this is the one. ... Read more

Amazon.co.uk

ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures is a great way for children aged10 to 12 years to consolidate their school learning while having fun. In thisgame, the ClueFinders are in an underground world populated by a mutant plantarmy that is planning to destroy the town above them. To make matters worse, twoof the ClueFinders have been kidnapped: to stop the plants and rescue theirfriends, the remaining two ClueFinders have some problems to solve.

The puzzles in this adventure game give math, language, science, andproblem-solving skills a workout through 15 different activities. Parents can set theskill levels to suit their children's ability, and can do this separately fordifferent skills. As a bonus, ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures comes withan Adventure Kit CD offering various fun activities, such as a map maker so youcan plot treasure hunts or other map-based activities. --Sandra Vogel ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's a great game!
The cluefinders 6th Grade is about two of the cluefinders have gone missing! So it's the other two's job to find them.They find themselves underground and have ended up in the plant peoples lair.It's the cluefinders job to find their friends and stop the plant people from destroying earth! I recomend this game to kids who are in 5th or to kids who are going into 6th. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must for your kids
My kids love this game and fight over the computer to play it.Nor do they know how much they are geting from the game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Enter the world of Jo Hammet, a 5th-grade gumshoe who's hot on a case. While visiting the museum on a field trip, she uncovers a sinister plot to destroy all of the city's factories! Her mission is to find clues leading to the capture of the mad genius, Dr. X. Armed with her wits and her skateboard, Jo plays curriculum-building games while dodging Dr. X's goons and searching for clues to unravel the mystery. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Forget-About-It
We have several JumpStart levels, and so I thought 5th grade would be okay, but I was wrong! It starts out with a looong cartoon intro. Then you are forced to go through a politically correct interview of a "rat" before you can start with a crossword puzzle that stopped us cold.

One of the questions it asked in level one (the easiest) is who is (1548) the Venitian artist of the same town? So, we had to go through the "museum" of baroque art, look at every picture, read every description, and still didn't fine the answer!

I took art history in college, not in the 5th grade! Now I can't even return the ...junk!

Poorly designed, way too frustrating
Despite good reviews for other JumpStart programs, the 5th grade one is very frustrating. The opening scene gives no guidance for what the child is supposed to do and the dialog between the two characters is way over their heads. My daughter was totally frustrated and lost all enthusiasm for trying this program.

Be a detective
Join Jo Hammet, kid detective as she captures Dr x. before Hooverville is destroyed. Put on your thinking, playing and excitement caps! You will play a crossword (Geography and arts) at Hooverville Museum then you will proceed to the station to pick a math lock (Math) and get in , to eavesdrop on a fill-in-the-blanks speech by henchmen of Dr. x! Skate over (you will control Jo's skateboard and run away from the henchmen, if you get caught by them, you will go to jail. You will sequence the boxes with the biggest under and escape from the window! It's math skills you require here.) to Bertie's Juice bar to work on fractions and prepare sodas to get stuff from Bertie. Go over to Jimmy's Junkyard and arrange the tangram like the picture above and get something you need to disarm the bomb Dr x is preparing. Then it's over to Maggie Mead's underground artifact place! Be careful of the rolling stones. You have got to buy this CD! It's educational too! I have it, IT'S COOL...

Dry and Difficult
Not enough action, to much research. To heavy in art history and not enough material a child can expect to find in a 5th grade classroom. Our son gets too bored because the navigation is to difficult.

Step Down for Jump Start Series
After loving Jump Start 3rd and 4th Grades, I was very disappointed in Jump Start 5th Grade. It is difficult to navigate and some of the material is far beyond the knowledge of any 5th grader I know.

To solve the Art History crossword puzzle you are supposed to go to the gallery and do research. But the gallery is so hard to use that my family usually resorts to randomly guessing letters in the puzzle rather than try it. As an educated adult, I don't even know more than one of four clues in the puzzles without research or guessing.

If the other subjects were as unreasonable as Art History, I would have given an even lower rating. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed for preschoolers, ages 3 to 5, Excelerator introduces kids to a learning environment filled with sights, sounds, and colors. The two CD-ROM set includes BabyWow! and Buddy Brush and the Painted Playhouse. With eye-catching graphics, lively music, and captivating animation, these titles transform learning about numbers, colors, and shapes into an adventure. A vocabulary builder teaches more than 400 words both visually and audibly. Kids dabble and design with 14 different coloring pages, 33 musical puzzles, and 15 paint mixtures. Plus, songs from the Buddy Brush and the Painted Playhouse CD-ROM can also be played on an audio CD player. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Reader Rabbit and his friends need your help to throw a surprise birthday party for Sam the Lion. There are plenty of fun things to do, from making cookies to practicing party games. And the fun and learning doesn't stop when you leave the computer. Make customized workbooks and printable activities to take with you in the car or on the bus. Progress reports will help you keep track of which skills you've mastered or are in need of improvement. Children can learn at their own pace with Reader Rabbit's ADAPT Learning Technology. It constantly monitors the child's abilities, helps develop skills, adjusts difficulty levels, provides help, and tracks progress. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great Educational Fun!
When my 6 year old was struggling with new math concepts, I bought a lot of software. I wanted something for her that was both educational, and fun. This program is by far the best we've tried. You can set the difficulty levels, so kids don't get frustrated, but also they don't get bored. The characters are really cute, and because there is an overall goal of building the boat, kids want to keep playing! For each 3-5 question activity they complete, they get a boat part as a reward. The various activities cover all math basics, including fractions, money, and time.

With other programs, my daughter would play, and then get bored or overly frustrated very quickly, but because of the ability to customize this game to your child's skill level, she played for hours and hours. The skill levels on it vary widely, so it can teach concepts from a 1st through 3rd grade level, unlike so many games that are only relevant for one grade. My daughter's gotten tons of fun math practice out of this game, and she's still playing! I'd recommend it to anyone.

A kid favorite!
My sons will be in 2nd and 3rd grade in the fall. They just love this game and would rather play it than any of their other games. I hope to find a sequel for they will be done with this game before long.

we love it
We got this software for our five year old daughter and she loves it. At first she needed some parents' help. But soon she likes to play by herself, occasionally asks some questions. She got it a few weeks ago and has already learned so much from it. Her favorite parts are actually pretty challenging for a five year old -- fraction, money and time. She will need to learn some more from school to play the difficult part of this game, but she can already "play" most of it. she enjoys play and learn at the same time. we are very happy about this game. Our daughter is a very advanced five year old who joins 2nd grade reading group in her school everyday. This software helps her catch up with the math part and really enjoy it.

Reader Rabbit 2nd grade Rules!!!!!!!!
I'm a 2nd grader and my friends and I play Reader Rabbit 2nd grade at school and we love it! Everbody in the class says, hey can I go on the computer. It is fun and educational. I asked my mom to get it for home, so I could play more.

I LOVE THIS GAME!
Okay, I'm in sixth grade- a little old for a second grade game, but I DON'T CARE! This is a really great computer game that features my favorite Reader Rabbit character, Sam the Lion. He's so strange. And if any of you get stuck in the skillways because you can't get past the trapdoor (this happened to me), you can jump OVER the trapdoor by pushing the Up arrow and the LEFT arrow. (Many thanks to my eagle-eyed little sister for discovering this.) In short, this is a really great game that is not just for second graders. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Reader Rabbit 1st Grade Classic delivers learning fun for ages 5 to 7. Kids take a joyful journey with Reader Rabbit and friends, during which they adventure and play through 12 activities and learn 14 sing-along songs. Three difficulty levels help kids develop reading comprehension and problem-solving abilities, while building spelling, phonics, and basic math skills. In all, 90 age-appropriate skills are covered, making for unforgettable educational fun with Reader Rabbit. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great Educational Fun!
When my 6 year old was struggling with new math concepts, I bought a lot of software. I wanted something for her that was both educational, and fun. This program is by far the best we've tried. You can set the difficulty levels, so kids don't get frustrated, but also they don't get bored. The characters are really cute, and because there is an overall goal of building the boat, kids want to keep playing! For each 3-5 question activity they complete, they get a boat part as a reward. The various activities cover all math basics, including fractions, money, and time.

With other programs, my daughter would play, and then get bored or overly frustrated very quickly, but because of the ability to customize this game to your child's skill level, she played for hours and hours. The skill levels on it vary widely, so it can teach concepts from a 1st through 3rd grade level, unlike so many games that are only relevant for one grade. My daughter's gotten tons of fun math practice out of this game, and she's still playing! I'd recommend it to anyone.

A kid favorite!
My sons will be in 2nd and 3rd grade in the fall. They just love this game and would rather play it than any of their other games. I hope to find a sequel for they will be done with this game before long.

we love it
We got this software for our five year old daughter and she loves it. At first she needed some parents' help. But soon she likes to play by herself, occasionally asks some questions. She got it a few weeks ago and has already learned so much from it. Her favorite parts are actually pretty challenging for a five year old -- fraction, money and time. She will need to learn some more from school to play the difficult part of this game, but she can already "play" most of it. she enjoys play and learn at the same time. we are very happy about this game. Our daughter is a very advanced five year old who joins 2nd grade reading group in her school everyday. This software helps her catch up with the math part and really enjoy it.

Reader Rabbit 2nd grade Rules!!!!!!!!
I'm a 2nd grader and my friends and I play Reader Rabbit 2nd grade at school and we love it! Everbody in the class says, hey can I go on the computer. It is fun and educational. I asked my mom to get it for home, so I could play more.

I LOVE THIS GAME!
Okay, I'm in sixth grade- a little old for a second grade game, but I DON'T CARE! This is a really great computer game that features my favorite Reader Rabbit character, Sam the Lion. He's so strange. And if any of you get stuck in the skillways because you can't get past the trapdoor (this happened to me), you can jump OVER the trapdoor by pushing the Up arrow and the LEFT arrow. (Many thanks to my eagle-eyed little sister for discovering this.) In short, this is a really great game that is not just for second graders. ... Read more