Reviews (6)

Great, educational fun...
While working as a teacher's assistant, I came across newer versions of this game, but they don't compare to classic Oregon Trail II. When I was little, I played this game at school and talked about it so much that I finally got the home version for Christmas one year; ten years later, I am not [too] ashamed to admit that I still enjoy playing it. Not only can children (and adults) learn about everyday life during this famous period of American history, but they also learn stragey. This game allows you a lot of freedom to do what you want with your wagon and its passengers - and if that means pitching over while fording a river, then so be it! Great game, great fun, great history.

Oregon Trail 2
This is a fun game I played at school more than once. Once I caught so much game, my wagon couldn't carry it all! I enjoyed playing it and am now asking for it from Santa.

Great game for ages 6 or up, SO-so price
Well, before I start I must say I bought this game 3 years ago []for $10. The newer versions are the same price. But if your a classic game lover than this is your chance. It's easy but strangely fun many times over and over again. I'd say it's a top 5 software game to have. Works on most computers, But if you have a new one-get a newer game. I almost prefer this more than the 4th-so much more simplier and actually more fun. you choice

Just about everyone will like it
I'm a 16 yr. old girl and I've had this version of Oregon Trail since I was about 9 or 10. I've never gotten sick of it. I still play it sometimes and it's a great way to kill some time. It's still fun for me and that's when you know a game is great.

A Very Good Choice
Even though this game was originally written for elementary school kids, my boyfriend and I play this game ever night. He is in college, while I am a senior in high school. Everone of every age will find something to like in this game. It is very highly thought of in my household! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hours of fun with this game!!
I did Where in the USA .. Carmen Sandiego at school and it's way way better than this one!! But this one is fun too. Since this is a two pack, I like the Where in the World .. Carmen Sandiego better than the Carmen Sandiego Chase Through time. In the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, you get to go like every country!! At first, I thought it would be hard that you have to find her somewhere in the "world", but after the first case, I got used to it and it was very fun. My brother was watching, he's only five and he caught on to it!! AMAZING!! This game is for ages 8-12, and the Where in the World one is for windows:95/98/XP, was I glad that they had it for XP!! Oh and this is for macintosh too. Except, the Great Chase through Time one doesn't work well for windows XP. I didn't buy this at Toysrus though, I got it from CompUSA check their website and see if this is available in your nearest CompUSA!! They usually tell you if it's in stock or not, the one where I went to, I got the last copy!! ... Read more

Features

• Carnival Chaos takes the Cyberchase kids to the rides, games, attractions and food stands of a carnival, for a new mystery
• Search for the powerful Mega Bolt and find it before the evil Hacker does
• Cyberchase -Casablanca Quest takes the kids into a mystery, where they'll use their math skills to follow clues and find out whodunit
• Help the kids save Cyberspace and fight the contamination of the Motherboard, to stop the evil plans of the Hacker
• Jackie, Matt and Inez will present important concepts to kids, and show them how these concepts are used in real life

Amazon.com Product Description

Achieve! Writing & Language Arts brings four award-winning educational titles in one to your child's desktop. Designed for younger learners, a combination of memorable music, appealing characters, intriguing environments, and clever word games build language and grammar skills. Tackle sentence structure, learn about synonyms and antonyms, explore language concepts, and more. Featured titles include: Word Munchers Deluxe, Schoolhouse Rock! Grammar Rock, The Writing Trek, and Strategy Challenges 2: In the Wild. When grammar and vocabulary 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 Product Description

This bundle includes two fun and educational software titles. A fascinating introduction to maps, atlases, and our world, My First Amazing World Explorer 2.0 incorporates two new educational games and more information into the award-winning original title. All the traditional features of a children's atlas are brought to life, while the magic of multimedia adds interactive adventures and learning activities that a book could never provide.

My First Amazing History Explorer introduces users to eight fascinating historical periods: ancient Egypt, classical Greece, the Roman Empire, Imperial China, medieval Europe, the Inca Empire, the Age of Industry, and a 1920s city. Help free Professor Timestein, who was been captured by the Time Fugitive, by filling in the missing pieces of the time-line trail. Travel in your time machine, and explore each period's animated maps. Answer comprehension questions along the way to collect stickers for your travel journal. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

World Explorer/History Explorer is Fantastic!
My 5 year old grandson and 50 year old husband both loved this! We purchased this to entertain my grandson during a 2 week visit and were more than pleasantly surprised. This is more than a game - it is a learning experience and will grow with you. The whole family enjoyed it!

History Explorer IS Amazing!
My five-year-old has been captivated by the History Explorer program for several months. The program offers the user transport to one of several different historical time periods in different regions of the world. Each period offers an appropriate and pleasant musical background while the user clicks on various icons in the setting to find out what each represents. My son has spent hours clicking to hear an explanation of knights jousting in the Medieval Europe, bodies being mummified in Ancient Egypt, or the Great Wall being built in Ancient China. Once he had a good grasp of each setting, he decided to try to "Find the Professor" by clicking around in each time period until he found the secret path. The game helped him move through the periods more quickly, giving him a sense of the passage of time, but it was certainly nice for him to opt NOT to play the game initially, allowing complete exploration of each time period.

The program is full of fun extras, like being able to choose what you want to look like in the travel photos and collecting stickers for your travel journal. The narration is expertly done by children and is offered for everything, making it a good program for pre-readers.

I am amazed at how interested my son is in history, and I give this program total credit for his fascination! I'm hoping that there will be another edition with seven or eight NEW historical time periods to explore. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Can't run software on a computer with 1GB memory
I have the same problem on a computer running Windows 2000 with 1GB memory. The software won't start and gives me the error message "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". I know there is more than 3MB of free virtual memory on my computer. I tried different virtual memory setting and found that setting virtual memory to 128MB would cause the software to run. It is obvious that the software has mis-calculated the available virtual memory. It interprets virtual memory > 1GB as less than 3MB virtual memory. I have sent email to the technical support at Encore and are waiting for their reply. I share the previous reader's opinion that setting the virtual memory to a lower setting is not an acceptable solution.

However, after I started the program, I like the interface and graphic. The software is better than "Mind Power Math Middle School" from the Learning Company. I also like that it has a game where you can test your skill.

I will write an update after I receive a reply from Encore.

Way around memory problem
Haven't tried this software but had same problem with some other software, the error message: "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". The only fix is to change your virtual memory settings to something below 500mb or to exactly 4000mb. Of course, I chose 4000mb since I have a large hard drive and almost 1 gig of memory on this pc.

So the full fix is:
From the Windows XP desktop, select the Start button, right-click on the My Computer icon, and select Properties from the resulting menu.

Click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Settings button within the Performance section.

In the Performance Options window, click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Change button in the Virtual Memory section.

Click the Custom size button...
Change the Initial size (MB) setting to 4000
Change the Maximum size (MB) setting to 4000

Select SET to accept the change, which will close the Virtual Memory window. Select OK to close the Performance Options window. And select OK to exit the System Properties window.

$40 + junk = angry customer
This is a faulty and buggy piece of software. It will not run on my PC (XP Home)without me changing my Virtual Memory from 1000 mb to 200 mb...what an absurdity! The developer offers no solution other than to change my VM everytime I want to use their software.

Well, forget it. They're not the only game in town.

It's Great!!
I have the Elementary Advantage, and I'm about to go into Middle School Advantage. I find these programs are excellent. I am a homeschooling parent, and the Elementary Advantage suite have done a great job in assisting me with teaching my child. I've learned a lot myself. My son is about to enter middle school grades, and as I explore the the Middle School Advantage suite, I marvel at how well its put together. I have not run into answers that are wrong as was the claim of one reviewer. But, that does not bother me because you will find wrong answers in educational books written by the best educators. I focus on the how well I am taught the subject. If I can catch the wrong answers then I was taught well. I paid only $24.99 for each suite. I also have a Dell Dimension 4600, and the programs run fine. For all those having a problem running the program. You better get a Dell, Dude! For the money, IT'S GREAT!

Not Recommended
If this program can confuse X and Y intercepts I can only imagine what else may be wrong with it. I just purchased this for my son today, but will be returning it tomorrow. He has a placement test in 2 weeks and I don't want him to blow it because of this faulty software. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

USA Explorer provides mystery and entertainment along with an in-depth geography lesson. You'll track down clues from coast to coast as you try to deliver an important secret package. Throughout your travels, you'll learn about the history, customs, and cultural practices of every region. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excelent
This was a great learning tool for my 11 year old son that was in fith grade. State history and capitols are the focus of learning in his fith grade class. This was a great means of study for him. Fun and chalenging. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Day by day, month by month, year by year, DK Multimedia's Chronicle of the 20th Century CD-ROM provides a vivid, comprehensive record of the age we live in. With more than 6,000 news stories, video and audio clips, animated maps, biographies, thematic articles, powerful search capabilities, and a 3-D newsroom interface, this CD-ROM is an entertaining and useful reference to this amazing era of human history.

History comes to life with the people and events of the past century. Listen to Martin Luther King, Jr. make his epoch-making speeches or watch videos of the Berlin wall coming down--all from your computer terminal. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

What a relief to find a software program for girls that inspires botheducational and emotional development. Based on the scholastic book andtelevision series of the same name, Dear America: Friend to Friendintroduces role models for young women that teach history, social studies, andcreative expression. Through diary pages, follow-up questions, and messagesdirect from each of six new friends, girls are encouraged in their ownself-expression and introspection.

The program begins with a personal feel: each player is required to log on witha name and password, suggesting secrets to share. Choosing which character tovisit first is hard--each is well developed and true to both her time andenvironment. From Hattie Campbell (who endured the Oregon Trail in 1848) toClotee (a conductor of the Underground Railroad), Dear America shares theexperiences of both historical joys and hardships through the personalities ofeach character.

The program's breadth of activities is its most appealing quality. Players canspeak with every character--gaining both friendship and historicalknowledge--and modify the direction of each story. Secret Self activities provide outletsfor personal development and discovery through personality quizzes and otherintellectual challenges. Additional features include musical selections fromeach time period, a private journal, and a search for historical collectibles.(Ages 8 to 12) --Madeleine J. Miller ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great Historical Background's in Fictional Settings
My daughter is 10 years old and is completely enamoured with the Dear America series. She not only wants to read every book available, she also plays the Friend to Friend CD every day! It enhances her knowledge of history and keeps her reading.
Hi,
...

The Dear America CDrom
This game is really fun. You get to read the diaries of 6 girls: Margaret Ann Brady, Remember Patience Whipple,Abigail Jane Stewart, Hattie Campbell, Zipporah Feldman and Clotee, You can give them advice: Maybe even change their lives! You can look for their belongings to learn the history of each, You can keep a password-locked diary AND you can take cool quizes. I do reccomend this CD!

You'll want your money back after you play it.
The game is okay, because you get to interact with Dear America characters. But After you interact with the girls, the story is finished. And after I interacted with all 6 girls, the game didn't have much left to do. All you could do was do some quizzes (which repeat themselves until you've played every single quiz) and a diary that you could write in.

This game was not worth [the price] .. It should have been [less].

2 Thumbs up!
My 11 year old daughter says this was her absolute favorite Christmas gift. She has been glued to the computer since we installed it. The graphics are great. The characters are interesting. Very educational. My daughter really enjoys the interaction with the characters. The only reason I didn't rate this a 5 star program is that I believe that the products ability to remain interesting is limited. In other words, after my daughter has read all of the characters, interacted with them, etc, that's it. Overall, I still consider this as an awesome piece of software for girls. Buy it!

It's Fun But It Isn't Long Lasting
It is extreamly fun at first, because the software takes you deeper into the lives of the Dear America girls, but after you read all there is to read about them, it is finished. But you can still keep a diary with the sofware. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Explore the cultural treasures of ancient Egypt with this package of four interactive, multimedia CD-ROMs. You can take a detailed journey throughEgypt, from the Sphinx and the Rosetta Stone to Tutankhamen's tomb and thebanks of the Nile. The package also offers 3-D virtual tours of tombs andpyramids, extensive photographs, animations, audio commentaries, and slideshows.

• Journey Down the Nile lets you explore pyramids, temples, andother landmarks. The 18 periods of Egyptian history are examined, from theNeolithic Period (6000 B.C.) to the Modern Age. There is also a section onEgyptology covering various explorers, pharaohs, and religion.
• The Age of Pharaohs uncovers the great mysteries and lives ofEgypt's pharaohs. There is also a section about everyday life in ancientEgypt that captures the daily lives of residents. This CD-ROM also introduces you to the world of hieroglyphics, the ancient Egyptian system of writing based on pictorial symbols.
• Wonders of Past & Present gives you a personal, 3-D virtual tourof Tutankhamen's tomb, the pyramid of Cheops, Nefertari's tomb, and a cruisedown the Nile. Explore these areas by yourself, or take the guided tour andsimply sit back, listen, and watch. There are detailed explanations, abeautiful soundtrack, and an easy-to-use interface.
• Voyage in Egypt has explanations of everything Egyptian, including a detailed list of divinities and their functions in Egyptian religion. There is a special section on famous ancient Egyptians and explorers, as well as a comprehensive glossary for understanding terms associated with Egyptology. Other categories include architecture, daily life, science and technology, and more. Hyperlinked words in the text also enable you to learn more about a particular subject.

Reviews (3)

Note
I bought Discovering Egypt because the box looked interesting. Unfortunately, I found out after installing it on my system that it is NOT compatible with Windows XP. Their web site even says this (which I read after-the-fact). No update is planned by them. Please be aware of that.

Not intended for anyone over age 12!
The cd set will be quite acceptable to those who know nothing of Ancient Egypt, it's culture, history or religion. However, anyone who has even a limited knowledge of Ancient Egypt will find this set dissapointing. The serious minded seeker will not find any in-depth description or commentary about that which they seek.

I was very dissapointed and not at all impressed. A waste of money if intended to learn anything serious about Ancient Egypt.

Calean

Grest Learning Experience
I think that Discovering Egypt was a great set of discs for learning about Egypt. I learned a lot from it and it helped me out in school and in projects. I would reccomend this for the ages 10 and up. ... Read more

Features

• Complete educational tool with more than 30 full version, challenging programs (Ages 6 - 9)
• Reinforce lessons learned at school, encourage students to explore and advance at their own pace
• Exciting format, with 3 or more program levels per subject
• Math, Language Arts, Sciences, History, Geography
• [Windows 95/98/NT]

Features

• Kids will go on fun-filled expediations where they'll learn about importants events and time periods
• Go back to the time of King Tut, explore the New World with the Pilgrims, sail to Asia with Marco Polo, experience the culture of the Incas, and be the first person to reach the South Pole
• Teaches kids history, geography, and navigational skills as they play
• Ages 6-10

Amazon.com Product Description

Hop into Timmy's hot air balloon for a multicultural journey to visit friends in Argentina, Kenya, and Japan. Learn all about the customs and languages of foreign lands, building early math, prereading, and language arts skills along the way. Learn to greet your friends in Spanish, Swahili, and Japanese. Write stories about Timmy and his friends. Choose characters, settings, and actions, then hear your stories read aloud in English or a foreign language as often as you like. Print them as books to read to others. Play problem-solving games. Match pictures on cards in a game from Argentina, and use logic in a Kenyan bug game. Each game has a two-player option and three levels of difficulty. Discover culture through arts and crafts. Learn interesting facts about the people, places, and animals of other countries while you paint and decorate cultural artwork. Print, color, and assemble crafts for hours of imaginative play. Recognize numbers and learn about quantities. Add people, animals, buildings, and familiar items to create villages. Build the towns that Stanley asks for, or dream up your own. Learn new foreign words too. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Loved Timmy Deluxe
I helped my child with Timmy Deluxe at school. 6 countries and languages. We both loved it. Fun, quick, cute, nice music, nice art (not babyish), funny stories. Where can I find it retail?

Great Product
Could'nt get child away from computer (6years old) Do they have any other countries? Only 3 is the only complaint ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Uncover geo-facts and discover the people, places, and pastimes of all 50 U.S. states. Track down clues from coast to coast to solve a social studies mystery. Relive the rich history of the East Coast. Whoop it up in the Midwest. Explore the vast mountain ranges of the West Coast. Experience all this and much more with the award-winning social studies software program I Love the USA.

Designed for ages 6 to 9, kids learn about the states as well as their capitals, culture, and history. Raise the Flag quizzes let kids test their knowledge as they go. The perfect children's title for travel in the U.S., kids identify states by shape, visit landmarks, view travel videos, and track the weather throughout the U.S. Animated map screens, puzzles, games, and more than 500 pop-up geo-facts keep kids thinking. They can even win 30 stickers and earn special medals and certificates. Plus, kids can make their own state maps using the map feature, which also lets them print their map as a post card, or e-mail it to a friend. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

wonderful
I am homeschooling a fifth grader with attention issues and learning diablities and this helps alot. its no where in depth enough to take over for this area in her education however but it helps her become interested. Its fun for her, not as educational as I expected. still theres enough here to warrent purchasing it. I am glad I did. ... Read more

Features

• Make the wise choices as you avoid hazards and face the many challenges of frontier life, and life on the Serengeti Plains
• Go hunting, buy the right supplies, talk to Indians and fellow travelers and much more
• Along the way you'll discover useful wilderness knowledge like avoiding poison and crossing rivers
• Kids will also get to learn the complete story of the Donner Party
• Ages 9 and up