MomReviews

In my opinion, of all of the educational software programs available for kids, the JumpStart programs are far and away the best. I’ve been buying them since Ryan was in Preschool, and every time the games get updated, they get better and better. JumpStart World is just that-an online world with characters and games that not only teach important learning skills, but are just plain fun to play.

On the JumpStart World website, you can download a free trial of the program. I got a free trial of JumpStart Second Grade from MomCentral, and even though Nathan is in the third grade, I wanted the Second Grade game because I wanted him to be able to play the games without running into subjects he hasn’t learned yet.

After creating an account on the site and typing in his name and birthday, Nathan selected his character-a shiny robot boy. He started out in JumpStart World learning how to use the arrow keys to move around, and then began exploring the different buildings that each had a different skill. In the ABC room, he played a dominos-type game that involved matching words by sound-rug, tug, when, men, etc. The more he played, the more difficult the words got.

That’s the really unique thing about the JumpStart games-they are interactive and they “learn” with your child. The game difficulty doesn’t progress until the child has mastered each concept. For example, in the Math building, he played a game that involved “skiing” through gates with numbers at the top, and he had to ski through the gates with an even number. The more he got right, the faster the skiis went.

I liked the Art building the best. He selected a picture, chose from different size brushes, and then “painted” the picture. You can upload photo images from your computer, and then insert them into the pictures too. There’s a print function, but our color printer isn’t working so I wasn’t able to see how well that works.

There is a reward system built into the game that involves the child earning gems for completing levels. At the Super Gem Mart, you can customize certificates that your child can buy with his gems-a trip to the video store, going out for ice cream, whatever you want. I love that.

Now, this is just a trial version, and what they are hoping is that you will continue your membership. There are 12 Units to each grade level, and each month a new one is downloaded to your account. It’s available in Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade levels. I couldn’t see on the site how much the monthly download costs, but when I see my son sitting and playing, learning, AND having fun, I think however much it is, it is worth it.

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