JumpStart Reading for Second Graders
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Type of Product
Jump Start Reading for Second Graders, by Knowledge Adventure, is a children's game that takes students on an archeological adventure while building their second-grade reading skills.You can join CJ the Frog and Edison the Firefly as they embark on a worldwide adventure to find the lost city of Ursulab. Price: $19.95. The program is on a dual Platform CD and can be used with a PC with Windows or a Macintosh. Knowledge Adventure has a variety of programs that are entertaining and provide age-appropriate activities for children to extend and reinforce basic skills such as reading and math. Knowledge Adventure Web site is http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/home JumpStart Web site is http://www.jumpstart.com
User Level
The program is specifically designed for children ages 6-8. It introduces 8 critical concepts that lead to reading success. Each skill area builds on the concepts that precede it. Learn letter combinations; Combine letters to spell words; Expand vocabulary; Build sentences with parts of speech; Classify synonyms, antonyms, and homophones; Understand verb tense; Identify and use contractions; Comprehend short stories.
Features
A comprehensive multi-step process builds a solid foundation of reading concepts that are specific to the second-grade curriculum; A printable activity workbook extends the product's educational value beyond the computer; Adaptive Learning Technology--tracks user's advancement through the program. The difficulty levels of each activity will be automatically increased or decreased depending on user's success; Parent's Progress Report--an enhanced tracking and reporting system allows teachers or parents to closely monitor each user's progress; Kid's Tutor Technology--recognizes user's learning obstacles and provides targeted lessons to help master them.
Review
Installation--The program is easy to install. There are demos of other programs from Knowledge Adventure. There is a nifty colorable and printable workbook, on the CD, to use. Storyline--Children join CJ the Frog and his firefly friend Edison on an exciting archeological adventure. Along the way, they meet intriguing characters and explore the globe by visiting both real and make-believe cities. Each location presents children with a new challenge, such as brain-building word puzzles, numerous problem-solving opportunities and reading activities. Children are rewarded for accomplishments by recovering the lost gems that will lead them to a mysterious lost city. Frog Manor--Children practice word classification by identifying rhyme partners, synonyms, antonyms and homophones to unlock the doors of Frog Manor. CJ's butler, McCoud, is a worry-wart and he changes the locks every time CJ leaves the house. Children must help CJ and Edison open the new locks so they can safely enter Stately Frog Manor. (Learn homophones, synonyms, antonyms, and rhymes.) The Dig--Children create words from groups of letters in a spelling duel as they help CJ outwit the fiendish Dr. Listick. Just as CJ and his pal Edison discover the tablet that will reveal the location of the Lost City of Ursulab, the fiendish Dr. Listick steals part of the tablet and traps our heroes inside the dig site. Children need to help them escape. (Practice alphabetizing and spelling.) Kingdom of Atlantis--Children learn letter combinations by matching vowel combinations with words in the underwater Kingdom of Atlantis. The Jewel Room in Atlantis lies many fathoms below the surface of the ocean. The Eel host will show children how to open the door. (Learn vowel teams, blends, digraphs.) Caves of Cumae--Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs make up this treacherous maze that children must navigate in the cavernous city of Cumae. Children have to help CJ get through the caves and open the door at the other end of the cave without getting hit by falling rocks or flying bats. ( Learn nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.) Egypt--Children learn to use the correct verb tense while visiting an Egyptian ruin and completing sentences to solve the Sphinx's riddles. The Sphinx guards the Egyptian Jewel Room and you must meet his challenge before he'll let you enter. (Practice plurals and past tense verbs.) Machu Picchu--Contractions and compound words pave the way as children navigate the gorges and passes of Machu Picchu. Tapir, the guardian of the Machu Picchu Jewel Room, has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of our heroes. In order to reach the Jewel Room, however, CJ and Edison must cross a treacherous chasm and avoid the various obstacles that appear along the way. (Learn compound words and contractions.) Dingo Dilemma--Children can demonstrate reading comprehension by answering questions based on Bingo the Dingo's stories from "Down Under." You have to listen carefully to Bingo as he tells his stories as he will ask you questions about them. (Practice reading comprehension and deduction.)
Personal Comments
Knowledge Adventure does an excellent job of combining fun-filled activities with reading concepts and skills.
Other Goodies
The addition of a printable and colorable workbook, on the CD, is a plus. There is a Table of Contents for the 32 page book, and you can select any or all of the chapters to print, with even a quiz and answer section. The book is designed for parents who wish to help their child with beginning reading skills so you work through it together. The Help feature, viewed through your browser, is also well-thought out and includes a variety of information from songs, to questions and answers, to descriptions of the activities.
System Requirements
Operating System: Windows 95/98 Processor: 486DX2/66 MHz or faster Hard Drive: 15MB Memory: 16MB CD ROM: Quad-speed Graphics Requirements: SVGA 256 color
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