Features:
- Provides superior interactive game play tailored to each child's individual learning style
- Fun activities that encourage active learning through movement games
- Skill leveling that automatically adjusts game play and content to each child's growing abilities
- Enhanced motivational game reward structure
- Advanced curriculum to better prepare kids for the next grade
Description:
If James Bond suddenly decided to become an elementary school teacher, his curriculum might look something like JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade. A secret-agent frog uses globetrotting and gadgets to outwit the nefarious Dr. O. Kids must visit each of the seven continents and play games, meet secret agents, and gather parts to build a crime-busting contraption that would make "Q" proud. This program uses JumpStart's new All-Star system, which matches a particular character to your child's learning style: reader, athlete, musician, team leader, artist, scientist, or math whiz. Once a character is selected, requests for help receive a tailor-made reply. For example, the musician will help kids with reading comprehension by having them imagine the sounds the story makes. These helpers can be selected on the fly--if the artist's help leaves your kid in the dark, she or he can consult with the math whiz for a different perspective on the same problem. Some of the seven multilevel games tackle a variety of subjects--kids may be asked to form contractions or do complex subtraction to navigate a river in the Amazon basin. This variety breathes some life into the otherwise standard-issue activities--game blandness is the weakest point of this program. Strengths include opportunities for kids to learn about the flora, fauna. and geography of the various continents with point-and-click exploration, and a final gadget-assembly task that requires logic, experimentation, and persistence to complete. This final challenge (fans of "The Incredible Machine" will recognize it) may even teach parents a thing or two. Just like other JumpStart offerings, this program has progress reports, so parents and teachers can spy on their junior spy's efforts. (Ages 6 to 8) --Anne Erickson
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