Stuart Little Learning Adventures

Rating:
Summary: If there were academy awards for educational software...
Review: Even though our family has only had time to explore a little of the Numberland disc 1, I had to review this before Christmas so that other parents would be encouraged to buy this for their kids.

Aside from the quality graphics and animation sequences, this is a fantastic introduction to computer skills. Our son received Stuart Little Learning Adventures for his 4th birthday in October, and had never used a computer before. Now he asks to "Paint the mushroom house" constantly (the intuitive painting program is the first part of Disc 1). His counting and mouse coordination skills are built on and fine-tuned with each session. When he completes a section of the painting, a map of the human brain appears to highlight which section of the brain he just developed.

My son is average developmentally (although of course a star to me!), and I believe he could have handled this at age 3 just fine. I can't wait to see the other 28 activities available on this two-disc set! But, even if this was all he ever got out of Stuart Little Learning Adventures, it would have been money and time well spent.

Rating:
Summary: this IS the best ever-- and no wonder why
Review: I got Stuarts Adventures for my three grand daughters and what a success. This game is amazing and like nothing we have ever seen before. There is a scale model of an ancient sailing ship where the children can play, and a scale model of an old steam engine the children ride to a mining town. The adventures are fun for young kids and must have been tested with lots and lots of young children. There is pretty music from different countries, and games with a lot of refreshing variety, cute rewards, and great content. In one game the child learns the letters that begin the names of beautiful children from many cultures. As the game progresses these children whose letters and names are being learned are seen in their own cultures. The game culminates with the child learning famous landmarks on each continent and seeing where these different cultures are located on a world map....an amazing example of the way gifted kindergarten teachers can teach language in a cultural context. The highest level rewards are meaningful because as the child moves through the games they accumulate "brain power" that lets them create toys on one CD, and on the other that lets they decode a mystery note so Stuart can follow his aunt Polly on an adventure. Its SO addictive, and the kids learn SO easily and don't get tired of it, that I became curious about who could have created such a masterpiece. I went to the website on the box (and also the interactive manual on the CD)and read all about it. These games were made by a research and development team at a top university. The team was a cognitive psychologist, two developmental psychologists, a linguist, an art teacher, a prize winning composer, an experienced kindergarten teacher, and several computer scientists and graphic artists. This is why the games keep the attention of kids and actually teach them things that coordinate with school. It must be why it all appears so hand crafted and beautiful. This is a really great achievement and I agree with the other review I read here. Its the best value to date -- and its no wonder why!

Rating:
Summary: this IS the best ever-- and no wonder why
Review: My three year old enjoys seeing Stewart on the computer, but I think she doesn't understand the concept of most of this game.She likes doing the dot-to-dots and then coloring them but it was to hard for her.I found no setting to make it easier for her to play.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!! Real learning in a fun environment.
Review: Of all the educational software my girls (currently in kindergarten) have played, this is easily my favorite - and theirs too. Much more engaging than similar titles in the JumpStart and Reader Rabbit series.

First, there is more variety in the two CDs in this package than in similar educational software for this age. And the activities are more compelling and less repetitive. My girls are sticking with each activity for a long time rather than always moving on to the next one because the current one gets boring quickly.

Also, this software has competitive games that can be played with the computer or with another player (a child or a parent.) So I get to play. And some of these games actually involve some strategy. For example, in one game, each player controls two pieces that have to move from the start to the finish. The player has to determine which piece should be moved since different actions will result after the move is made. Also, this game uses two dice, so the child gets used to quickly adding two numbers (shown as dots) instead of relying on a spinner pointing to a single number.

Next, the production quality is very high. The games and activities use a 3D environment, and are always interesting to look at. My kids frequently say "Cool" when they see the special effects.

One more item: This game uses the metaphor of Stuart Little's "brainpower" (visually filling in areas of his 'brain') to keep track of what activities have been played and how much more is needed to get a special reward. My kinds understand this, and it motivates them.

I think this is a great kids title. My kids do too.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!! Real learning in a fun environment.
Review: Of all the educational software my girls (currently in kindergarten) have played, this is easily my favorite - and theirs too. Much more engaging than similar titles in the JumpStart and Reader Rabbit series.

First, there is more variety in the two CDs in this package than in similar educational software for this age. And the activities are more compelling and less repetitive. My girls are sticking with each activity for a long time rather than always moving on to the next one because the current one gets boring quickly.

Also, this software has competitive games that can be played with the computer or with another player (a child or a parent.) So I get to play. And some of these games actually involve some strategy. For example, in one game, each player controls two pieces that have to move from the start to the finish. The player has to determine which piece should be moved since different actions will result after the move is made. Also, this game uses two dice, so the child gets used to quickly adding two numbers (shown as dots) instead of relying on a spinner pointing to a single number.

Next, the production quality is very high. The games and activities use a 3D environment, and are always interesting to look at. My kids frequently say "Cool" when they see the special effects.

One more item: This game uses the metaphor of Stuart Little's "brainpower" (visually filling in areas of his 'brain') to keep track of what activities have been played and how much more is needed to get a special reward. My kinds understand this, and it motivates them.

I think this is a great kids title. My kids do too.

Rating:
Summary: It never ends! A great learning tool, but a game for kids
Review: This is the best value in computer software to date. The games never end and are incredibly educational. But your kid will never know it! The games include board games, dot to dot, matching, tetris-like adding game, crosswords and more. My daughter can't get enough of it. We read the reviews and yes, I'll agree it is advanced for a 3 yr old. My daughter is 4 and recognizes her letter (but doesn't yet know their sounds) and knows numbers by sight up to 10. If your child doesnt know their numbers or letters you'll have to play with them. But isn't that fun, too?! Really, this is a great game.