JumpStart World 1st Grade

A couple of days ago, I installed JumpStart World (for 1st grade) onto my computer. I was sure that I would really love this program because we've had Jump Start products in our home before. However, I had issues getting the program installed correctly. My whole computer stalled.

But the next day, I tried again and succeeded in installing the program.

This game is an "evolving 3D learning environment full of whimsical lands, lively activities and friendly characters. JumpStart World's personalized learning system actually responds to your child's progress, so kids learn at their own pace and there's always a new challenge to keep them motivated." --from the package

My daughter (age 5) was interested in playing the game and might have done better than I did--kids seem to instinctively know how to manipulate computer games. I, on the other hand, didn't notice that I was supposed to use the arrow keys instead of my mouse and spent several minutes wondering aloud why my character wouldn't move.

The game includes 40 learning games and missions which involve 20 skills. The kids earn gems which they can use to "buy" things. I tried out a couple of the games which were fun enough, but I had an issue with the long lag time between games. (Thirty seconds or longer for the game to respond to a command can seem like forever when you are accustomed to high-speed internet responding immediately. I actually left my computer impatiently to clean up the kitchen while I waited for the game to move to a new area.)

However, the graphics are cute and the game quite comprehensive.

Which almost makes me overlook the fact that within hours, I got the Blue Screen of Death, informing me that a new software program had caused a serious problem on my computer and that Windows had shut down.

Yikes! So, I uninstalled the game before my daughter got a chance to play it. I have no idea what went wrong and I have read only glowing reviews from other blogger, so I assume my problem was an exception to the rule.

I will try this game again, but on the kids' computer where the Blue Screen of Death won't be quite as devastating. (My computer ended up working fine, once I removed this program from it.)

Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007

Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium is the most remarkable product for students (and parents of students). The Amazon website details the features of this product which

"provides students with integrated homework tools and content. Features include online math homework help, a graphing calculator, Microsoft Office templates and tutorials designed specifically for students, foreign language help, and a Web search companion with trusted Encarta content to help them achieve academic confidence and success."

I downloaded the program (which took a couple of hours) and showed it to my teenagers. All of us kept saying, "Oh, cool!" and "Wow!" Have an equation you can't quite solve? You can plug in the problem and the program will solve it for you . . . and show you the all-important steps.

The language section includes templates so your student can easily come up with a character study or plot timeline. If only I'd had this product when I was a student. Look at it and you will say the same thing.

Now, aside from the homework helps (which are impressive), and the projects section (which is amazing), you'll also find a section called "Discover and Learn" where you can explore Encarta by subject, check out College and Career and play with "Games and Fun Stuff." A special area for kids called Encarta Kids is intended for kids from ages 7-12.

I really love this product.

It is worth every penny of its $40.00 retail price. (Really, scroll down and read the list of features on the Amazon page.) Did I mention that I love this product?