Jump Start World

Jump Start World states on its packaging that it is "The New Way to Achieve 1st Grade Success." After watching my daughter use the program for the past week, I can definitely understand why they make that claim.

The program uses a curriculum based on National and State Standards, and includes lessons and games based on language arts, math, critical thinking and social skills. It’s not just rote learning. I was surprised to see that Jump Start World is very much like a video game. Children start by choosing a character to use in the 3D world. There are four girl and four boy choices. Once you have your character, you go to the "world" where there are math and language arts "arcades" as well as billboards, friendly interactive characters, an art studio, paths, ponds and waterfalls.

Children are also given a "communicator" which gives them messages about where to go and what to do. Children accumulate "gems" based on completing lessons. They are then able to "buy" things in the local store such as maps, books, and other tools that can be used throughout the world.

When I saw the format, I assumed that my daughter would just run her little fairy character around the world, never really stopping to do any real learning activities. It is very much like a video game in that you can control your character and maneuver him/her around the world. Characters can run along paths, jump off mega-jumping pads that make sounds like the bionic woman series, and can even take a swim in a fountain area.

Because of this, I made sure to stay nearby while my daughter completed Unit 1’s math lessons. I didn’t need to worry about the lessons keeping her attention though. With the exception of a few games that really frustrated her (probably due to her lack of video game playing experience since they were very arcade like), my daughter continued to go from lesson to lesson eagerly. Some lessons were more challenging than others, but she continued to stick with it.

On the day she decided to visit the language arts arcade, I left her explore by herself. Parents can safely do this because Jump Start World is not connected to the internet at any time. It’s also possible to check your child’s progress at the Parent’s area of the program. The parent area shows percentage scores for each activity that your child has completed so it’s very easy to track their progress, and see how they’re doing. It’s also possible to choose holidays for your child to celebrate and upload pictures for the art studio in the Parent Studio.

The art studio can be customized with pictures for your child to use, or they can start from scratch and create their own. After children create their masterpiece, they can add their picture to a billboard that is displayed in the Jump Start World. There are also characters (called scouts) who hang out along the paths and interact with your child. Scouts congratulate children on a job well done when they earn gems and provide helpful hints to your child about where to go and what to do.

There are 12 units in each grade of Jump Start World which includes over 80 learning games and missions that teach more than 40 skills. There are also upgrades available. For $7.99/month, parents can download additional adventure packs (two) each month that will automatically be added onto your child’s "world." The program itself is sold for $19.99 and includes the first two adventure packs. It is possible to buy the entire 12 units at a time for $74.99 directly from the Jump Start World store. Jump Start World has programs for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades.

There are many positive things about Jump Start World. The world is 3D and interactive which makes playing fun for a child. It has the feel of a video game which will make it appealing to many children. The lessons seem to reinforce learned skills and each unit certainly offers plenty of lessons. In the first unit there are about eight math lessons, seven language arts lessons, and five additional critical thinking/social skills lessons. The area for parents is a big bonus as well, since progress reports are right at your fingertips.

There are a few negatives to the program. Because some of the games are arcade-like, my daughter got extremely frustrated when she knew the correct answer, but had trouble getting her polar bear across a series of moving logs. For kids who are not familiar with video games, this can certainly take some getting used to. She did improve as the lessons went on, but we found that particular aspect to be a bit frustrating. My only other critique is the help available as your child is completing a lesson. During a particular lesson on being able to read a calendar, my daughter was struggling a bit. When she clicked on the question mark to get some help, the "helpful hints" weren’t very helpful. Instead of giving her hints as to how to complete the lesson, they simply told her to just click the check mark when she was finished. This seemed to frustrate her a bit more. However, if you plan to be available to help your child, that should solve that particular problem easily enough.

Despite a couple frustrations, my daughter continues to ask if she can play in Jump Start World on a fairly regular basis, so I’d say that overall, we are both pretty satisfied with the program.

For more information on Jump Start World and for a free trial, visit the Jump Start World website. Click here if you’d like to purchase the program for Kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade.