Jr. Space Academy

Calling all space fanatics! This program will teach your child everything they want to know about the solar system, the universe, and more. Although from JC. Research, these are actually Zane CD's. If you are not familiar with Zane CD's, they have been around for many years. Although not full of fun and games, they are solid educationally. They teach in a traditional, teach/test/re-teach format. Some may find this dry, but for the right situation, and the right child, they are great.

Each of the four CD's covers one area of space study:

• The Universe
• Astronomy
• The Solar System
• Space Speculation

My kids loved the included freeze dried ice cream sandwich!

Each contains a presentation lasting approximately 20 minutes on each subject. Your child will see the text for each screen, but will also be able to listen to a high quality narration. Older children who are not strong readers will appreciate the accessibility of the information. This program is best suited to children eight and older. Keep in mind that younger children will probably find the text a bit over their heads, unless they have an intense interest in space.

The presentations are not in video format, but contain spectacular photos from outer space. There are over 1,700 images, and 150 minutes of narration. The text is written in typical textbook style, so if your children balk at reading textbooks, they probably won't enjoy this text either. Once your child has listened to the presentation, they are given a quiz on the information. These questions are all multiple choice. If they score 80% or higher, they will work towards receiving a certificate. Any questions missed are linked to the information in the presentation for re-learning.

While there are no jumping rabbits, or arcade games here, there is plenty of solid information about space. Kids who are interested in space will enjoy learning more than their parents and teachers can teach them. Kids who are intensely interested in space exploration seem to have a never ending list of questions! Your children will learn everything from current theory on how the universe began, to information on auras, solar wind, sunspots, satellites and more. If your children can handle the linear learning format here, they will learn quite a bit.

Grading for Jr. Space Academy Educational Value: 5 Entertainment Value: 2 1/2 Replay Value: 3 Ages: 8-14

Buy Junior Space Academy at Amazon!