Jump Start Adventures 4th Grade (2000 Version)

2.20.00

While I still prefer the Clue Finders series for upper elementary school, the new Jump Start programs are a welcome addition. Many parents complained that either they, or their children, did not like the Haunted Island theme in the original Jump Start 4th Grade. The newest version takes your children on a completely different adventure which more closely resembles the Clue Finder series. While I found things I did not care for in this program, it is an improvement over previous Jumpstart versions.

Two ace reporters for the school paper are trying to uncover a local mystery. It seems there is a legend about a huge treasure buried in a nearby cave. Recently, reports are surfacing about a creature living in the cave. These reports are scaring off visitors, and perhaps leaving the opportunity open for someone to steal the treasure. Maybe the rumors have been started by this 'would-be-criminal.' The kids are exploring the cave to see what they can come up with.

There are three branches in the cave that are conveniently lit with electrical lights. In order to enter each branch, however, the kids must complete a Donkey Kong-like platform maze in order to turn on the lights. This involves answering about five or six mental math problems. You can not continue until these questions are answered. That alone may stop some kids who are having a hard time with typical 4th grade math. If you kids are struggling, let them use paper or calculator. It would be a shame to have them miss the other opportunities because their math is a bit weak.

In each of the three branches, the kids will earn gems, which will fit into a mysterious doorway. Once the doorway is filled, the door will open. This will require several trips to each branch of the cave. In one branch they will use a laser to isolate the correct answer to questions. The laser cuts through the thick sheet of ice. Beware that children with serious visual perception problems may not do well here as this involves some proof-reading, something some parent avoid like the plague. I for one don't particularly like my kids seeing words spelled incorrectly if I can avoid it. The worst problem was that if they get the answer wrong repeatedly the program simply moves on! It never tells them what the correct spelling was! This problem persists in other portions of the program as well.

The second branch is a search of the globe. The reports are moved around a map, looking for the country that answers the question given. There are reference pages that can be accessed and read if your child is completely stumped. If they are completely stumped, however, it is hard to know where to start researching.

The third branch is a Shanghai type tile game. Your children must match the two items which belong together. Certain tiles must be released before others can be used. We got completely stuck one time by giving a few wrong answers and had no way out but to restart the game.

This program (in theory) covers the following subjects:

Most of these skills are covered in the tile game, which is really only a matching game. There is very little 'teaching' that goes on here. While there is a pre-assesment which will help determine your child's starting level, the program doesn't particularly adjust itself, or give much help. Helpful tutorials consist of sections that look like they were copied out of standard textbooks. If your child is already struggling with a concept, relearning in the same way the schools have already atempted may not help much. This program is best for reinforcement purposes only. Each activity does have several skill levels, but most don't dip far below the 4th grade level.

My own kids like to work through these adventures, but prefer the ones that involve real thinking and problem solving skills rather than merely spitting out what they are suppose to already know. All in all they like the Clue Finder series better. The upper level Jumpstart programs do include more of the curriculum, but less in terms of critical thinking skills. I think my kids would appreciate these programs more if they actually taught them things they didn't know rather than making them feel like failures. Most kids just are not going to dig through written material to find out how to do something. If they are struggling they are already feeling a bit inadequate. The help needs to be a bit more direct in this case.

Grading for Jumpstart 4th Grade Adventures

Educational Value: 3 1/2
Entertainment Value: 3 1/2
Replay Value: 3 1/2

Buy JumpStart 4th Grade at Amazon!

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