MathQuest with Aladdin

MathQuest with Aladdin is one of the best math programs of 1997. This program is similar to what you would get if you crossed The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis with a room full of Disney animators. It is a lot of fun, and a wonderful problem solving adventure for kids ages six to nine.

While MathQuest with Aladdin does not "teach" math in the same way you would find in the Edmark Mighty Math series, it is a great math program. The emphasis here is on problem solving and mathematical thinking skills. The program is based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards and was designed in conjunction with best-selling educational author Marilyn Burns. With the addition of Disney's wonderful animation and the voice talents of Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Jonathan Winters and others, this is a very entertaining as well as educational program. The graphics are fabulous, and better than any other math program currently on the market. Your kids will feel as if they have been pulled into their favorite cartoon series and are taking a virtual tour of Agrabah.

Aladdin, Jasmine and friends have been captured by an evil Genie. Your children, with the help of Genie and Iago, must free their friends and capture the evil Genie. In order to do this, your children must travel throughout Agrabah solving as many as eighteen different mathematical puzzles and activities. The activities deal with addition, subtraction, geometry, classification, mental computation and more. The skills reinforced in this program are just right for children in the six to nine age range. I feel some ten year olds would even benefit from this program, but most five year olds could not handle it. Three skill levels allow children of various ages to enjoy the same program. The puzzles included are very similar to the type you would see in The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, except these rely more heavily on actual computational skill. If your children enjoy the Broderbund program they are sure to love this new program from Disney. MathQuest with Aladdin will not 'teach' math skills, but will help reinforce skills your children are already working on. For this reason, do not purchase it as a tool to 'teach' your children math from the ground up as you would some math programs.

It is fun to find a program which is educational enough to please parents, and entertaining enough to keep children happily occupied for a long time. This is a wonderful program which I can highly recommend. If your kids like Aladdin they will definitely love this new Disney program. It is well done and a great reinforcement for those math skills your children have been working on so hard.

Grading for MathQuest with Aladdin

Educational value- **** 1/2
Entertainment value- *****
Use of medium- **** 1/2
Age- 6-9

Buy Disney's Math Quest with Aladdin Ages 6-9 at Amazon!