Reading Mansion

Reading Mansion may not have the flare and zest that Reader Rabbit has, but it's a good reading program. Just don't expect state of the art graphics or sound. Reading Mansion also does not have enough phonics for my taste....but to be fair, neither do the other reading programs on the market. Too much time is spent learning letter names here.

Cleo the Cat is your guide through as many as 50 3D mansions. She will send your child on a scavenger hunt, looking for items on a list. The skill levels range from pre-K through 3rd grade. As a parent, or teacher, you can customize the learning environment for each of your children. This program is much more customizable than other reading programs on the market.

Your child will move from room to room, looking for each item on the list. Most objects in each room can be clicked on, causing text to appear, telling your child what the object is. This is a good way to learn new words, but does not really teach the word attack skills needed when reading these words out of context later. You will need to depend on other activities, and the remainder of this program to teach the word attack skills needed. Whole language classrooms will enjoy the contextual learning. Personally, I'm somewhere in-between with regards to the two learning methods.

In many rooms, your child will find a pair of x-ray glasses. These glasses do two things. They allow your child to find out which room one of their objects is in. They also open the 'Puzzle Book', which contains learning games. These games involve letter recognition, and other reading skills which your child will need as he or she progresses.

Each time one of the missing objects is found, the Puzzle Book opens again, rewarding your child with another game. These really aren't "games", but are exercises. Some children will see through the smoke screen and wonder where the game is. Most will just keep working along.

This program has a decidedly classroom feel to it. Kids who are enamored with the latest technology, or have access to the fanciest programs, may find this a bit old-fashioned. It is a solid program, however, and will help your child learn letters, words and basic reading skills. Some parents and teachers may find that this program does a better job, by not distracting children with songs, and other less significant learning activities.

Grading for Reading Mansion Educational Value: 4 Entertainment Value: 3 1/2 Replay Value: 3 Ages: Pre-K to 3rd Grade Reading Levels Available from Great Wave Software at http://www.greatwave.com