JumpStart Advanced: 2nd Grade [2003]

The June 2003 release of Knowledge Adventure's new series of eight JumpStart Advanced titles is designed to offer kids from toddler age through sixth grade level a head start in school. Each of the comprehensive three-CD packs contains fundamental skills for the targeted age group, as well as two additional CDs with various exercises, adventures, and activities. JumpStart Advanced: 2nd Grade, for ages six through eight, features more than 55 separate activities in the areas of fundamental skills, a world field trip, and a mystery adventure. Parental options, progress reports, and a separate Assessment Test allow adults to monitor the usage of the program.

Topics in Disc 1, Fundamentals, include math, reading, art, music, and science. Kids interact with the seven JumpStart "All-Stars" -- wordsmith Eleanor, artist Kisha, athlete Casey, musician Pierre, math whiz Hopsalot, people person Frankie, and explorer CJ the Frog --who help tailor lessons to individual needs. Gameplay revolves around helping Frankie, the chief of the JumpStart Intelligence Agency (JIA), collect gadget parts and pieces to fix Dr. O's pranks. Game locales around the world include the Amazon River Hop, Louvre Exhibition, Red Squares, Outback Hovercraft Trek, New Orleans Flea Circus Piano, Serengeti Cave Code, Save the Penguins, and Hopsalot's Invention Lab.

Disc 2, Field Trip Adventure (previously sold as Around the World), continues the theme of world travel as players visit nine countries including Italy, Brazil, Japan, Australia, France. Kids learn about foreign words, phrases, culture, and music while collecting four souvenirs from each locale to store in a scrapbook. Traveling methods include mini-games like Boat Afloat, Blimp Bounce, Back on Track, and Wings and Rings. Players receive tokens for solving math problems in Brady Bear's Honey Maze, which are then used to pay for the travel (ten tokens are provided at startup).

Disc 3, Mystery Club Vol. 1: Detective Academy, has players investigating the mystery of "Who Took Edison" by searching for more than 40 clues, interviewing potential witnesses, playing "gadget" games, and earning their detective shield as they move up in rank from Flatfoot to Chief Detective. Seven detective styles entertain and educate in seven areas: logic, music, linguistics, nature, kinesthetics, interpersonal relationships, and spatial skills. Sleuths can use various tools depending on which style they choose, such as a word scrambler, musical tone analyzer, codebreaker, shape puzzler, and more.

JumpStart Advanced: 2nd Grade teaches more than 50 skills in the areas of reading, writing, science, math, social studies, music, art, and thinking skills, employing seven expert-identified learning styles. As with all the JumpStart Advanced titles, 2nd Grade contains comprehensive on-CD manuals for all three programs, parental or caregiver advice and assistance, progress reports, and printed song lyrics where appropriate. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide