Game Review: JumpStart Study Helpers Spelling Bee
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What Parents Should Know
The strength of "JumpStart Study Helpers Spelling Bee" is
that it takes the drudgery out of studying for spelling tests.
Its limitations are that with only three games, kids'
attraction to the arcades may wane over time; all added words
are spoken in a robotic voice; and the software does not help
children learn the definitions of the words--something many
teachers test along with spelling.
Common Sense Media Review
If spelling tests have your children on edge, check out
JumpStart Study Helpers Spelling Bee. This
software allows children to study for their spelling tests by
playing three fun arcade games.
Kids start by creating a custom list or choosing an existing spelling list to use in the arcade games. The software offers over 1700 programmed words, and kids can add words. When adding new words, parents may want to help because the software requires entering the new word and three frequently misspelled versions of it.
Once kids have decided on which words to practice spelling, they head to the arcade games. In one game, kids ride on the back of a seahorse to grab letters to complete words. In another game, they zap crabs with air bubbles to release needed letters to complete the spelling of words. There is also a catch-the-dropping-word game where youngsters distinguish between incorrect and correct spellings of words.
The strength of JumpStart Study Helpers Spelling Bee is that it takes the drudgery out of studying for spelling tests. Its limitations are that with only three games, kids' attraction to the arcades may wane over time; all added words are spoken in a robotic voice; and the software does not help children learn the definitions of the words--something many teachers test along with spelling.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
