JumpStart
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JumpStart is a series of educational games produced by Knowledge Adventure. The series is distributed as Jump Ahead in the United Kingdom.
Games in the JumpStart series are designed for a variety of ages, from infancy through preadolescence. The games combine adventure, puzzles, and problem-solving, and typically feature a printable progress report. In general, JumpStart games designed for younger children are more common/plentiful then ones for older children and tend to include more activities than those for older children.
As in the Learning Company's Reader Rabbit/The ClueFinders series, there is a clear divide between the products for second and third grade. The games for second grade and under typically feature anthropomorphic animals in bright, colorful settings, while the games for third grade and over feature principally human characters, with a villainous character who must be thwarted, in considerably less colorful settings. Though the divide is quite evident, there is some overlap, especially in the games for second and third graders. Additionally, villianous characters sometimes appear in games for second grade and under (such as Dr. O in JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade).
Originally, each grade level had its own character or set of characters. For example, in games for preschoolers and pre-kindergarteners, Casey Cat, Pierre Polar Bear, Kisha Koala and Eleanor Elephant were featured, while in games for kindergarteners, Mr. Hopsalot the rabbit was featured. This seemed to have changed, probably in the early 2000s, and characters began to appear in games that were not directed to their original grade level. There is still some traces of the grade level system, however; for example, C.J. Frog and Edison Firefly were originally second grade characters, and in JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade, they are prominent, though characters from other grade levels do appear.
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[edit] History
The original JumpStart games were created between 1994 and 1998 with a few upgrades. In 2000, all games were given new covers and a second disc. In 2002, most of the games were changed and given the title "JumpStart Advanced". In 2003, all JumpStart Advanced products were given 3 disks and in 2007, 4 discs.
[edit] The JumpStart Advanced products
Currently, the only games officially in the series are the JumpStart Advanced products that range from Preschool, Kindergarten and Grade 1 to 4. As of 2007, each package includes 4 discs, one disc that includes the actual game called "Fundamentals" and 3 other discs providing fun but usually considerably less educational value. Some of the discs were sold previously in a different set, individually, and/or under a different title, so their original names are included in parentheses.
- JumpStart Advanced Preschool package
- Disc One - Toddler School Time (JumpStart Advanced Toddlers "School Time" disc)
- Disc Two - Preschool Fundamentals (JumpStart Advanced Preschool)
- Disc Three - Language Club (JumpStart Languages)
- Disc Four - Art for Fun
- JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten package
- Disc One - Fundamentals (JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten)
- Disc Two - Animal Field Trip (JumpStart Animal Adventures)
- Disc Three - Arts and Crafts
- Disc Four – Pet Playground
- JumpStart Advanced 1st Grade package
- Disc One - Fundamentals (JumpStart Advanced 1st Grade)
- Disc Two - Music (JumpStart Music, a.k.a. JumpStart Learning Games: Music)
- Disc Three - Art Club
- Disc Four - Pet Playground
- JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade package
- Disc One - Fundamentals (JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade)
- Disc Two - Field Trip Adventure (Around the World, 2nd Grade version)
- Disc Three - Mystery Club Vol. 1
- Disc Four - Pet Playground
- JumpStart Advanced 3rd Grade package
- Disc One - Fundamentals (JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain)
- Disc Two - Far-Out Field Trips (Adventure Challenge, 3rd Grade version)
- Disc Three - Mystery Club Vol. 2
- Disc Four - Language Arts Challenge
- JumpStart Advanced 4th Grade package
- Disc One - Fundamentals (JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Sapphire Falls)
- Disc Two - Ultimate Field Trips (Adventure Challenge, 4th Grade version)
- Disc Three – Mystery Club Vol. 3
- Disc Four – Math & Science Challenge
[edit] All-Stars
In the "Fundamentals" discs (the original game) in the JumpStart Advanced games for second grade and under, there is a feature known as the "All-Stars". The backbone of the feature is seven different "learning styles"; supposedly, one is how the player learns best. Once the user first types in his name on the sign-in menu, a screen appears featuring all of the JumpStart characters for second grade and under in 3D with the exception of Edison Firefly who flies under the characters and is in 2D and does not have his own learning style, but instead is a button that is pressed when the user is done answering a question. From there, the player can either click on any character to use it as his learning style or can take a quiz (a kind of personality quiz) to find out his appropriate learning style. As much as 3 answers can be chosen for each question. Usually, when the player plays an educational activity or game, a star will appear in the corner of the screen. When clicked, a sort of walkie-talkie pops up with buttons for all seven of the characters that represent a learning style. The one selected by the player or the learning quiz at the start will be selected first, though other characters can be clicked. The characters will give tips on the subject being practiced in the game based on their learning style (for example, Kisha Koala is "the artist" and teaches using pictures). Some arrow buttons may be used to scroll through skills so other subjects can be learned about. An online version is available here, though there are a few differences (for example, in the online version, the characters are in 2D graphics and it seems to be aimed towards the parent, not the student. Also, two learning styles are chosen in the end). In JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade, the characters in the All-Stars wear sunglasses.
Below is a list of each character/learning style in All-Stars. Each character has a sort of title, such as "team leader" or "scientist".
Casey, the athlete: A cat who first appeared in JumpStart Preschool. In order to teach students, Casey often uses sports-related examples and sometimes jumps a certain amount of times to convey something. In the online quiz, if Casey is chosen as the student's learning style, it will say he teaches using bodily-kinesthetic intellegence. If the "Learn more about Casey" link is clicked, Casey will be described as a ball of energy who loves sports and attention and hates growing up.
C.J., the scientist: A frog who first appeared in JumpStart 2nd Grade. C.J. teaches using science and nature related examples and situations. In the online quiz, if C.J. is chosen as the student's learning style, it will say he teaches using naturalistic intellegence and is good at observing. If the "Learn more about C.J." link is clicked, C.J. is said to be fearless and to love adventure, mysteries and challenges. He is also said to secretly desire to be an international spy when he grows up.
Eleanor, the reader: An elephant who first appeared in JumpStart Preschool whose tips are language arts and reading related. In the online quiz, if Eleanor is chosen as the student's learning style, it will say she teaches using linguistic intellegence. If the "Learn more about Eleanor" link is clicked, Eleanor is said to often write, act in plays, dance, and talk. She is also noted to collect quotations, facts, and trivia and to own a tattered journal. She wants to be a famous writer someday.
Frankie, the team leader: A dog who first appeared in JumpStart 1st Grade. Despite being called "the team leader", the tips he gives have little or nothing to do with leadership. Instead, he uses people and real-life situations as examples. In the online quiz, if Frankie is chosen as the student's learning style, it will say he teaches using interpersonal intellegence. If the "Learn more about Frankie" link is clicked, it says that he tries to be a friend to everybody, sometimes gets nosy a bit too often but tries to find a peaceful solution, and would enjoy running for office upon growing up if there's enough bones and chew toys.
Hopsalot, the math whiz: A rabbit who first appeared in JumpStart Kindergarten. His tips seem to be more straightforward than the tips of other characters. The online quiz says that Hopsalot uses numbers, logic, and problem solving to teach. In the online quiz, if Hopsalot is chosen as the student's learning style, it will say he teaches using logical-mathematical intellegence. If the "Learn more about Hopsalot" link is clicked, Hopsalot is described as a genius who frequently invents gadgets, solves problems, and improves his vedgetable garden.
Kisha, the artist: A koala who first appeared in JumpStart Preschool, Kisha uses pictures to teach. In the online quiz, if Kisha is chosen as the student's learning style, it will say she teaches using visual-spatial intellegence. If the "Learn more about Kisha" link is clicked, it says that Kisha is a sage and a philosopher as well as an artist. It also mentions that the only thing that she is really uptight about is a particular clumsy bear and curious cat that, supposedly, ruin her masterpieces. This is probably referring to Pierre and Casey.
Pierre, the musician: A polar bear who first appeared in JumpStart Preschool, Pierre uses music, songs, and sounds in his tips. In the online quiz, if Pierre is chosen as the student's learning style, it will say she teaches using musical intellegence. If the "Learn more about Pierre" link is clicked, Pierre is said to love playing - both music and games. He is noted to find following instructions hard unless they are presented in a fun way.
[edit] JumpStart Products Besides PC Games
Although JumpStart was originally a series of personal computer games, other educational products have been produced under the JumpStart name. For example, a large collection of books (with the majority being workbooks) have been created via Knowledge Adventure and Scholastic joining up. They have been manufactured for 4 grade levels: Pre-K, Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The workbooks feature characters from the particular grade level, though another kind of JumpStart book, "JumpStart Readers" (storybooks intended to teach reading skills) sometimes feature characters from other grade levels. The workbooks also feature a sticker reward system and offer "tips". Some of them are still being sold on the Knowledge Adventure website here.
There have also been a couple of video games for other video game systems, such as JumpStart Dino Adventure, a game for the Game Boy Color, and JumpStart Wildlife Safari, a game for the PlayStation. For information on JumpStart Dino Adventure, you can go to its Amazon.com page here. For information on JumpStart Wildlife Safari, you can go to its Amazon.com page here.
JumpStart DVD games, known as "iDVDs", have also been made by Knowledge Adventure. One of them, Frankie's Field Trip, is being sold by Knowledge Adventure here.
