ABC Mouse: Review

ABC Mouse: Review
Earlier this year, Zeplin was gifted with a seat in the online classroom of ABC Mouse. The program is individualized and set in such a way that up to three children per subscription can simultaneously be learning in a classroom, at a farm, and many other areas of interest as well.

Not familiar with ABC Mouse?  (ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy) 
In it's website, it is described:

                
                    ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy offers a full online 
                    preschool through kindergarten curriculum, containing over 
                    5,000 learning activities in the subjects of reading, math, 
                    science, social studies, art, and music. Our goal is to make 
                    learning fun for children, while giving them a head start so 
                    that they are successful in all future years of schooling.
                    ...ABCmouse.com, [is] a revolutionary educational website 
                    for children ages 2-6.

When Zeplin, Big Strong Man, and I had first seen the advertisements on television, we decided that it not only looked engaging and educational, but truly well-crafted and fun! We were not disappointed!
Being a rather frugal family, we did not have the means for internet access at our home, much less anything extra. Eventually, ABC Mouse was placed on the back burner.
Fast forward, we now have internet access in our home once again and, when my sister Nicolette decided earlier this year to subscribe to the online classroom for her five year old daughter, she surprised us with a phone call stating that she also "enrolled" Zeplin. What joy!

Because this is a review, I do want to mention that, in the initial, we had a difficult time with the program running on our computer. We have a nice computer and do not live in the middle of no-man's-land, so we assumed it was the fault of the program. My sister, who lives in the middle of a fair sized city, had no problems running the program at all. Our issue has since subsided and Zeplin can access anything from the classroom learning center, to the games, songs, and all the extras.

Everything is designed to help educate. Agame might be "Hamster Ball Bowling", in which you are given four choice balls, each with a hamster inside and a number representing the ball. The student chooses any hamster and "bowls" it down the online lane.  Next, four more hamsters in four more balls are placed before the lane and the child chooses another ball to roll, this time with the second set of numbers completing the number 10, which is the goal. (If the student picked number 4 in the first round, for instance, than the ball representing the number 6 would be the correct ball for a total of 10.) Brilliant!

One of the most unique and incredible perks of ABC Mouse is that the students earn tickets for completing assignments and games. The tickets can be collected and than used to purchase anything from furniture for your online room, clothing for your Avatar, pets for your online Pet Park, etc.
The latter of these, the Pet Park is my favorite. (I am not a big animal person, but I can appreciate this.)
Upon enrollment, the students are gifted with two bunnies, a hamster, and a few fish. There is a monitor accompanying each of the animals and the student is responsible to take care of them. Everyday, the animals need washed, fed, and given something to drink. -This is responsibility at it's finest! Not only is Zeplin understanding that these (fake, online) animals need REAL time and attention, he is responsible to purchase food and accessories for them with the tickets he earns!
I Heart This!
Here's why:
a) He is responsible for their attention and needs, yet, THEY ARE NOT REAL, so if we decide to be away from the computer all day, they will not die a real death.
b) As he is understanding the connection between the hard-earned tickets he has and the value they cost him to trade for the animal's well being, he is learning how to budget.
Each of the two rabbits gifted him, and the Dalmatian dog he purchased, cost 2 tickets per day to feed. That's six tickets for him to budget daily. (The hamster and fish don't need us to buy their food and supplies- I am not sure why, but we are thankful.)
c) ...So, that Dalmatian? Zeplin has named him Banana, as in the fruit, and Banana cost Zep a whooping 400(!) tickets. That's no small fee for a four year old.
In order to purchase Banana, Zeplin first worked and played diligently and  then decided to save-up his tickets! -What a cool kiddo!!

OK, returning to the Avatar.
Each student in the ABC Mouse online classroom can build his/her own Avatar! When the student signs-in, the Avatar appears and welcomes the student back to the classroom. From there, the student can visit a Zoo, a Farm, work on his/her own step-by-step Learning  Path, or head over to the Classroom and focus on Math, Science, Reading, Writing, Art, Music, Library, and more!

Zeplin really enjoys ABC Mouse.
Demitri, who is too young to understand how to use the computer keys and mouse, can not yet participate to the same extent that Zeplin can, but Demitri still really enjoys watching (and learning!) alongside his big brother.
Since beginning three months ago, both boy's understanding of basic math and phonics have improved!

Also, Big Strong Man and I can tolerate this- we actually enjoy it!
I type this because, let's face it, if the music, the time, the energy, something is "too much" for the parent or guardian responsible for inviting the child into the atmosphere of learning, the chances of follow-through get smaller and smaller.
Point in case: we once had a children's DVD which my boys enjoyed watching. I am ashamed to admit this, but I could not stand the songs attached to the DVD. Guess what? I dumped it into the local Goodwill. Some child and some adult will appreciate it together.

Pros and cons:
Pros:
*It is engaging for the child
*It is a learning center in which a child can grow. As he/she understands more, the classroom grows to fit his/her attention span and educational level.
*It is work at your own pace. Whether your child already knows the objective or not, he/she can begin where he/she feels most comfortable.
*There is no time commitment so your child can work for one hour one day and 10 minutes the next.
*The student can work independently or with assistance.
*Your child will learn basic computer skills (if he/she does not already know them prior to beginning).
*Instant gratification and rewards.
Cons:
*There is a minimal fee to join ABC Mouse. This isn't exactly a con, but I would not say it's a pro. It is a "con" by default.
*You will need internet access to access the online classroom.
*If you already have a child who is addicted to the computer or the television, this may not be the best addition to your child's life.

All of this to say that we think ABC Mouse is a wonderful tool to encourage children to learn, a fun way to teach and play, and a well-designed website.

Two thumbs-up-