Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade

Review

Common Sense Media says

Fun learning adventure with challenging educational games.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade features a lot of solid second-grade curriculum lessons embedded within an adventure game. Kids younger than second grade can play as well, thanks to the three difficulty levels available. If younger kids have difficulty with the controls, try reducing your Wii remote's sensitivity via the console's "Wii Options" menu. Be aware that the game's storyline does have some not-so-scary villains in the form of the pirate rats. The most violent thing the pi-rats do is hit people with blobs of cheese.

  • Positive messages3
    The game instills a sense of curiosity and makes learning fun. There's enough entertainment value throughout to get kids excited about learning while they play.
  • Positive role models4
    Reader and his pal, Sam the lion, are eager, energetic, and endlessly positive characters. It's nice to see them stay upbeat and hopeful in the face of setbacks.
  • Ease of play3
    Instructions for each mini-game are explained in clear, precise language. Three difficulty levels give kids a chance to progress in their lessons during the game. Second graders should be able to handle the point-and-click controls, but if younger kids have difficulty, it can help to reduce the sensitivity of the Wii remote. This can be done through your console's "Wii Options" menu.
  • Violence & scariness1
    In the opening animated sequence, Reader's flying "dreamship" is attacked by the wicked pi-rats, and bombarded with cheese balls. The blobs of cheese knock Reader and Sam from the ship. They fall to the planet below, but are caught by a passing hovercraft.
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What's it about?

In READER RABBIT 2ND GRADE, the titular hare and his lion friend Sam are blasted with cheese balls and knocked from their flying "dreamship" by the wicked pirate rats (or pi-rats) who are out to steal Reader's magical vessel. The heroes are caught by a monkey scientist who offers to help get them back to their ship if they can help him fix his hovercraft (which has been covered in gooey cheese). Reader and Sam embark on an adventure to collect the items they need to fix the hovercraft. Along the way, they'll play mini-games that include putting antonyms together, piecing together mathematical equations, and identifying the parts of various insects.

Is it any good?

 

Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade features educational mini-games (not always the biggest draw for kids) presented in a fun, cartoon-like manner, complete with fully animated scenes and original songs. The package goes a long way toward making the experience a truly fun one for kids, and not seeming like homework or test prep.

The three difficulty levels cover a lot of ground, so younger kids can definitely play as well (even if they might find the precision-pointing of the Wii remote more of a challenge than their older counterparts). All in all, this is a solid package.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the educational lessons in the game. Do the lessons here match those you're learning in school? Do you think the games here can serve as good practice for school?

  • Families can also discuss how to make the best use of an educational video game like this. How often should a child be a allowed to play explicitly educational games? More often than entertainment-only games?

This review was written by Christopher Healy

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This review was written by Christopher Healy
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Educational
Developer:Graffiti Entertainment
Release date:May 17, 2011
Price:$19.99
ESRB rating:E for no descriptors
This review was written by Christopher Healy

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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