 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
ABCMouse.com
Common Sense Media says
Ad-free pay site helps little ones get ready for school.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that ABCMouse.com is a subscription-based educational website for kids age 2 to 6. This site is easy enough for even the youngest computer users to play games and do activities that will help them begin the journey into reading and other kindergarten skills. Kids earn points when they play games or complete an activity, which they can "spend" at a pretend online store. There are no ads or external links. The site, created by the founder of NeoPets, has been offered free to all public schools in the United States and Canada.
What's it about?
ABCMouse is an educational website designed for preschool through kindergarten kids that costs $7.95 per month. Parents set up an account for themselves and up to three kids, who learn about numbers, letters, and other basic concepts as they make their way through "learning paths" of varying difficulty. After completing each activity, kids are rewarded with tickets that can be used to buy virtual items like pets or avatar upgrades. A combination of voice-overs, images, and text guides kids through the site.
Is it any good?
ABCMouse -- an easy to navigate, colorful, encouraging site -- is an excellent way to introduce the youngest computer users to online learning. From the colorful kindergarten classroom homepage and learning zoo, to interactive books and songs, there are so many choices here that most pre-K children will be able to come back to this site and find something new to do and learn every time. Toddlers and first-time computer users will need help navigating the site, while navigation will be intuitive for kids who have already spent time on other popular pre-K sites. One of the most positive points here -- there are no ads directed at kids -- is somewhat dampened by the fact that learning here is rewarded by shopping, teaching a potentially unintended message.
Online interaction: Appropriately for this age, there is no direct online interaction with other kids. Contests are held for online coloring pages so kids can see other kids' work on the site.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why it's important to learn to read, to learn other school subjects, and to learn to use a computer safely and responsibly. Even the youngest children can understand that learning to read and learning to use a computer are skills that will help them grow up, and that parents are there to help them grow up smart, strong, and safe.
Discuss appropriate computer time limits with your child. Now is the time to set healthy habits; read Common Sense Media's Setting Computer Time Limits Tips.
What is your family's view on spending "virtual money" on a site like this? It can be difficult for a young child to understand that this isn't the same as buying something real from an online merchant. Does yours? Read Common Sense Media's Learning The Value of a Virtual Dollar.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Perfect for preschoolers!
I have three daughters who use this daily for preschool. My 15 month old and 3 yr old use it with my assistance. My 4 yr old uses it independently. My 4 year old is more than ready for kindergarten. I couldn't say that before she started using ABC mouse 6 weeks ago. We are thrilled with the progress she's made!!! She LOVES using the site too!! We would give it more than five stars if we could.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
squidoo dot com/abcmouse-review
ABC mouse is just the best! my 3 year old lves it.Its very well designed to encourage your child to learn in stages and achieve 'goals'. if they win an award they get points to redeem in an online shop to enhance an avatar that they designed at the beginning.Covers all levels of education and all areas too.Brilliant!
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Not for my child
My child is four, she basically can count and add by her fingers. But I don't see any improvement on my child math skills with this site. Even if I choose an age level higher than hers. There too many art activities that I have to do coz my child don't like it. I prefer to use time4learning even though there animation is pretty ugly.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Jump Into Garbage!
Horrible... HORRIBLE! If you want to jump Into a world of garbage, go ahead. The mouse is creepy, too...... :O
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Topics: | numbers and letters |
| Genre: | Educational |
Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.
Review It
Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already visited it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
