Math Missions: The Race to Spectacle City Arcade Grades K-2 |  | From: Scholastic
List Price: $9.99
Buy New: $7.30
as of 11/21/2009 01:06 CST details
You Save: $2.69 (27%)
New (5) from $7.30
Seller: Starlight Digital
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 1418
Format: CD-ROM
Platforms: Mac, Windows XP, Windows
Genre: Childrens Software Games
ESRB: Everyone
Media: CD-ROM
Age: 5 - 7.91666666667 years
Operating System: Windows
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 356532
Model: 356532
UPC: 078073565320
EAN: 0078073565320
ASIN: B00009VRFR
Release Date: July 23, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Story-based math games for grades K-2 | | • | Explore the city using real-life math skills | | • | Do fun activities to earn money to play arcade games | | • | Colorful graphics and fun sounds | | • | For one player |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Arcade Games That Help Build Real World Math Skills Product Information Use real world math skills to earn money for arcade games! Catch the bus,subway, or ferry to travel the city and tackle fun math challenges int he storesof Spectacle City. Build addition, subtraction, geometry, and problemsolving skills while constructing a skyscraper, sorting toys at the toy store,counting
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
 My daughter played it like a video game August 15, 2009
Nicole (Ada, Oklahoma)
My daughter is 6 and she absolutely loves this game. This is a fun and educational. She wants to play it 24-7. Addicting and educational. I'm glad to have purchased this.
 Math Missions July 13, 2009
JAM (MA)
My grand daughter is really enjoying Math Missions. She is eight and has Down Syndrome, so using a computer program has really helped her learn. Earlier she used the computer to help learn the alphabet, then more computer games helped her learn to read. Now we are getting her to improve in math. The fact that these are brightly colored and fun makes her want to use them repetitively and really aids in her learning.
Math Missions Review for My Class May 9, 2009
Andrew Needel (Chatham, MA USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
(the following is a review of this product that I submitted for an elementary teaching class)
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Overview
Math Missions is a CD-ROM software based game that colorfully engages students in a multitude of Math concepts. It is produced by Scholastic Inc. and is compatible with both MAC and PC systems. Of particular interest in my case, was its compatibility with Windows Vista, as I found out the hard way that many of the better student software games are not up to speed with Vista.
The basic concept of Math Missions is that you (the user) are exploring Spectacle City where there are lots of wonderful places to shop and visit. All of the workers in Spectacle City are super friendly, but they are not so hot at math. By helping the workers with their math problems you earn money which you can later spend in the arcade (once you have completed all of the tasks).
The characters and scenery are quite engaging, and each station has a fun activity that covers a different math skill set. There are 3 different levels to choose from, and I have to say the "hard" level is indeed much more difficult than the "easy" level. My daughter is in kindergarten, and has excellent adding, counting, and shape differentiating skills and she was tested fairly well as the "easy" level. While she was playing, my younger daughter, who is in preschool and has basic counting skills, was able to enjoy a couple of the segments of the game with some aid from her sister.
There are eight different stations to work your way through. Each station asks the player to attain 5 correct answers before being rewarded with arcade money. Upon entering a new area, a character explains the task well. The areas covered are:
1. Counting, Addition and Subtraction
2. Time, Logic and Reasoning
3. Spatial Reasoning and Early Geometry
4. Measurement
5. Numbers and Orientation
6. Classifying and Sorting
7. Early Division
8. Money
The game has many implanted helpers. The chief aid is the "APET" (Automated Personal Electronic Tutor). The APET can be used if you are stuck on a problem, or don't understand what the game is asking you to do. It also has a map to help navigate around the city. As you scroll over sites on the map the APET informs you if you have completed the task or whether you still have to finish it. Additionally, if you answer a question incorrectly twice the game very conversationally asks you if you need some help. If you answer a question incorrectly several times, the game asks if you would like to adjust to an easier level.
In observing my daughters, I found the game to be easily navigable, with enough random responses and options to make each step seem new. I'm sure there would be some repetition after several times playing the game however.
Some of the speaking character's introductions to a new task were a bit too superfluously chatty, but the chat can be bypassed by clicking on the screen.
Pedagogical Principles
The most engaging aspect of this game is the ease with which it enables users to employ math strategies into real life situations while making seem like they're just having fun. Shopping, telling time, measuring weights, etc...are all just part of the game. Verbal explanations of strategies, works hand in hand with the vivid visual images pertinent to the particular math problem (shapes, units of measure, items in quantities...) that change as the user interacts with them. There is immediate positive or negative response to any attempted solution.
There is a definite pattern throughout the game: help out the workers by doing a math problem for them, receive a reward after 5 correct answers, and move on to the next lesson. Everything is tied together with the main goal being to finish all of the tasks and go play in the arcade.
Learner Appeal
This game is as advertised. It appeals to students in K-2. My daughter dove right in and enjoyed it. The graphics and story line are sophisticated and funny. Certainly, a kid who is more comfortable in math would find this game very appealing, but I believe it would be palatable for even a struggling math student. The game covers enough different areas of math that there should be something to appeal to anyone. Even users who are not able to navigate with a mouse could benefit easily with help from a friend.
Strength of Technology
The technology is up to speed with any of the games kids may be used to playing on an internet site such as Nick Jr or PBS Kids. There was very little pausing when screens were switched, and the graphics were superb. The game installed easily, and ran glitch free. The interactive aids are top notch.
This game would be ideal for "choice time" in a classroom setting.
Areas Needing Improvement
At points the dialogue could be reduced a bit. I'm sure a kid playing this game would love all of the dialogue, but it did seem to me that the "fun" aspect would still ring true with a little less of it.
I also wasn't too crazy about having to complete all of the tasks before getting to play in the arcade. The arcade itself had some nice learning activities involving money usage. I don't like that you miss out on them if you do not complete everything (especially since there was no option to save your game and resume where you left off). Completing all of the tasks would take at least a half hour. It would be nice to either have a way to save the game or use the credits you have earned to play in the arcade on the fly.
Content Focus within Mass. Mathematics Curriculum Framework
There are numerous standards met in the various segments and difficulty levels of this game. I will focus on the kindergarten level since that is what I observed with my daughter.
Number Sense and Operations: K.N.1 Count by ones to at least 20.
K.N.5 Understand the concepts of whole and half
K.N.8 Estimate the number of objects in a group and verify results
Patterns, Relations, and Algebra: K.P.1 Identify the attributes of objects as a foundation for sorting and classifying, e.g., a red truck, a red block, and a red ball share the attribute of being red; a square block, a square cracker, and a square book share the attribute of being square shaped.
K.P.2 Sort and classify objects by color, shape, size, number, and other properties.
Measurement: K.M.1 Recognize and compare the attributes of length, volume/capacity, weight, area, and time using appropriate language, e.g., longer, taller, shorter, same length; heavier, lighter, same weight; holds more, holds less, holds the same amount.
K.M.2 Make and use estimates of measurements from everyday experiences.
K.M.3 Use nonstandard units to measure length, area, weight, and capacity.
Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability:
K.D.1 Collect, sort, organize, and draw conclusions about data using concrete objects, pictures, numbers, and graphs
Learning Fun! August 30, 2008
Christopher Facello (Charleston, SC)
My six and now seven year old has been loving this game. Because you can choose between three levels of difficulty, she can play it just to have fun or challenge herself. A great, clean and fun game for kids to learn and develop their math skills.
Great game for the kids! July 7, 2008
Mark A. Urban (Wichita, KS)
This game is better than I expected. It has a story line and various shops you can enter and games challenging for my 1st grader. I would recommend for any parent as an alternative to just having your child surf the net on disney or nickelodeon.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
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