ABCmouse.com Review and Giveaway!

I am so excited about this review today.  My kids have been playing on ABCmouse since about March 2013 and they love it.  EMan always asks to play the "mouse game" and I think it makes them feel so grown up to play a computer game like daddy.

I love it because it's a full interactive online curriculum for preschoolers and kindergarteners.  It is customizable to each child with 6 different academic levels.  As the parent it was really easy to sign up for an account and create a user for both of my children that was set at their individual level.

I started CJ on a "Level 3" because I knew it would be easy enough for him to learn the program and be really excited about completing the games.  CJ had already learned to use a mouse and how to navigate computer games, so it only took a few minutes of us working together to learn what he could do. He enjoyed playing on it while I was doing Tot School with EMan and our toddler friends.

One of the aspects that the kids find really exciting is the Tickets and Rewards System.  Each time they complete an activity they get an amount of digital tickets.  They LOVE counting the tickets as they come out of the ticket dispenser.  They also love choosing their digital prize at the end of each lesson.  These digital prizes are like aquariums and lamps that they get to put in their digital room.  They can then spend their tickets on fish to add to the aquarium, etc.  They love all the choices!

The activities in the Learning Path consist of books, puzzles, games, songs, art, and printables that relate to a specific topic.  Right now EMan is working on recognizing his alphabet.  He's currently playing with letter C on ABCmouse.  Some of the activities include a puzzle of the letter C and a cat, a song about the sounds letter C says, a coloring letter C page, etc.  

In addition to the Learning Path (see the whiteboard below) my boys love the different options provided to them.  They can visit the farm or zoo to complete activities relating to those animals.  They can also visit the Classroom (pictured below) and click on anything within it to interact with it.  They can buy fish for the aquarium, play with the clock and digital/analog forms of telling time, the calendar tells them the day of the week/month/date and allows them to put stickers on different days.  There are so many activities right from the classroom that are engaging and teach about the world around us. There is also the option to pick a subject along the top of the page so kids like EMan who LOVE puzzles can click on that tab and play all the puzzles that relate to his learning level. CJ, on the other hand, LOVES science and "The World Around Us" is his favorite stop.  Lately he's been telling me all about what he's learned about salmon, a topic I wouldn't have even thought of to share with him. 

 

 If you click on the top left "Home" page you'll find a few extra resources that are worth mentioning.  Our favorite is the "Mouse and Pointer Tutorial".  CJ has learned how to use a mouse with great accuracy, but EMan always needed me to play right by his side manipulating the mouse where he wanted it to go.  When I discovered this activity we got right to work and now I'm excited that he's able to start doing it on his own.  In such a digital age it isn't a surprise that kids are learning to utilize computers so early in life.  Remember that even though we have a such a great resource for our kids, to a child LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E.  So, whether on ABCmouse our outside exploring nature give your child your full undivided attention as often as possible (yes, turn off those text messages - you can get to them later). 

There are so many things about this program that I wish I could tell you.  For example, the Parents Section has a curriculum overview so you can know what your child is learning and why/how they are learning.  There is a lesson builder to set up specific lessons for your child and there is a progress tracking page to quickly see what you're child has been working on. There are so many fantastic elements that I simply cannot go over them all, so I'll leave you with this: CJ enjoying a little ABCmouse music:

In these first 5 years of life children learn more than at any other time in their lives.  I am so glad to have a resource like ABCmouse that provides quality exposure and information to children about the world around them.  Being a mom of 2 I know that they are safe and enjoying the experience while I'm working with the other child.  They are developing a joy in the process of learning and a love of reading.  I enjoy the time I get to spend with them exploring these games and discussing topics in further detail.  Overall, I'd highly recommend exploring this online learning tool with the little ones in your life. 

And now, for the part you've been waiting for, the GIVEAWAY!  The great people over at ABCmouse have given me one year subscription to give to a lucky reader.  The good news is that you can win even if you already have a paid subscription!  It will just add a year onto your current membership.  So scroll down a little and enter to win it today!

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