JumpStart 1st Grade

JumpStart 1st Grade is an educational video game developed by Fanfare Software and published by Knowledge Adventure in 1995. Aimed at children entering or in the 1st grade, the software provides the player educational activities in a virtual school. The activities include interactive story books, art activities, and games that span eighteen subject areas, such as geography, arithmetic, and spelling. The game is the second entry in the JumpStart series. Fanfare created the series as an educational supplement for parents and teachers. The developer based the activities on the curricula of several states in the United States and consulted 1st grade teachers during development. Promotion was handled by Knowledge Adventure. The company released an updated version, which is known by the same name as well as JumpStart 1st Grade 2000, in 1999. A two-disc set named JumpStart 1st Grade Deluxe followed in 2001. JumpStart 1st Grade was well received by computing publications. Praise focused on the engagement of children. However, a common counterpoint was that young children needed assistance to take full advantage of the lessons. It won a CODiE Award for "Best Home Learning Program for Children" in 1996 and frequently appeared in top fifteen sales charts of educational software from 1996 to 2000.