Jumpstart Reading With Karaoke Teaches Kids to Read With Voice Activated Learning Technology

Jumpstart Reading With Karaoke Teaches Kids to Read With Voice Activated Learning Technology

Exciting New Educational Software Title Uses Activity Kids Love to Teach Essential Reading Skills

TORRANCE, Calif., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowledge Adventure(R), the leader in educational software for the home and the classroom, today announced that JumpStart Reading With Karaoke(TM) is now available at retail outlets throughout North America. This new title, based on extensive educational research, teaches important early reading skills using the popular play activity karaoke.

"Our JumpStart software series has historically been incredibly popular with kids, parents and teachers," said David Blumstein, chief executive officer, Knowledge Adventure. "The new JumpStart Reading With Karaoke will appeal to kids through its creative use of karaoke and specially designed read-along songs. Parents will appreciate how the title's voice activated learning technology and included microphone provides a fun way to teach kids essential reading skills. Teachers will see the program as an innovative new addition to the trusted JumpStart(R) product line."

About JumpStart Reading With Karaoke:

JumpStart Reading With Karaoke is a new and effective tool designed to help children ages four to seven develop important learn-to-read skills. The software was created by talented educators and software designers and is based on research indicating the connection between a child's own voice and building successful reading skills. The development team found a way to incorporate a familiar play pattern -- karaoke -- with proven reading activities and methodology. Knowledge Adventure researchers identified the 200 words essential to beginning reading, and worked with teachers, singers, and songwriters to incorporate those building-block words into interactive reading activities and 24 original Karaoke read-along songs with videos. Kids use their voices to activate the learning experience, reading words aloud into an included microphone as they progress through each activity and sing karaoke songs.

Val, a loveable, literate cat, guides children through each activity, encouraging them to speak each new letter, sound, and word out loud. Using Voice Activated Learning(TM) technology, the software records the sounds the children make into the microphone. Val then provides encouragement to help users master new words, and to read and sing songs in the interactive Karaoke Clubhouse. Eight beginning reading activities help kids become enthusiastic and confident readers and teach skills such as the alphabet, recognizing and matching uppercase and lowercase letters, phonemic awareness, identifying consonant sounds, vowel sounds, digraphs and blends, sounding out words, reading word families and sight words, beginning spelling, building vocabulary, reading sentences, comprehension, and reading aloud as they sing catchy, rhythmic songs. Progress reports are provided to track reading success.

For more information about JumpStart Reading with Karaoke, please visit www.jumpstart.com. Information on the rest of Knowledge Adventure's 2005 line-up can also be found on www.KnowledgeAdventure.com.

About Knowledge Adventure

For more than 20 years, children's software pioneer Knowledge Adventure(R) has set the standard in creating the finest educational products for use in the home and the classroom. The company is internationally renowned for its award-winning software brands including JumpStart(R), Math Blaster(R), and Reading Blaster(R). Tested and trusted by teachers and parents alike, Knowledge Adventure software has helped millions of children build and strengthen essential learning skills. A subsidiary of Knowledge Holdings, Inc., the company is based in Los Angeles.

(C) 2005 Knowledge Adventure, Inc. All rights reserved. Knowledge Adventure and the Knowledge Adventure logo are registered trademarks of Knowledge Adventure, Inc. All JumpStart trademarks referenced herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Knowledge Adventure, Inc

Source: Knowledge Adventure

CONTACT: Jennifer Campana of Bender/Helper Impact, +1-310-694-3144, for Knowledge Adventure

Web site: http://www.jumpstart.com/ http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/

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