Reader Rabbit's 1st Grade
Cover art
Developer(s)KnowWare
Publisher(s)The Learning Company
SeriesReader Rabbit
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh, Wii
ReleaseWin/Mac: January 14, 1998[1]
Wii: May 4, 2010
Genre(s)Edutainment
Mode(s)Single-player

Reader Rabbit's 1st Grade (known as Reader Rabbit Key Stage 1: Year 1 in the United Kingdom) is an educational video game, part of the Reader Rabbit series, developed by KnowWare and published by The Learning Company on January 14, 1998. The game was re-released on the Nintendo Wii by Graffiti Entertainment on May 4, 2010.[2][3]

Plot

The Old Theatre has everything ready for a performance. However the porcupine Spike feels dissatisfied about not being the star of the show, so he takes and hides the musical instruments, costumes, scripts, props and other necessities so the performance cannot start. Reader Rabbit and his friends have only a number of hours to make preparations before tonight's performance.

Gameplay

The players encounter interesting characters and take part in educational activities through the game's point-and-click interface, with a goal being to get everything ready for the show. The game focuses on vocabulary, phonics, addition and subtraction.[4]

Commercial performance

The game was the second top-selling home education title across nine software retail chains (representing more than 40 percent of the U.S. market) in the week that ended on April 4, 1998.[5] It was also the seventh top-selling educational titles across 13 software chains (representing 57 percent of the U.S. market), for the week ending on March 20, 1999.[6]

Critical reception

Common Sense Media said the game has a "nice mix of animation, song, and solid educational gaming",[8] and declared it the "top first-grade title".[9] Superkids deemed it "lightweight", "lively", and "entertaining".[10] Tech With Kids thought the activities were "supportive, funny, and always upbeat",[11] and described the learning activities as "fabulous".[12] Edutaining Kids wrote the game was highly entertaining and positively compared it to Reader Rabbit Reading Learning System.[13] Discovery School praised the game for its "exciting adventure storyline", "gorgeous cartoon world to explore", and "outstanding learning activities".[14] The Washington Post said "this title makes the grade", unlike other Reader Rabbit titles.[15] Reading Tutor said the game was a prime example of how Reader Rabbit puts educational games in the context of an interesting story line.[16] Jeffrey Kessler who worked as a Learning Specialist for the Reader Rabbit franchise described the game as a clever mix of math, reading, art and emotion rather than a year's curriculum.[17] During the inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards, the PC version received a nomination for "PC Edutainment Title of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.[18]

In their review of the 2010 Nintendo Wii port of the game, USA Today thought the game wasn't perfect, as the controls of the point-and-click game were not well suited to the Wii remote, especially for children still developing their manual dexterity skills.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Reader Rabbit Keeps Hopping With New First Grade Multi-Subject Program From The Learning Company". learningco.com. January 14, 1998. Archived from the original on December 2, 1998. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Reader Rabbit: 1st Grade". Metacritic. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  3. ↑ http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/graffiti-entertainment-announces-reader-rabbit-1st-grade-2nd-grade-nintendo-wii-reach-pinksheets-sdvi-1506054.htm
  4. ↑ Working Mother. Working Mother Media. 1999-12-01.
  5. ↑ "BESTSELLERS". 1998-04-20. Archived from the original on 2018-11-18. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ↑ "Bestsellers". 1999-04-05. Archived from the original on 2018-11-19. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ "Parents' Choice Awards - Reader Rabbit: 1st Grade". Parents' Choice Award. 1998. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade - Game Review". 27 May 2011. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  9. ↑ "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade Learning System - Game Review". 12 October 2004. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  10. ↑ "SuperKids Software Review of Reader Rabbit's 1st Grade". www.superkids.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  11. ↑ "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade (Wii) Review - TechWithKids.com". www.techwithkids.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  12. ↑ "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade Learning System Review - TechWithKids.com". www.techwithkids.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  13. ↑ "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade Children's Software Review". www.edutainingkids.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  14. ↑ "DiscoverySchool.com - Review Corner". school.discoveryeducation.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  15. ↑ "INSTALL NOW?". 2001-09-07. Archived from the original on 2018-11-18. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ↑ Linge, Mary Kay (2000-01-01). Reading Tutor: How to Help Your First Or Second Grader Become Great at Reading. LearningExpress. ISBN 9781576853405. %22Reader Rabbit 1st Grade%22.
  17. ↑ "Thinking Like A Kid" (PDF). baychi.org. 2001-01-31. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  18. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Reader Rabbit's 1st Grade". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "Reader Rabbit hops over to the Wii - USATODAY.com". Retrieved 2016-09-15.
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