What makes ABC Mouse unique is the way in which kids are on a learning path without knowing they are. When I first started using ABC Mouse with my kids, I wondered how the app would guide them through things so they were not getting bored with things they already knew how to do and not being overwhelmed by things that were beyond their abilities.

It is amazing to watch how the ABC Mouse app keeps them on the proper learning path no matter what the subject matter. With over 9000 activities contained in the app, there is little chance your kids will find the same activity twice, although my kids have found things they like that they keep coming back to.

The app guides your kids through 10 levels. The levels are based roughly on their age but really are as much based on their performance as anything else. In short, they need to accomplish something at one level before moving on to the next.

As a parent, and especially as a parent of more than one child, this means that you do not need to search through the app to find something that is age and ability appropriate for each of your kids…the app does that for you.

As with any learning app, the activities can be broken down into basic subjects.

Reading and language

Let's start this ABC Mouse Review with the great part of ABC Mouse and reading:

The app contains over 450 books for kids

Now I know you could put a bunch of traditional books on a shelf so maybe that number is not that impressive, but I think that kids are more likely to do something like this when it is on a tablet or computer. So if you want to read a book at bedtime, just pull up the tablet and read. There is also a choice of books that are self-read, that is to say, the app reads the books.

This is not done in some goofy computer voice, it is pre-recorded by an actual human. The words are highlighted as the story goes so kids can read along with the narration.

One thing I have been doing lately is having my kids read sight-word stories to help them with this since this is something that is really being highlighted at school. A perfect example of how the app can complement their school studies.

In addition, ABC Mouse works to:

• Teach kids about upper and lower case
• Teach them phonics
• Teach them about rhyming words as well as word families
• Teach kids about sentence structure
• Teach kids about parts of speech.
• The ABC mouse reading curriculum really does teach the entire spectrum of the things early readers need to learn.

Math

My kids love math games because math lends itself so well to games. They learn to recognize numbers, to add and subtract, to problem solve to win games.

The ABC Mouse Math curriculum teaches kids:

• How to recognize and count numbers from 1-120
• The Base Ten system
• Place Values
• Addition and Subtraction
• The names and attributes of both 2D and 3D shapes
• Things like length, time and (gulp) money management
• Things like length, time and (gulp) money management

I cannot tell you how many times a day my kids will tell me that A+B=C. And you know what? They are usually right. You can then follow that up with another question to see if they know that as well.

I can tell that my kids are not just memorizing, they are logically deducing why 2+2=4. Again this learning is in lock-step with what they are already learning at school so ABC Mouse is doing a great job of reinforcing what they are learning.

Science

An often overlooked part of a kid's education, science is something that truly fascinates my kids. ABC Mouse does a great job of teaching kids about:

• The body and your health
• All manner of plants and animals
• Weather and the climate
• The environments of the earth
• Maps and how they work
• Parts of the United States
• The Solar system
• Matter and its properties

So how do I know my kids love this? I cannot tell you how many questions I get like "so what happens when the sun stops burning" or "where is the earth?"

The best part about this part of ABC Mouse is the curiosity it brings out in my kids. Science is the type of thing they can see and touch every day so it is easy for them to get excited about this knowledge. That point cannot be stressed enough as part of this ABC Mouse Review.

Arts and colors

My youngest is obsessed with painting and art. So since ABC Mouse has a bunch of art games, well suffice to say I find him in there all the time. The ABC Mouse app teaches kids about:

• Primary and secondary colors
• Color shades
• How to paint-by-number
• Number and letter dot-to-dots

As you can see this is more than just art but is also teaching things like math and reading as part of the art curriculum. Maybe the best part? There is no messy paint and brushes to clean up after they are done.

I am not suggesting this should be their only art project because having a pencil and paper in hand and doing art is incredibly valuable. Once again, ABC Mouse acts as a great supplement.

Bringing it all together

So as a parent you can track your kid's progress in the app. Remember that this is not meant to be some sort of "pass/fail" type of endeavor for you or your kids. It is a way to help your kids get the best education possible.

For the kid, they get the reward of "tickets" as the accomplish things in the app. They can then take the tickets to buy new outfits for their character in the game and the like.

I am amazed that something that simple can be so motivating, especially when you have two kids that are "competing" with each other.

ABC Mouse does not take the place of a quality education that both you and your kid's teachers provide. What it does offer is a great and fun way to supplement your kid's education in a way that not only teaches them the basics, but teaches them in the HOW and WHY that they are learning on the app.