Brain Pop Jr. Review

            BrainPopJr. (http://www.brainpopjr.com/) is an animated curriculum-based content website.  It appeals to mostly students in kindergarten through third grade.  The site has videos, games, quizzes, and activities for variety of subjects spanning from mathematics and science to reading and writing.  A little girl named Annie and a robot named Moby are the main characters in the videos.  Annie narrates the video and Moby responds to her questions.

            When you enter the site, you can click on a variety of buttons that link you to various subjects or activities.  If you click on a subject, you will be brought to a page of a variety of topics under that subject.  I love the fact that there is a large selection to choose from.  After you click a topic, it will bring you directly to a video.  There is an option to watch the video with subtitles so students may be able to practice their reading skills as they follow along on the video.  On the right side of the video clip, there is a note pad where notes from the video are displayed.  This can enhance note-taking skills within children (most likely 2^nd and 3^rd graders) because it places emphasis on the important information.  At the end of the video, they give you an option to choose a related topic to extend the learning experience.

            At the bottom of the webpage, there are different buttons to extend the lesson or take assessments.  Students and teachers may test their knowledge by clicking on either a hard or easy quiz.  There is a word wall activity where virtual index cards of vocabulary words are posted on a wall.  When you click on the index card, it automatically flips over and shows you the definition.  A voice reads it aloud as well, just in case a child has a hard time reading the word.

                Another aspect I enjoy about the website is that it caters to people with different intelligences.  Students may draw, write, read, or talk about the information learned on the website.  Students may draw what they understand on the online paint tablet.  They can write essays to different writing prompts about the topic.  The website lists books related to the topics.  Students may also talk about the given prompts.

            One of the disadvantages of the website is that it is a pay site.  Families pay $85 a year.  Schools, homeschooling families, and other organizations pay more.  There are a few videos that are available for free.

            What I enjoy about BrainPopJr. is that children can navigate the site themselves.  It is also a very interactive website. Students may watch videos and take short quizzes afterward.  The graphics are perfect for young children.  The colors are vibrant and it really brings life to the characters.  I am subscribed to their website and I think it was worth the investment.  Even if I only have the subscription for a year, I have learned a lot about different content.  I believe it is a great website for teachers to look at and explore in greater depth.