Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) (games)

PREL is creating two role-playing adventure games entitled “Jump into Reading for Meaning” that are intended to help struggling fourth grade readers learn vocabulary and reading strategies. The two games, each of which runs on the handheld Nintendo DS platform, are designed to be played sequentially and together comprise upwards of 60 hours of instruction. The basic premise of the game is that a player, using an assumed identity, chases their lost dog into a world of monsters and eccentric characters, some of whom are friendly, some of who are not. When exploring this world, players engage other characters in a series of challenges requiring them to learn and/or decipher the meaning of new vocabulary. The story advances as they progress, and the challenges build upon what they have learned in earlier encounters. Each of these two games is intended for use in after school SES programs, but might also be used independently.

Targeted Teachers: 4th grade reading teacher in SES programs. JUMP covers vocabulary words and word-learning strategies, especially focused on words used in math, science, and social science.