PebbleGo
© 2009 Capstone Publishing
This online picture encyclopedia for beginning readers is designed to supplement a traditional science K-2 science curriculum. It is well-designed, but limited in management options. It makes it easy for children to independently explore a topic of interest, in this case animals, while applying skills such as reading and classification. Content includes 200 articles covering all sorts of animals -- including dinosaurs (as of May 2009) -- correlated to the life science standards for each state. Each article can be read aloud or printed, making it possible for a nonreader to have a successful experience. For example, for the brachiosaurus entry, there are tabs for food, habitat, behavior and fun facts. The menu uses read-aloud icons, and it is always easy to escape to the main menu; a hallmark of good design. Other than the ability to monitor general use statistics, there were no features (that we could find) to let you follow individual children. PebbleGo is available on a subscription basis for $395/year for access from school or home. Learn more at www.pebblego.com.
$395, Windows, Mac OSX
Teaches: science, animals, habitats, reading, research
CTR Rating: 84%