Publisher: The Learning Company

Platform: PC  

Release Date: 1989

Description

 "The first game in the series taught language arts, featuring a variety of simple games designed to teach schoolchildren basic reading and spelling skills."

-Wikipedia

Game Walkthrough

 Reader Rabbit provides a variety of games from which the player can choose. In sorter, the player must sort words based on the letters in the word. If a word has the selected letter in the correct position, the player moves it to the left; if not, the player discards the word.  In labeler, players must label objects by placing letters under the correct picture.  In word train, the player must select the word with two letters in the same place as the previous word.  In the matchup games, must find cards that go together through memorization

Playthrough 

Game Objectives

 Each game has its own objective.  The player wants to find five correct words without making any mistakes to collect all five carrots.  In labeler, the player simply must label the objects.  The player wants to make as long of a train as possible in word train.  In the matchup games, the player finds all of the pairs.

Educational Objectives

Reader Rabbit aims to help young children starting to learn how to read improve their reading skills through simple word exercises. There are no explanations of how to use each game to develop reading skills in the game, so it is somewhat unclear how each game is meant to teach reading.

Motivational Elements     

The motivational elements of each Reader Rabbit game are simple, but effective for children.  In sorter, carrots are rewarded for every word correctly sorted and if all five carrots are collected the rabbit will do a short dance.

In labeler, a bunny jumps across the tops of the objects once everything has been labeled properly.

In word train, more correct words result in a longer train pulling out of the station.

In the matchup games and labeler, multiple sets of objects can be selected with which to play the games allowing a player to choose either a set that he likes better or a set with which he needs to improve.

Educational Outcomes

Reader Rabbit works as a fun tool to help a child’s reading skills progress. However, the game is very limited in the amount a child can advance from working with it and a fair portion of the progress through the game will depend on the parental involvement supporting the teaching aspects of the game. The games themselves actually teach little more than object and character recognition. Parents can supplement the game by making their children truly focus on the words, having them sound words out in addition to just the visual recognition needed for the games. Also, every word in the game is exactly three letters long further limiting the usefulness of the game. In the end, Reader Rabbit can be great for getting kids excited about reading, but is very limited in what it actually teaches.