Chalkboard

The Chalkboard is an activity in JumpStart Kindergarten (1994) and JumpStart Kindergarten (1997) designed to teach listening comprehension.

Description
Hopsalot will read a sentence out loud, and the player has to recreate the sentence by clicking on the correct pictures. Click on the speaker to hear what Hopsalot said again.

In the 1994 version, there are always five columns with five pictures, for a total of 25 pictures. In the 1997 version, the amount of columns depends on the difficulty level.

It also contains a mode in which players may create their own sentences.

1994 version
(This list concerns which part of the sentence is in which color of chalk.)

Column One (Subject) (orange) Column Two (Verb in past tense) (purple) Column Three (Adjective that describes the object, and with indefinite article) (yellow) Column Four (Object; This is column three on level 1) (blue) Column Five (Prepositional phrase, specifically relating to where something happens) (green)
 * Mom, Dad, My teacher, My sister, My brother
 * stepped on, hugged, smiled at, played with, tickled
 * a hairy, a weird (misspelled as "wierd"), an ugly, a goofy, a smelly
 * monster, sheep, dog, duck, pig
 * in the classroom., in an airplane., at the beach., in the bathtub., in a tree.

1997 version
Column One Column Two Column Three Column Four Column Five
 * My Mom, My Dad, My friend, The king, The queen
 * ran after, tickled, played with, smiled at, hugged
 * a scared, a smelly, a shaggy, a sad, an angry
 * monster, elephant, clown, prince, dog
 * in the classroom., at the circus., in a castle., in the jungle., in the bathtub.

1998 version

 * Level 1: There are three columns for a total of fifteen pictures.
 * Level 2: There are four columns for a total of twenty pictures.
 * Level 3: There are five columns for a total of twenty-five pictures.

1994 version
Building sentences

From the classroom, click on the chalkboard to build sentences. This activity teaches sentence structure and also tests oral comprehension and memory skills. There are two ways to use this activity. If you click on Mr. Hopsalot he will read a sentence to you. Begin at the left of the chalkboard by matching the proper noun which began Mr. Hopsalot's sentence. Click on the object if you think it is correct. If you need help, click on Mr. Hopsalot again. Do this for the verb, the adjective, and the prepositional phrase in each column (from left to right on the chalkboard). When you have assembled the sentence, Mr. Hopsalot will repeat it and present an award animation. Another way to play with this activity is to create your own sentences by clicking on one picture from each column. Click on the speaker icon on the right of the chalkboard to hear the sentences read aloud to you.

Object
There's something special about Hopsalot's Chalkboard. With his special chalk, you can make lots of silly sentences!

Help Hopsalot build a sentence.

 * Click on Mr. Hopsalot and listen carefully to a sentence.
 * Click on the symbols on the board to build the sentence.
 * To select another sentence, click on Hopsalot again!
 * Complete 4 sentences to win a star.

Build your own sentence.

 * Click on the symbols in any order to make your own sentence.
 * Then, click on the speaker to hear Hopsalot read your sentence to you! You won't earn any stars this way, but it sure is fun.

Levels
Level 1 - sentences are composed of Subject, Verb, and Object.

Level 2 - sentences include Adjectives.

Level 3 - sentences include Adjectives and a prepositional phrase.

Educational Benefits
Your child will practice building sentences, listening skills, and memory skills.