While exploring the impact site of a large meteor, the ClueFinders are unexpectedly transported across the galaxy to a far-off planet. Joni and Owen find audience with a beguiling princess while Santiago and Leslie are apparently trapped by a wicked sorceress.  The sorceress threatens the entire planet with destruction and the ClueFinders are the kingdom’s only hope.

The ClueFinders need you! To rescue Leslie and Santiago and save the planet Millennia, Joni and Owen must find the two halves of a missing amulet. As they search the land and rush to free its native peoples, they uncover compelling legends and strange tales. Join the ClueFinders as they collect and use information to save the planet’s inhabitants and themselves.  Getting to the bottom of this mystery will require careful reading, clever problem solving, and courage. The ClueFinders are waiting for you. Are you ready to join them?

Your search for the two halves of the valuable amulet will take you across the entire planet Millennia. There are two regions to explore: the land of the Doldreks and that of the Sorrens. Along the way, you will face challenging problems. Some will provide you with fuel to confront other challenges. Solve others to collect clues that will help you recover the amulet and save the planet Millennia.  As you collect various things - clues, ThermaGems, LavaRocks, amulet halves they will go into Joni’s backpack so you can take them with you. Each item rests in its own pocket. (Each clue pocket holds up to five clues.)

So you’re ready to go! You begin by exploring the Doldrek’s homeland -  the Crystal Caverns, and then continue to the land that the Sorrens occupy -  the Mystic Mountains. As you travel, be on the lookout for information about the things you need to collect, the amulet you need to find, and the history of the planet. And pay close attention! You may learn interesting information that will help you unlock the mystery Millennia hides.  You need to rescue all of the Doldreks and Sorrens who hold clues before you continue to Millennia’s imposing Mount Valdrok for the final portion of your adventure.

Assessment - Start with a Test Drive

The ClueFinders Mystery of The Missing Amulet contains a pre-assessment activity, or "test drive," which customizes the program’s difficulty level for each player. This optional test asks players a series of questions, so it can place players at levels that match their abilities. Activities not suitable for assessment are excluded from the test and usually begin at the first difficulty level.  Each assessment test question is both spoken and displayed. Players can click on LapTrap to have a question repeated. Possible answers to the question cycle until the player chooses an answer by clicking on the horn.

Note: Players must complete the entire pre-assessment activity in order to have their results recorded and used in The ClueFinders Mystery of the Missing Amulet. After completing the test drive, players must sign in as new players to have their results applied to the game.  Assessment results will not be applied if players exit before signing in as new players.  Assessment results will also not affect existing games—ones already in progress before taking the test drive.  If a game customized with assessment results is too difficult or easy for a player, the program will automatically adjust the level up or down to better suit his or her needs and interests. (See Auto-adjusting Skill Levels in the Educational Focus.) A player can also adjust levels manually at any time (See LapTrap in Getting Help.)

Educational Focus
The ClueFinders Mystery of the Missing Amulet builds children’s reading abilities in a rich game world filled with mystery and exploration. It is designed to provide engaging reading experiences that will lead to healthy reading habits.

Reading to Learn
An important change in reading ability takes place during the upper elementary years. At this time, many children shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." They are now better able to use contextual clues to understand new words, and so begin to build vocabulary at an ever increasing pace. With a larger vocabulary, their confidence in their own reading ability increases as well. This allows many children to develop a taste for reading for personal enjoyment as they discover the vast variety of literature available to them.

Auto-adjusting Skill Levels
Each activity in The ClueFinders Mystery of the Missing Amulet has multiple levels, so the program can move from simple to more complex concepts at a pace that suits each player. Players can tackle more challenging problems even if they haven’t mastered all skills or concepts in the program; most skill areas adjust their levels up or down independently from the others, thereby creating a tailored learning experience that addresses each player’s specific needs. The program carefully tracks players’ responses to each level’s activities, using that information to adjust the type of puzzle presented. Users may also choose to adjust the difficulty levels manually.  If players want more practice on a particular puzzle type or content area, they can use Practice Mode. In Practice Mode, players can choose a specific activity and level on which to work.

Problem-Solving Help
In The ClueFinders Mystery of the Missing Amulet, an onscreen character explains each activity. This explanation aims to support players in understanding what they are being asked to do. Often it directs players toward recognizing the different parts of a puzzle on the screen that they may need to use. If users don’t understand the directions the first time, they can hear the directions repeated by clicking on the puzzle character or on the ClueFinders Joni and Owen.  Players can also get help by clicking on the ever-present red video phone. The video phone keeps the four ClueFinders in constant communication. Leslie and Santiago will automatically call when they notice players having difficulty solving a puzzle, or players can click on the red video phone at any time to receive additional support in solving a question or puzzle.

A Personalized Learning Experience

The ClueFinders Mystery of the Missing Amulet uses A.D.A.P.T. Learning Technology. A.D.A.P.T. Learning Technology is a dynamic system that continually adjusts the program to match each player’s growing abilities.  A.D.A.P.T. effectively builds skills, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.

A. Assesses Abilities
A fun activity assesses each player’s skills. It then starts the learning adventure at the right skill level in each program area.

D. Develops Skills
Each activity is tailored to each player’s individual progress.

A. Adjusts Levels
Skill levels are automatically adjusted to match each player’s growing abilities, so learning is always stimulating, never frustrating.

P. Provides Help
The ClueFinders act as personal tutors, offering detailed learning help when needed.

T. Tracks Progress
Every skill is monitored to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. A.D.A.P.T. helps players make progress in the areas they need it most.

Players practice different reading skills in each of the individual activities in The ClueFinders Mystery of the Missing Amulet:

ThermaGems
Players use their vocabulary and logic skills to determine which word in a set of four words doesn’t belong. Players then direct a probe to catch the gem with the word that doesn’t belong.

Ice Breaker—In this arcade-style vocabulary activity, players exercise their familiarity with language as they determine the missing word in a sentence or find a synonym or antonym of a word in the sentence.

Jukebox Jumbler
Players use word definitions to fill in a crossword puzzle. Prefixes and suffixes of the answer words are already filled in to provide focus. This activity helps players develop their spelling and vocabulary skills.

Crystal Gateway and Mystic Gateway
In each of these activities, players decipher clues which they have earned throughout the game to open a door to a secret passageway. Players develop skills in sequencing, following directions, and reading for meaning.

LavaRocks
Players use their vocabulary and logic skills to determine which pair of words in a set of four analogies doesn’t belong. Players then direct a probe to catch the LavaRock with the word pair that doesn’t belong.

Bridge Builder
In this grammar activity, players must determine the part of speech of a particular word in a sentence. The word appears on a block that players must maneuver correctly to form a bridge across a chasm.

Rock Muncher
In this reading comprehension activity, players read passages which give them important information about the planet Millennia. Players then answer questions demonstrating their understanding of what they’ve read. They must determine the main idea or topic of each passage, make inferences, find synonyms, and locate specific details.

Mystic Messages
Players read story passages which have words missing. By using contextual clues to draw conclusions, players must correctly determine and spell the missing words. As each word is correctly filled in, certain letters from the word "magically" appear in a secret message at the bottom of the screen. By using logic skills, players can infer what the message will say and use that knowledge to help determine the missing words above.

Gates of Mount Valdrok
In this strategy activity, players must figure out a secret password by typing it into spaces provided on a locked door. Characters on screen then tell players if any of the letters they entered are in the password and the number of letters in the correct places. This activity helps to build skills in spelling, planning, and logical thinking.

• Explore 10 exciting, interactive activities.
• Build skills in 25+ areas including reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, critical thinking, and more!
• Enjoy four different skill levels that adjust to your child’s abilities and evolve as they learn so kids can play over and over again!
• Access detailed learning help for tips, clues, and suggestions to succeed in the game and in other real-life learning adventures!
• Monitor progress and celebrate achievements with progress reports.