In some content areas, such as counting and geometry, James Discovers Math can successfully complement the many experiences that young children need working with actual physical objects. In other content areas, the kinds of experiences this program offers may be less effective. For instance, in an activity called Measurement, children have the computer line up a set of on-screen pencils to measure the length of various creatures. James Discovers Math offers such a wide range in terms of structure, design, and content, it's likely that most children will find something that appeals to them. Since there is no time pressure, children can work collaboratively or with an adult, and there's plenty of time to discuss and compare ideas and solutions.
Some activities allow children to set their own level of challenge.
Many of the activities are designed so that children can approach them with a variety of strategies. A couple of the activities, such as Blocks, discussed above, preclude use of a variety of strategies. This can be frustrating for some learners, especially if the required strategy is not the one they use, or is too simplistic for them. Many of the activities contain no characters, so gender and ethnicity issues are largely avoided. This is unlikely to present a difficulty for United States children, but initially, children unfamiliar with this accent may need to listen more carefully than they might otherwise.