Summer is in full swing, full of sun and fun, and of course the summer slide. As much as parents don’t want to hear about it, but over the summer your kids can lose a lot of what they learned in the previous year by not having a consistent learning schedule. There are a lot of ways to prevent the loss of learning, and this summer we’re using STEM and STEAM products to do just that.
This month LeapFrog released their newest innovation in learning – LeapStart! It’s a workbook style reading system that pairs educational books, games and even music in an interactive reading system. The LeapStart comes in two different levels, and has books for kids from toddler to 1st grade (and slightly beyond). LeapFrog sent the LeapFrog Ambassadors our own LeapStart to play with and a selection of books to get started.
Goonie is in his summer between first and second grade, and absolutely loves to read. While there are trips to the library and plenty of educational toys around, sometimes you need something else. We had a last minute family trip, and wanted to make sure that Goonie was not only entertained, but a toy that we would approve of. Right before the trip, the LeapStart had arrived. Some of the books included are a bit too young for him, but there were several right up his alley – science, animals and even math! We were thankful for the ear phone jack on the unit, that helped keep his games to himself while we were driving.
It didn’t take Goonie but a couple minutes to figure out how to use the LeapStart system. We connected the book and made sure it was on the system, and he powered on and was ready to play. The pen can help make noises related to the story, spell out words or even read them. And the best, parts – it’s rechargeable and you can load multiple books! The back does have a slot where you can slide an extra book in for later. In between plays, everything stores inside the unit and can be closed away like a book. With a variety of books and levels, your child can enjoy learning to read in a fun way with the LeapFrog LeapStart! We’re huge fans of the Science and Math books, and can’t wait to expand our LeapStart library for Goonie and his friend.
The LeapStart is now available on Amazon, and is a great resource to help keep your kid entertained but also prevent the summer slide!
