Join me every week for Win-It Wednesday, with 24-hour giveaways just for you!
Leap Frog products have always been a part of our family, beginning with our first copy of The Letter Factory that we watched over and over with our first son eight years ago. I say first copy because it became so well worn that we actually had to purchase a new copy to replace it! So when I heard about the new SmartyAnts curriculum that’s been developed by the founders of Leap Frog, I was very interested in giving it a try.
The SmartyAnts system consists of an interactive website and a companion SmartyAnts Phonics Reading Pup that reinforces the lessons taught on the website in a fun and engaging way minus the computer, allowing children to practice the reading skills they’re currently working on any time, any place.
We received the white SmartyAnts Phonics Reading Pup to give the system a try, and my four-year-old daughter immediately fell in love with him. He’s very fluffy and cute and surprisingly cuddly and soft for something that has mechanical parts housed inside. He comes ready for fun, preloaded with 10 songs designed to help teach your child the alphabet, letter sounds, phonics, word building, and rhyming.
I decided to let my daughter just get to know the Reading Pup for several days before introducing the online aspect, and he quickly became a constant companion. But when I showed her the SmartyAnts website and how it complements the dog, that was when the real fun began. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, but the site showed me just how much I was underestimating what my daughter was capable of. I was under the impression that she was still working on her lower case letters and sounds, but she breezed through those right into the four-letter words level!
The SmartyAnts website is very cute and really draws your child in with activities that seem like play on the surface but are really teaching them valuable skills all the while. My daughter just devoured all of this and asks to play frequently. And the best part is that you can download new files to the Reading Pup that reinforce these skills during free time.
The SmartyAnts Phonics Reading Pup retails for just $29.99, and I fully expect him to be one of the hottest toys this holiday season. Included in the box is one SmartyAnts Phonics Reading Pup (choose husky or white pup), USB cable, parent guide, and one-month membership to SmartyAnts Web site.
One lucky Deal Seeking Mom reader will win a Phonics Reading Pup with a 1-year subscription to SmartyAnts.com!
+++++++++++++++
If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please CLICK HERE to visit the original blog post to enter. Email entries will not be counted.
Want to win a one year subscription to Smarty Ants, as well as a Phonics Reading Pup? Just leave me a comment here, before 9pm on November 22nd, telling me about the fun ways you and your little ones have discovered learning how to read.
Prize:
(1) SmartyAnts.com Phonics Reading Pup and 1-year Subscription
This giveaway ends at 9:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, 11/22 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. I’ll use Comment Contest to select the winning comment. Winner will be notified by email and listed on my Giveaway Winners page. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize. Good luck!
While you’re in a contest entering mood, don’t forget to check out the Giveaway Gathering for a variety of contests being hosted on Deal Seeking Mom readers’ blogs!
Disclosure: I received a Phonics Reading Pup and a one-year subscription to SmartyAnts.com to review for this post.
Jacky
My daughter likes to sit in my lap and watch the words on the page while I read to her.
Brenda Burkett
Have two grandkids that would love it!!
Tabitha Eden
We read twice a day. My son loves to pick out which books he wants that day. It’s so cool to watch him make decisions!
Brittney
Me and me daughter act out the book we are reading, and she really enjoy’s it and get’s into it, it keeps her attention longer than just trying to sit down and read a book, we have so much fun!
Stacey
I have 2 kids- 3 & almost 2 yr old that love to learn. We enjoy reading books, watching youtube videos about letters, and try to work on a letter of the week.
Danielle
I allow my boys to pick what stories they want me to read to them and also they both have a Tag reading system as well as leap pads to get them interested in reading.
Kris
My son is starting to use the Tag reader we got him last year and he’s having lots of fun with the activities!
Lindsay
We read together every day! My 5 year old daughter is now addicted to audiobooks, too!
Michele
Lots of books that are read together, in subjects the kids want to read about.
Rachel
This is so cute! My 4 year old is just learning the basics of reading. My 8 year old always hated reading until I came up with the idea of role play! So now he loves to read and act out the book!! I’m so glad I found something to get him interested in reading because he would fail all the reading test in school. Now he makes A’s on all of them!!
Michelle
My son just turned 3, he knows a few letters but thats about the extent of his ‘reading’ skills. I plan on putting him in pre-school next year and this toy sounds like it would be a fun way for him to get ready for it! We have a few LeapFrog toys and movies, I just love them all!!
Shana Segat
My son would love this pup! Right now he reads a lot with his Tag Jr. Xander loves to sing songs too!
Josee
We’ve been reading together and as I’m telling the story, I will change the description of something… for example, the purple dress, I might say the green dress. Then I’ll ask my toddlers… do you like her green dress? And they usually giggle and say “that’s not green, that’s purple!”. I love reading to them and teaching them.
Lara
We read multiple stories to our kids each day. We work on sight words, and when we come to one in a story, our kids say the word. We also use story time to teach phonics and sounding words out. The more often we read a story, the less and less words I am having to read and they are starting to recognize. We also use a lot of voice inflection, funny faces, and motions to make them giggle and really enjoy the time we spend reading.
Margo
We have made learning to read fun with our Tag system.
Jakie Mundell
I read to my nephew everytime I see him. He loves stories!
Alicia C.
When my oldest was around 3, we played games with signs in the windows of the stores we passed. He’d guess what it said and then I told him. Eventually, I found he was reading the signs and telling me. Though, he didn’t want me to know – he wanted me to think he was just really good at guessing!
My 2 y.o. is already interested in the names and sounds of the alphabet. Hopefully he’ll keep that curiosity!
ohmiss14(at)yahoo.com
Megan
This looks so cute! I would love to win this for my son!
Teri
My little one is still in-utero, but I’m also teacher by trade, so I can’t wait to start reading to my little-one (actually we already have!!)
Jennifer Hokanson
Post it notes on items around the house! And whole family read read read!!
Darlene Arnold
I am working with my granddaughter (she is 3) with the Tag Jr. Reading set. I’m not sure if she is memorizing more than learning to read, but she has several pages down. This would be fun to try.
Michelle Cruz
We read throughout the day and my daughter absolutely loves the Leap Frog videos….by watching The Letter Factory over and over she has her sounds mastered and we are now working on sight words.
E Simpson
My daughter just turned 4 and we have a bunch of different toys and games that are helping her learn to read, but almost anything can be turned into a fun reading exercise. We do a lot of reading signs when we’re driving around.
Nicci O
Looks great! My daughters are just learning to read…perfect timing!
Jennifer M
My son loves the leapfrog tag books, we use that currently to help him recognize words
Christina J.
This would be a great gift for my daughter for Christmas!
Margaret
I am still very traditional. Our family simply reads together every night to at least get the routine–even if not everyone pays attention.
Melissa Roach
My 21 month old daughter & I love to read…everyday we grab several books – hard back, soft cover, boardbooks, magazines, newspapers & more and read! Even though I know she isn’t reading just yet, I know that she is learning the basic concepts of reading…left to right, being gentle with the pages, looking at the pictures for clues, etc. I love knowing that she is learning everyday simply by doing something that she loves to do!
Dara
I don’t have kids yet, but I’d love to win this for my nephew and use it with him!
Amy P
we read all the time in our house..I have 2 elementary kids that have to read for homework every night and a little girl that just loves books..