Cheap LeapFrog Explorer Learning Game: LeapSchool Reading (works

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We bought this game for my daughter's sixth birthday. She is an early reader and is very eager to read and play reading games. After ten minutes of playing the game, she told me that she had not played any reading games yet. After she went to bed, I played the entire game (as my newborn slept in my arms). This is what I found:

A. There are many characters that get introduced and there is a predetermined sequence to the quests (which are short games). Each character has his/her own game. As you complete these short games more characters and year book photos become unlocked.

B. There are five main themes to the games

1. Games where you need to aim at a target with a moving obstacle in the way. Example, mini golf type games where the windmill is the obstacle. The object in the way is very slow and there is not much of a challenge to these games.

2. wack a mole type games where you need to touch the animals as quick as possible. One of the many characters is a magician and you need to tap the hat when it wiggles to find the frog (only place where there is magic). There is a degree of challenge because you need to be pretty quick towards the end.

3. Slicing games: wood, paper, or eggs move across the screen and you need to slice the objects in half.

4. Get the object to land between 2 points; you need to bring the stylus back the correct amount to send it flying with the goal to land between 2 points. I found these games frustrating because the unit did not always register my activity.

5. Reading games These games are very few but are good games when you do encounter them. Also, when you finish a reading game it does ask the question, "Do you want to play again?"

I played the game straight through and kept accepting the next quest. I found out later, as you complete quests you unlock photos in the "year book" section. When you click on the photos, they all look blank. The photos are like a scratch card with a picture underneath. There are three characters in each picture with their names on the bottom of the page. You need to match the name tag to the correct character.

In a nutshell: I completed the quest games in maybe an hour. Of that hour, only about 10 minutes involved games with reading or letter recognition. I did not find a way to select just reading games. After completing the games, it took about 8 minutes (being generous) to match the name tags to the characters. Players can go to the photo section anytime and scratch the pictures they have unlocked.

Our goal was to purchase a game with a focus on reading which is why I gave it a 2. I do feel that we will find use for the game in other ways:

1. In the car, my daughter was frustrated with moving Tinker Bell through some gears and felt she was no good. Her confidence was immediately restored with this Leap School Reading game because the games are short and after each game they give you very positive feedback. Within moments she responded, "I am good at this."

2. Leap School Reading may be a good learning tool for my almost three year old. Not with the focus of reading but rather how to use the stylus in different ways.

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There are lots of things you do in this game.

You have to match letters that are facing the correct way. You have to tap on Hats when they wiggle, you learn about Cause and Effect, Counting and searching for things. There is plenty to keep the kid interested with several different characters that get introduced.

My daughter who is 6 and is in Kindergarten really enjoys this.

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My 3 year old daughter loves this game. She's been glued to it since she got it 10 days ago, and has most of it completed. All of the Explorer games are well made and very educational.

Honest reviews on LeapFrog Explorer Learning Game: LeapSchool Reading (works

Most of this game consists of listening to characters introduce themselves or playing games that involve cutting objects in half with the stylus or tapping objects, and only a few games involve any word recognition. I am extremely disappointed in the amount of educational content, and I think the name of the game is misleading.

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Previous 2 star reviewer hit it right on the head. Lots of mini games with mostly easy speed and coordination games and one out of every 4 games in the sequence are "educational" as far as reading goes. Yes you can read some stuff while setting up the mini games but there is also a narrator so its not that educational. My 6 year old is a VERY good reader (reading 100 page chapter books in 3 days or less now) so this has no educational value to him. His younger brother (will be 4 in a month) has little interest in the leappad so far. My 6 year old played this game once in the 6 months he has had it. I played it today and found it to be LAME. They watched me play the game so maybe it sparked some interest? Get puzzled is by far my 6 year olds FAVORITE game.