For those who have not used a Leap Pad it's electronic device that pretty much reads to your kids so you don't have to and even has literacy games and options like sounding out the words, letter recognition and letter pairings so children can hear what they sound like and all the while the parents feel more at ease because the machine is teaching the child to read.
But does it work? Well I can't tell you how well the program works so far since we have only had the things little over 4 days. What I CAN tell you is that the product itself is extremely temperamental. In order to read the books, play the games and sound out the letters one must put a Leap Pad learning cartridge into the console.
Unfortunately the console is very finicky and often won't recognize that there is a cartridge in it. We have two of the consoles and many books and cartridges so I know it isn't a damaged product- they both do it all the time. Telling me that the cartridge inserted isn't a Leap Pad cartridge or that it isn't in there at all when I know for damn certain it is.
In fact they are so touchy my children cannot use them alone.
In the time I get the machine temporarily working for them (because it only takes the pen being knocked accidentally or brushing their finger over the tip to have the console malfunction) I could have read them maybe 4-5 books? Complete with playing a game with the pictures and sounding out letters. I wish I was joking and the only consolation I have is that it wasn't me who purchased them.
So what would I suggest to anyone looking to buy this product? Keep the receipt in case it doesn't work too well.. or better yet spend the money that would have been used to buy the Leap Pad to buy your children books and read to them. You'll have more variety and be certain that those books will work.
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