EthiopianFood Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Has anyone used these to teach letters, numbers, shapes, etc.? Opinions? http://www.preschoolprepco.com/h/p/mtl/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Never used those, but the LeapFrog DVD's are great for teaching letters and numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoHomeschooler Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 We have Meet the Sight Words and Meet the Colors. My dd4 likes to watch them, mostly the color one. She is finally learning her colors. The Leap Frog DVD's are great. At least Talking Letter Factory and Talking Word Factory are good. My daughter caught on to letters and sounds really quickly with the Letter Factory. The other ones in the series aren't as good, but she still will watch them. The "plot" gets a bit more complicated, and I think it interferes with what they are trying to teach. They are all annoying from a parental perspective, but I have more tolerance for the Leap Frog ones than I do for the Meet the...series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I watched the demo, and didn't like it. Then I remembered we have, Meet the Sight Words, don't like it either. But the 3 Leap Frog DVDs mentioned above? Outstanding! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 We have Meet the Colors and Meet the Shapes. DD knew her colors and shapes by her second birthday in July. Probably says more about how much I let her watch them, than about how good they are, lol. She enjoys them and specifically asks for them. They drive me crazy. We have Letter FActory, but she doesn't request it like the "Meet the.." shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiopianFood Posted October 13, 2009 Author Share Posted October 13, 2009 Hmm. :( I was specifically trying to avoid insipid television programs. The characters look less obnoxious than the ones in the Leap Frog DVDs, which was why I was hoping the shows themselves were better. I'll see if I can view a clip somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Hmm. :( I was specifically trying to avoid insipid television programs. The characters look less obnoxious than the ones in the Leap Frog DVDs, which was why I was hoping the shows themselves were better. I'll see if I can view a clip somewhere. WEll, let me give you an example. In Meet the Colors, the first character is Yellow. She is a yellow circle and she says "yellow" about 15 times while jumping into various settings emphasizing something that is the color yellow. There is no dialog at all. Just the names of the colors. Same with Meet the Shapes. So yeah, it's probably as insipid as it gets, but I'm guessing maybe not the way you were suggesting, lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoHomeschooler Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Hmm. :( I was specifically trying to avoid insipid television programs. The characters look less obnoxious than the ones in the Leap Frog DVDs, which was why I was hoping the shows themselves were better. I'll see if I can view a clip somewhere. Well, the characters may *look* less obnoxious, but the videos themselves consist of saying the name of the color over and over, while showing different pictures of said color. Same with the Sight Words. Just repetition. Leap Frog goes through a story line with the characters, and offers explanations for some of the "why's" of putting letters together to make words, etc. My daughter had the alphabet and sounds nailed after watching Letter Factory a few times. I don't think the same would have happened if I had used Meet the Alphabet. The videos just aren't as engaging, and my daughter frequently won't even finish watching a Meet the... video. I think maybe for younger kiddos, like 1-3, they may be more interesting, along the lines of Baby Einstein, when they can't follow as much dialog. Another video I liked, but this goes back to insipid TV shows perhaps, is the Sesame Street Alphabet video. I had one on VHS, and it was old school Sesame Street, from the 70's. It had fun songs and stories about the alphabet and helped with letter recognition. We unfortunately lost it during a hospital stay, and searched high and low daily for that thing. I should just bite the bullet and buy the DVD. For learning letter sounds, though, I don't think you can beat Leap Frog. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 The characters look less obnoxious than the ones in the Leap Frog DVDs Tad? Leap? Lilly? Obnoxious? Really? I think these videos are pretty cute. And are an outstanding educational resource. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoHomeschooler Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 http://www.amazon.com/Young-Minds-Numbers-Counting-Tutor/dp/B002H5HYVE/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t This video sounds pretty good for number recognition and counting. I may get it, as my daughter is not yet able to recognize numbers, although she can count to 20. It would meet your criteria for avoiding TV program-like videos, but sounds much more engaging than the Meet the...series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoHomeschooler Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Tad? Leap? Lilly? Obnoxious? Really? I think these videos are pretty cute. And are an outstanding educational resource. Bill Heh, my daughter's name is Lily, so she *loves* that one of the characters has the same name as her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiopianFood Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 Tad? Leap? Lilly? Obnoxious? Really? I think these videos are pretty cute. And are an outstanding educational resource. Bill I'm sure I'll break down and get them, but Bill, they have their own product line! PRODUCT LINE!! :glare: I don't like cartoons at ALL for kids, so I'm a little extreme, I suppose. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I'm sure I'll break down and get them, but Bill, they have their own product line! PRODUCT LINE!! :glare: I don't like cartoons at ALL for kids, so I'm a little extreme, I suppose. ;) I'm not enamored of cartoons either, especially ones with "product lines." And it pains me to recommend videos to teach little ones. But, when all is said and done, the Leapfrog Videos really are brilliant. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Heh, my daughter's name is Lily, so she *loves* that one of the characters has the same name as her. Lily is a very pretty name :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiopianFood Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 I'm not enamored of cartoons either, especially ones with "product lines." And it pains me to recommend videos to teach little ones. But, when all is said and done, the Leapfrog Videos really are brilliant. Bill You don't think giving a child animated videos will make them start liking that sort of thing, if they otherwise would not be watching them? Isn't learning from books supposed to be the "right" way? There are so many recommendations for the Leap Frog videos here, so I trust that they are good. Are most people just not as anti-television (for kids...:glare:) as I am? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 You don't think giving a child animated videos will make them start liking that sort of thing, if they otherwise would not be watching them? Isn't learning from books supposed to be the "right" way? There are so many recommendations for the Leap Frog videos here, so I trust that they are good. Are most people just not as anti-television (for kids...:glare:) as I am? I'll grant the risk of a "gateway" effect. If you 100% don't want your children watching TV or DVDs, then these might be a poor choice. That would go for the "Meet the..." series too. And yes, I think children should learn from books. I am not a fan of TV for children. However, if one is going to allow some TV watching, these videos do a wonderful job of teaching young children about letter recognition and beginning phonics. They are clever, and very educational. I honestly couldn't recommend them more highly. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoHomeschooler Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 You don't think giving a child animated videos will make them start liking that sort of thing, if they otherwise would not be watching them? Isn't learning from books supposed to be the "right" way? There are so many recommendations for the Leap Frog videos here, so I trust that they are good. Are most people just not as anti-television (for kids...:glare:) as I am? Well, this is confusing because you were asking for reviews on a specific video series. It wasn't like you were asking for books to teach letters/numbers, and we were recommending videos instead :001_huh: Ideally, yes, books would be the way to go. Realistically, well, your mileage may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiopianFood Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 Well, this is confusing because you were asking for reviews on a specific video series. It wasn't like you were asking for books to teach letters/numbers, and we were recommending videos instead :001_huh: Ideally, yes, books would be the way to go. Realistically, well, your mileage may vary. Oh, I was just asking his opinion (and anyone else's, really). I really battle with this. I don't want her to watch any tv, but at the very least, I will need to do DVDs if I want to help her learn Spanish as well as possible in a home that only speaks English. As for teaching phonics, colors, whatever, I know for a fact that books with "work." But being the overachiever that I am, I am curious to see if DVDs will help dd learn these things faster (she already knows some, but it's not happening overnight, not that it matters). Philisophically, I also wonder what makes a Leap Frog DVD acceptable, rather than "twaddle." Is it an inconsistency that people are willing to live with, or am I missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Philisophically, I also wonder what makes a Leap Frog DVD acceptable, rather than "twaddle." Is it an inconsistency that people are willing to live with, or am I missing something? I don't believe they are "twaddle." The Leapfrog Videos IMO are a very effective learning tool that uses songs, stories and animation to (in an inventive and creative fashion) teach letters and phonics. They are another way to learn. And I'm very impressed with their efficacy. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiopianFood Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 I don't believe they are "twaddle." The Leapfrog Videos IMO are a very effective learning tool that uses songs, stories and animation to (in an inventive and creative fashion) teach letters and phonics. They are another way to learn. And I'm very impressed with their efficacy. Bill Thanks for your opinion. I requested it from the library, so we will see how it goes. She really does enjoy learning letter sounds, for some reason. Of course, then she won't be ready to start blending for another two long years, and I will curse the day I decided to teach this stuff early for no good reason. But that will be a future post. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5ray2006 Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 We have Meet the Colors and Meet the Numbers. The dvd's are OK. They get the job done. :) I'm going to also purchase Meet the Shapes. My 3.5 dd loves the dvd's. I wouldn't personally use them for letter/sound recognition. We are using Starfall and Leapfrog's Letter Factory dvd for that. I also purchased the new DVD called Let's Go to School from Leapfrog. Now, I really like that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoHomeschooler Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Oh, I was just asking his opinion (and anyone else's, really). I really battle with this. I don't want her to watch any tv, but at the very least, I will need to do DVDs if I want to help her learn Spanish as well as possible in a home that only speaks English. As for teaching phonics, colors, whatever, I know for a fact that books with "work." But being the overachiever that I am, I am curious to see if DVDs will help dd learn these things faster (she already knows some, but it's not happening overnight, not that it matters). Philisophically, I also wonder what makes a Leap Frog DVD acceptable, rather than "twaddle." Is it an inconsistency that people are willing to live with, or am I missing something? Ok, gotcha. Well, I don't think allowing a few dvd's to help with certain concepts is necessarily an inconsistency. I think we, as parental educators, help our children learn in the ways we find the most helpful to them. We seek to acquire the tools to give them a really good, well rounded education. A dvd with catchy songs and cute characters can be one of those tools. You can't fix everything in your house with a hammer, and often find that you need more than one tool to get a job done. I think the same is often true when helping children learn. You need a few different tools, sometimes, to get the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkermamaof4 Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 my kids watch zero tv shows. we don't have a tv in our living area and don't get cable. but we want educational dvd's that can teach better or faster than i can. we enjoy many, like moody science videos, magic school bus (although we own and love to read the books too)... i taught 3 of my kids to read before hearing about leap frog videos from a friend. i borrowed her dvd and I kid you not, my youngest ds knew his letter sounds from a to z after watching that dvd 2 times. 2. i could not believe it. amazing. i only wish they had one to teach multiplication :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I also purchased the new DVD called Let's Go to School from Leapfrog. Now, I really like that one! I almost bought this at Costco last night, but it made me nervous because the plot of the show seems to be a kid being nervous about going to school. I have had problems with videos teaching my kids to be shy, so this made me nervous, not to mention I don't want them to get all excited about going to school!;) Is that a large focus of the video? Or should I be nervous? :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5ray2006 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I almost bought this at Costco last night, but it made me nervous because the plot of the show seems to be a kid being nervous about going to school. I have had problems with videos teaching my kids to be shy, so this made me nervous, not to mention I don't want them to get all excited about going to school!;) Is that a large focus of the video? Or should I be nervous? :tongue_smilie: Funny, I bought this from Costco as well. I don't think you should be nervous about the dvd teaching your dc to be shy. The dvd spends the first few minutes talking about Tad and Lily being nervous about the first day of preschool. Their magical friend takes them on a tour of the classroom and Tad and Lily realize how much fun they are going to have in preschool learning about numbers, letters and other things. There are a lot of cute songs and of course the quality of the dvd is great. I would like to mention that if you don't want your dc getting excited about going to preschool than maybe it isn't for you. We personally don't have an issue with that b/c we do afterschool and my 3 yo will be attending preschool in January 2 days per week. HTH, Trina :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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