Vtech Phonics Reading Center Owners Manual

2014-11-12

: Vtech Vtech-Phonics-Reading-Center-Owners-Manual-109591 vtech-phonics-reading-center-owners-manual-109591 vtech pdf

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Dear Parent,

You know how important reading is to your child’s future. If your child can

read, your child can do anything. That’s because reading is the foundation

upon which all fundamental learning is built. A good beginning is absolutely

essential.

That is why VTech designed the Fundamentals of Reading product line to

help your child develop language skills, the skills crucial to learning how to

read. Our age-appropriate activities will help your child feel successful

every step of the way. In fact, we provide three levels of reading progres-

sion to help your child move from a beginning reader, to a growing reader,

and finally to an advancing reader. Our curriculum begins with letters, let-

ter sounds, and letter formation all the way through vowels, consonants,

word recognition - even full sentences. With the Fundamentals of Reading

product line, children think they’re playing, but they’re actually learning.

So their confidence grows, their self-esteem grows and their appetite for

learning grows, too.

How Can You Help?

You’ve already started by showing you’re interested in your child’s reading

development. By being a good role model, your child should see you read

books, magazines and newspapers. Of course, there are other sources in-

cluding billboards, grocery lists, recipes and street signs. What’s most im-

portant is that reading is a fun, interactive experience that should be shared

with your child daily.

We encourage you to play the activities in the Fundamentals of Reading

product line together. You’ll see first hand what progress your child is mak-

ing. Children love positive reinforcement so praise your child’s achieve-

ments. As your child embarks on the road to learning, he or she will en-

counter challenges. This is a natural part of the learning process. Please be

patient and if your child needs help, be sure to provide it. Have fun. Re-

member, learning to read isn’t a race. It doesn’t matter who gets there

first, it’s simply “getting there” that really counts.

We wish you the best as you help your child get off to a great start in

becoming a lifelong learner. As your child grows, count on VTech to be

there with fun, innovative learning toys to help your child do his or her

best every step of the way.

We thank you for entrusting us with the responsibility of building your child’s

future. When your child can read, your child can do anything.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at VTech®

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PHONICS READING CENTER™

TO BEGIN PLAY

1. To begin play, press the ON BUTTONON BUTTON

ON BUTTONON BUTTON

ON BUTTON ( ).

You will hear a short tune followed by “Hello!

Are you ready to play?”

2. Select from 22 activities by pressing the TOUCHTOUCH

TOUCHTOUCH

TOUCH

SENSITIVE ACTIVITY BUTTONSSENSITIVE ACTIVITY BUTTONS

SENSITIVE ACTIVITY BUTTONS. When you have

chosen an activity, the friendly voice will guide

you while you are playing.

3. Press the LETTER BUTTONSLETTER BUTTONS

LETTER BUTTONSLETTER BUTTONS

LETTER BUTTONS to hear letters, let-

ter sounds, and objects identified or to enter

your answer for most of the activities.

ROLLER BALL

MOUSE

REPEAT

BUTTON

HELP

BUTTON

OFF BUTTON

VOLUME CONTROL

SWITCH

MELODY

BUTTON

NUMBER BUTTONS/

ARROW AND

ENTER BUTTONS

LETTER/OBJECT

BUTTONS

CONTRAST

SWITCH

LCD SCREEN TOUCH SENSITIVE

ACTIVITY BUTTONS

SPEAKER

MOUSE

PAD

SHAPE

BUTTONS

ON BUTTON

TO BEGINTO BEGIN

TO BEGIN

PLAYPLAY

PLAY

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4. Press the SHAPE BUTTONSSHAPE BUTTONS

SHAPE BUTTONSSHAPE BUTTONS

SHAPE BUTTONS to hear the shapes

identified. You can also use these buttons to

hear the 20 built-in melodies played in dif-

ferent instrument sounds.

5. Press the NUMBER BUTTONSNUMBER BUTTONS

NUMBER BUTTONSNUMBER BUTTONS

NUMBER BUTTONS to hear numbers

identified or to enter your answers in the

number-based activities. You can also use the

ARROWSARROWS

ARROWS to move the LCD screen cursor up,

down, left, or right. Press the ENTER BUTTONENTER BUTTON

ENTER BUTTONENTER BUTTON

ENTER BUTTON

after using the arrows to enter your answer

for most of the activities.

6. Use the MOUSEMOUSE

MOUSEMOUSE

MOUSE to select answers on the LCD

screen.

7. Press the REPEAT BUTTONREPEAT BUTTON

REPEAT BUTTONREPEAT BUTTON

REPEAT BUTTON to hear the previ-

ous phrase or question repeated.

8. Press the HELPHELP

HELPHELP

HELP BUTTONBUTTON

BUTTONBUTTON

BUTTON once to hear the pre-

vious question repeated. If you press the Help

button a second time, the learning toy will give

you the answer. You will hear “Let me help”

followed by the answer to a question. For ac-

tivities that do not ask questions, you will hear

an invalid sound.

9. Press the MELODY BUTTONMELODY BUTTON

MELODY BUTTONMELODY BUTTON

MELODY BUTTON ( ) to hear

twenty different melodies randomly.

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10. To adjust the volume, slide the VOLUME CON-VOLUME CON-

VOLUME CON-VOLUME CON-

VOLUME CON-

TROL SWITCHTROL SWITCH

TROL SWITCH ( ) located to the left of

the LCD screen up for the high volume posi-

tion ( ) or down for the low volume

position ( ).

11. To adjust the contrast of the LCD screen,

slide the CONTRAST SWITCHCONTRAST SWITCH

CONTRAST SWITCHCONTRAST SWITCH

CONTRAST SWITCH ( ) located

to the left of the LCD screen up for the high

contrast position ( ) or down for the

low contrast position ( ).

12. To turn the learning toy off, press the OFFOFF

OFFOFF

OFF

BUTTONBUTTON

BUTTON ( ). You will hear a short tune

followed by “Bye-bye!”

13. You can choose from 22 different activities:

1. Letters, Numbers and Shapes 12. Alphabetizing

2. Find It 13. Puzzle Pictures

3. Alphabet & Number Order 14. Spatial Relationships

4. Learn the Words 15. Word Scramble

5. Sounds of Letters 16. Complete the Sentence

6. Sounds of Words 17. Sentence Scrambler

7. Beginning Letters 18. Sound Match and Music

8. Ending Letters 19. Mouse Skills

9. Spelling 20. Counting

10. Missing Vowels 21. Addition

11. Word Families 22. Subtraction

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PHONICS READING CENTERPHONICS READING CENTER

PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1 - LETTERS, NUMBERS AND SHAPES

This activity will help your child strengthen his or her letter, number and

shape recognition skills by reviewing the 26 letters of the alphabet, the

numbers 1-10, and four basic shapes.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child -

The Letters, Numbers and Shapes activity

is presented to your child to reinforce the twenty-six letters of the alphabet,

numbers 1-10, and four shapes. Your child may explore at his or her own pace

by choosing which letters, numbers or shapes to press. This free explora-

tion is very inviting and encourages your child to take risks by pressing let-

ters, numbers, and shapes that he or she may not be familiar with.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Letters, Numbers and ShapesLetters, Numbers and Shapes

Letters, Numbers and ShapesLetters, Numbers and Shapes

Letters, Numbers and Shapes touch

sensitive activity button and you will hear a

short tune followed by “Let’s learn the let-

ters, numbers and shapes!” The friendly

voice will say “Press a button.”

2. Press the letter buttons to hear the letters

identified. The letter animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

3. Press the number buttons to hear the num-

bers identified. The number animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

4. Press the shape buttons to hear the shapes

identified. The shape animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

LETTERS, NUMBERSLETTERS, NUMBERS

LETTERS, NUMBERS

AND SHAPESAND SHAPES

AND SHAPES

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PHONICS READING CENTERPHONICS READING CENTER

PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1 - LETTERS, NUMBERS AND SHAPES (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Encourage your child to find the beginning letter of his or her name as

well as other names of family members on the learning toy. Ask your

child to think of his or her friends’ names or favorite toys, stuffed ani-

mals, etc. and guide your child in finding and saying the beginning

letters of those words on the learning toy.

• Write some random letters, numbers, or shapes down on paper and

encourage your child to find the matching letter, number or shape on

the learning toy. After your child presses the letter, number or shape

button, ask him or her to tell you what letter, number, or shape it was.

• Allow your child plenty of free time to explore this activity. Have your

child touch and trace the letters, numbers and shapes on the learning

toy. He or she should say the name of the letters, numbers, or shapes

while tracing them. Have your child say, “The name of the letter, num-

ber, or shape is ____.”

ACTIVITY 2 - FIND IT

This activity reinforces letter, number, word, and shape identification by having your

child locate random letters, numbers, words or shapes. A friendly voice will ask

your child to find a certain letter, number, word or shape. Your child must rely

on the skills presented in the previous activity in order to play this activity.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Find It activity is presented to famil-

iarize your child with the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, numbers 1-10,

fifty-two words and four shapes.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Find ItFind It

Find ItFind It

Find It touch sensitive activity but-

ton and you will hear a short tune followed

by “Let’s find a letter, number, word or

shape.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion. For example, “Find the letter A.” The

question animation will appear on the LCD

screen.

FIND ITFIND IT

FIND IT

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 2 - FIND IT (continued)

3. Press the letter buttons to answer the ques-

tions about letters or words.

4. Press the number buttons to answer the

questions about numbers.

5. Press the shape buttons to answer the ques-

tions about shapes.

6. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound with a positive phrase and

the answer will be identified. A positive ani-

mation and the answer will appear on the

LCD screen.

7. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound with an encouraging phrase

and the question will be repeated. A nega-

tive animation and the question animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 2 - FIND IT (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Watch your child play this activity. You will be able to determine which

letters, numbers, words, or shapes your child is successful in identifying.

It will also give a good indication of which letters, numbers, words or

shapes your child is having difficulty identifying. Be sure to make note of

those and continue to have your child work on them. Remember to be

positive and praise the good work that your child has done!

• Write some letters of the alphabet, numbers (1-10), words, or shapes down

on paper and encourage your child to find the matching letter, number,

word or shape on the learning toy.

• Create a list with your child of words that begin with each of the letters

of the alphabet. You may want to create a booklet for your child with

these words. Devote a page to each letter of the alphabet.

ACTIVITY 3 - ALPHABET & NUMBER ORDER

This activity strengthens alphabetical and numerical order skills. Your child

will recognize that the letters of the alphabet and numbers are arranged

in a certain order. He or she will have opportunities to tell which letter

comes before or after certain letters as well as which number comes be-

fore or after certain numbers. Your child will be asked specific questions

such as, “Which letter comes before the letter B?” He or she will then have

the opportunity to look at the learning toy and find that letter.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Alphabet Order activity is designed

to familiarize your child with the alphabet and numbers 1-10. Your child will

also be taught the concept of before and after. This activity provides op-

portunities for your child to identify letters of the alphabet and numbers

on his or her own.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Alphabet & Number OrderAlphabet & Number Order

Alphabet & Number OrderAlphabet & Number Order

Alphabet & Number Order touch

sensitive activity button and you will hear a

short tune followed by “Let’s learn alpha-

bet and number order.”

ALPHABET &ALPHABET &

ALPHABET &

NUMBER ORDERNUMBER ORDER

NUMBER ORDER

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 3 - ALPHABET & NUMBER ORDER (continued)

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion. For example, “Which letter comes be-

fore the letter C?” The question animation

will appear on the LCD screen with four

answers to choose from.

3. Press a letter button or use the mouse to

select the answer.

4. You may also use the arrow buttons and

the enter button located on the number

buttons to select your answer from the LCD

screen.

5. Or, the friendly voice will ask a question

such as “Which number comes before the

number 7?” The question animation will

appear on the LCD screen with four an-

swers to choose from.

6. Press a number button or use the mouse

to select the answer.

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 3 - ALPHABET & NUMBER ORDER (continued)

7. If the answer is correct, you will hear a

rewarding sound with a positive phrase. A

positive animation will appear and the an-

swer will flash on the LCD screen.

8. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound with an encouraging phrase.

A negative animation will appear and the

incorrect answer will be identified. The ques-

tion will be repeated.

9. When any shape button is pressed, the shape

will be identified and it will appear on the

LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Together with your child, look through magazines, newspapers, or cata-

logs to help your child cut out the letters of the alphabet or numbers 1-

10. After you have found all of the letters or numbers, mix them up and

lay them in front of your child. Have your child glue them one by one

onto a large piece of paper in alphabetical or numerical order. Be sure

to ask questions using the words before and after while you are deter-

mining the correct sequence.

• Your child should understand what the terms “before” and “after”

really mean. To help your child grasp this concept, practice this skill

with your child. You may wish to use objects that your child is familiar

with (i.e. colored blocks, small toys, etc.). Lay three or four objects in a

line and talk about before and after in regards to those particular objects.

This should help your child understand the concept of before and after.

• Talk about “before” and “after” in regards to events that have oc-

curred throughout your child’s day. For instance, ask your child, “What

did you do before lunch?” or “What do we usually do after dinner?”

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PHONICS READING CENTERPHONICS READING CENTER

PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 4 - LEARN THE WORDS

This activity builds vocabulary skills. Your child will be exposed to fifty-two

various objects with different beginning letters. He or she will learn the

beginning letter for each of these objects. As your child presses a letter

button, a friendly voice will let your child know the name of the object that

is pictured on the letter buttons.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Learn the Words activity teaches new

vocabulary words to your child. Your child will have a chance to learn two

words that begin with every letter of the alphabet.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Learn the Words Learn the Words

Learn the Words Learn the Words

Learn the Words touch sensitive

activity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s learn some words!” The

friendly voice will say “Press a letter but-

ton.”

2. Press a letter button the first time to iden-

tify the object pictured on the left. The word

and the object animation will appear on the

LCD screen. A sound effect or short tune will

follow.

3. Press the letter button a second time to iden-

tify the object pictured on the right. The word

and the object animation will appear on the

LCD screen. A sound effect or short tune will

follow.

4. When any number button is pressed, the

number will be identified and a number ani-

mation will appear on the LCD screen.

LEARN THELEARN THE

LEARN THE

WORDSWORDS

WORDS

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 4 - LEARN THE WORDS (continued)

5. When any shape button is pressed, the shape

will be identified and a shape animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Your child may already be asking you questions regarding beginning

letters of words such as, “What does the word bike begin with?” This is

great! Be sure to answer your child! Your child’s curiosity will only

increase by playing with this activity.

• Encourage your child to think of other objects that begin with the let-

ters that he or she is pressing on the learning toy. If your child is hav-

ing difficulty thinking of an object, go ahead and give some sugges-

tions. By continuing to do this, your child will soon be able to think of

objects on his or her own.

• Point out objects that surround your child in your home. At first you

may need to tell your child, “B is for bed!” Model this behavior for your

child. Your child will hopefully begin to tell you what letters go with

various objects.

ACTIVITY 5 - SOUNDS OF LETTERS

This activity teaches the sounds of the consonants and vowels. Your child

will hear the correct pronunciation of each letter sound. He or she will

recognize that the vowels A,E,I,O, and U can make two different sounds,

both long and short. He or she will also recognize that the letters C, G, and

Y can make more than one sound. Every time your child presses a letter

button, the friendly voice will tell your child the sound(s) that each letter

makes.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Sounds of Letters activity introduces

your child to the sounds of the letters of the alphabet. Your child will rec-

ognize that all of the letters make a certain sound. He or she will learn that

some letters even make two sounds. There are no specific instructions tell-

ing your child which button to press. This free exploration is very inviting

and should encourage your child to take risks by pressing buttons that may

be unfamiliar to him or her.

SOUNDS OFSOUNDS OF

SOUNDS OF

LETTERSLETTERS

LETTERS

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PHONICS READING CENTERPHONICS READING CENTER

PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 5 - SOUNDS OF LETTERS (continued)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Sounds of LettersSounds of Letters

Sounds of LettersSounds of Letters

Sounds of Letters touch sensitive

activity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s learn the sounds of the

letters!” Then the friendly voice will say

“Press a letter button.”

2. Press the letter button to hear the letter

sounds. The letter animation will appear on

the LCD screen.

3. When any number button is pressed, the

number will be identified and it will appear

on the LCD screen.

4. Press the shape button to hear the shape

identified. The shape animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Encourage your child to say the letter sounds along with the learning

toy. Your child could practice by saying, “The name of the letter is B.

The sound of the letter is buh.”

• This skill takes lots and lots of practice. Remember to remain positive and

praise your child when he or she can tell you the sound of a given letter.

• In everyday situations, have your child tell you what letter a certain

object begins with. Repeat the word slowly for your child by really

accentuating the beginning letter. Have your child tell you what sound

that letter makes.

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6 - SOUNDS OF WORDS

This activity introduces your child to sounding out words. Your child will be

able to hear every letter sound within a given word when completing this

activity. On each letter button, there are two objects pictured. The object

on the right will be sounded out. These words will help your child learn

phonics because they are very simple and easy to understand. Your child

will be able to look at the letters of the word as it is being sounded out.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child -

The Sounds of Words activity is designed

to help your child learn that letters make sounds and sounds put together

make words. This activity provides many opportunities for your child to

press any button he or she desires. Your child may press a certain object as

many times as he or she desires. This activity offers free exploration to

acquaint your child with sounding out words.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Sounds of WordsSounds of Words

Sounds of WordsSounds of Words

Sounds of Words touch sensitive

activity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s learn the sounds of

words!” Then the friendly voice will say

“Press a letter button.”

2. Press the letter button to identify the letter

sounds of the object that appears on the

right. For example, press the ‘Aa’ button and

you will hear “ant” followed by the phonetic

sounds of ant. The object animation will ap-

pear on the LCD screen.

3. When any number button is pressed, the

number will be identified and it will appear

on the LCD screen.

4. Press the shape button to hear the shape

identified. The shape animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

SOUNDS OFSOUNDS OF

SOUNDS OF

WORDSWORDS

WORDS

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6 - SOUNDS OF WORDS (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Encourage your child to sound out the words with the friendly voice.

Remind your child to look at the letters within the word while he or she

is sounding out the word.

• Using the objects from the learning toy, write each of the words on

cards. Have your child try sounding them out on his or her own. If your

child does it correctly, have him or her illustrate the word on the back

of the card. See how many your child can recognize.

• Using the cards mentioned above, lay two words out in front of your

child, and then say the name of the word slowly for your child. Allow

him or her to decide which word you have said. Check the illustration

on the back of the card for correctness.

ACTIVITY 7 - BEGINNING LETTERS

This activity continues to reinforce consonant and vowel sounds. Your child

will identify the missing beginning letter in various words.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Beginning Letters activity is created

to help your child learn to spell a variety of words as well as gain confi-

dence in listening for sounds of letters at the beginning of words.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Beginning LettersBeginning Letters

Beginning LettersBeginning Letters

Beginning Letters touch sensitive

activity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s find the beginning letter.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as, “What letter does the word

‘ape’ begin with?” The question animation

will appear on the LCD screen with four an-

swers to choose from.

BEGINNINGBEGINNING

BEGINNING

LETTERSLETTERS

LETTERS

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 7 - BEGINNING LETTERS (continued)

3. Press the letter button or use the mouse to

select the answer from the LCD screen.

4. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button located on the number buttons to se-

lect your answer from the LCD screen.

5. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase. A posi-

tive animation will be shown and the answer

animation will appear on the LCD screen.

6. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a nega-

tive sound and an encouraging phrase and

the question will be repeated. A negative ani-

mation and the question animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

7. Press the shape button to hear the shape

identified. The shape animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 7 - BEGINNING LETTERS (continued)

How Can You Help?

• After your child has found a beginning letter correctly, have him or her tell

you the meaning of the word, and then use the word in a sentence. This is a

great way to see if your child understands the meaning of the word.

• Have your child write some of the words from this activity down on

paper. Your child may wish to use paint, crayons, or markers to show

the words he or she is able to spell.

• While you are reading stories with your child, cover up a beginning letter of a

particular word. Ask your child to tell you what the beginning letter should be.

ACTIVITY 8 - ENDING LETTERS

This activity requires your child to finish spelling a short word by adding

the ending letter of the word. Your child will need to rely on his or her

knowledge of letters and their sounds in order to complete this activity.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Ending Letters activity provides many

opportunities for your child to apply his or her knowledge of letter sounds.

Your child will learn how to spell many short words.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Ending LettersEnding Letters

Ending LettersEnding Letters

Ending Letters touch sensitive ac-

tivity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s find the ending letter.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as, “What letter does the word

‘ape’ end with?” The question animation will

appear on the LCD screen with four answers

to choose from.

ENDINGENDING

ENDING

LETTERSLETTERS

LETTERS

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 8 - ENDING LETTERS (continued)

3. Press the letter button or use the mouse to

select the answer from the LCD screen.

4. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button to select your answer from the LCD

screen.

5. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase and the

answer will be identified. A positive anima-

tion and the object animation will appear on

the LCD screen.

6. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a nega-

tive sound and an encouraging phrase and

the question will be repeated. A negative ani-

mation and the question animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

7. Press the shape button to hear the shape

identified. The shape animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 8 - ENDING LETTERS (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Using words from this activity, write some of them down on index cards,

leaving the ending letter off. You may wish to provide three choices

underneath the word in order for your child to choose from. Next, have

your child take a card. He or she should determine what letter is miss-

ing in order to spell the word correctly. Let your child tell you the word

that he or she has created.

• While your child is playing with the learning toy, be sure that he or she

is spelling the words out loud after choosing the correct ending letter.

Your child should be able to tell you the word.

• After your child correctly answers a question in this activity, ask him or her

to use the word in a sentence to check for understanding of the word.

ACTIVITY 9 - SPELLING

This activity explores spelling skills. Your child must rely on his or her knowl-

edge of letters and sounds in order to sound out and spell simple words.

Your child will be asked to spell the words that identify the objects on the

letter buttons. As your child presses each letter, the name of the letter will

be identified. After the final letter has been pressed, the friendly voice will

spell the entire word again and say the name of the object.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Spelling activity combines the skills

of letter and sound recognition. Your child should be able to spell simple

words using the skills taught throughout this activity.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the SpellingSpelling

SpellingSpelling

Spelling touch sensitive activity but-

ton and you will hear a short tune followed by

“Let’s learn to spell words.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random question

such as, “How do you spell ape?” The ques-

tion animation will appear on the LCD screen.

SPELLINGSPELLING

SPELLING

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ACTIVITY 9 - SPELLING (continued)

3. Press the letter buttons to enter the correct

answer.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase followed

by the answer. The object animation and the

answer animation will appear on the LCD

screen.

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a nega-

tive sound and an encouraging phrase and

the question will be repeated. A negative ani-

mation, the object animation and the ques-

tion animation will appear on the LCD screen.

6. When you press a number button, the num-

ber will be identified and a number anima-

tion will appear on the LCD screen.

7. When any shape button is pressed, the shape

will be identified and it will appear on the

LCD screen.

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ACTIVITY 9 - SPELLING (continued)

How Can You Help?

• After your child has spelled a word correctly, have him or her tell you

the meaning of the word, and then use the word in a sentence. This is a

great way to see if your child understands the meaning of the word.

• Have your child write some of the words from this activity down on

paper. Your child may wish to use paint, crayons, or markers to show

the words that he or she is able to spell.

• Your child may practice reading the words that he or she can now

spell. Together with your child, say the name of the letters in the word

and then say the name of the word.

ACTIVITY 10 - MISSING VOWELS

This activity strengthens spelling skills by having your child decide which

vowel is missing in order to complete a word. Your child will be shown a

word with one blank space somewhere within the word. Below the word,

the letters of the vowels will appear. Your child must decide which letter is

the missing vowel in the word.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Missing Vowels activity provides a

good review of letter and sound recognition. When choosing an answer,

your child will have to decide between the five vowels.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Missing VowelsMissing Vowels

Missing VowelsMissing Vowels

Missing Vowels touch sensitive ac-

tivity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s find the missing vowels.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as, “What vowel is missing in the

word ant?” The question animation will be

shown on the LCD screen with five vowels

for you to choose from.

MISSINGMISSING

MISSING

VOWELSVOWELS

VOWELS

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ACTIVITY 10 - MISSING VOWELS (continued)

3. Press the letter button or use the mouse to

select the answer.

4. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button located on the number buttons to se-

lect the answer from the LCD screen.

5. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase and the

answer will be identified. A positive anima-

tion will be shown on the LCD screen.

6. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a nega-

tive sound and an encouraging phrase and

the question will be repeated. A negative ani-

mation, the object animation and the ques-

tion animation will appear on the LCD screen.

7. When any shape button is pressed, the shape

will be identified and it will appear on the

LCD screen.

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ACTIVITY 10 - MISSING VOWELS (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Review the names of the vowels A, E, I, O, and U. Tell your child that

there is a special name for these letters. The special name for this group

of letters is vowels. Be sure that your child knows the sounds, both long

and short vowel sounds.

• While reading books, magazines, signs, etc. to your child, draw atten-

tion to the vowels in words. Have your child tell you what the vowel is

within a word.

• Using old magazines, have your child look for vowels in print. Help him

or her cut out vowels. Next, organize all of the A’s together, E’s to-

gether, etc. and glue them onto the cards which have been labeled for

each of the vowels. Keep the learning toy nearby for this activity so he

or she may refer to the vowels when looking for vowels to cut out.

ACTIVITY 11 - WORD FAMILIES

This activity strengthens language development. Your child will be asked to

pick out rhyming words in this activity. Your child will see a word on the LCD

screen. There will be three other words shown. He or she must decide which

words rhyme with the first word.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Word Families activity will help teach

your child that certain word endings can be used to make a number of

words. For example in the ATE family, you can make the words gate, rate,

and fate. Your child will be able to recognize that the ending letters in word

families do not change, only the beginning letters change. Your child will be

able to spell many words by recognizing a word family.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Word FamiliesWord Families

Word FamiliesWord Families

Word Families touch sensitive ac-

tivity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s learn some rhyming

words.”

WORDWORD

WORD

FAMILIESFAMILIES

FAMILIES

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ACTIVITY 11 - WORD FAMILIES (continued)

2. The friendly voice will ask a random question

such as, “Pick the words that rhyme with

king.” The question animation will appear on

the LCD screen.

3. Use the mouse to select the two rhyming

words.

4. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button located on the number buttons to se-

lect the answers from the LCD screen.

5. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase. You will

see a positive animation appear on the LCD

screen.

6. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a nega-

tive sound and an encouraging phrase and

the question will be repeated. A negative ani-

mation and the question animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

7. When any shape button is pressed, the shape

will be identified and it will appear on the

LCD screen.

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ACTIVITY 11 - WORD FAMILIES (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Familiarize yourself with word families as you play the learning toy

with your child. While he or she is playing, see if your child can tell you

what word family the word on the LCD screen belongs to. Have your

child think of another word to go with that family.

• Make word family wheels. Cut out two circles making sure one is smaller

than the other. On the edge of the large circle write the word family (i.e.

UMP). Carefully cut out a small space in front of the U in UMP. Next, using

your smaller circle, write a letter(s) on the edge that could be used to

form words in the UMP word family. Continue with additional letter(s) by

moving the circle. Then position the smaller circle underneath the large

circle so that you see a letter next to UMP. Use a paper fastener to hold

the circles together. Move the wheel so new words can be seen. Let your

child tell you the name of each word. Try to make another wheel with a

different word family. Good luck!

• While reading a book to your child or while your child is reading to you,

pick out words in the story that belong to word families. Have your

child tell another word that could be part of the family by changing

the beginning letter(s).

ACTIVITY 12 - ALPHABETIZING

This activity strengthens alphabetical order skills. Your child will recognize

that the letters of the alphabet are arranged in a certain order. He or she

will have opportunities to apply this knowledge as he or she is asked to put

three words in alphabetical order. Each of the three words will begin with a

different letter.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child -

The Alphabetizing activity is designed to

familiarize your child with the alphabet. Your child will also realize that

words can be put in alphabetical order, not just letters in isolation.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the AlphabetizingAlphabetizing

AlphabetizingAlphabetizing

Alphabetizing touch sensitive ac-

tivity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s put the words in ABC or-

der.”

ALPHABETIZINGALPHABETIZING

ALPHABETIZING

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ACTIVITY 12 - ALPHABETIZING (continued)

2. The friendly voice will say, “Select the words

in alphabetical order” and the question ani-

mation will appear on the LCD screen.

3. Press the letter button or use the mouse to

select the answer.

4. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button located on the number buttons to se-

lect your answers from the LCD screen.

5. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase followed

by the answer. A positive animation will ap-

pear on the LCD screen.

6. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound and an encouraging phrase

and the question will be repeated. A nega-

tive animation and the question animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

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ACTIVITY 12 - ALPHABETIZING (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Think of a particular category that your child is interested in. Together

brainstorm about five words related to that category. Write them down

in random order. (To make it easier, be sure each word begins with a

different letter.) Next, have your child put them in alphabetical order.

It may be very helpful if your child refers to the learning toy to see the

correct order of the letters.

• If your child is having difficulty with this activity, remind him to only

look at the first letter when alphabetizing words. (If two words begin

with the same letter, you must look to the second letter in each word.

This is an advanced alphabetizing skill. Your child should not be ex-

pected to know this.)

• When you are reading to your child, allow him or her to choose three or

four words that he or she would like to put in alphabetical order.

ACTVITY 13 - PUZZLE PICTURES

This activity introduces your child to compound words. Your child will learn

how to combine two words together to make a new word. He or she will look

at pictures on the LCD screen. By pressing the object buttons that match

the pictures in the correct order, your child will create a compound word.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Puzzle Pictures activity is designed

to help your child increase his or her vocabulary by introducing new words.

Your child will recognize that a compound word is made up of two words.

When the two words are joined together, a new word is made that has a

new meaning.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Puzzle PicturesPuzzle Pictures

Puzzle PicturesPuzzle Pictures

Puzzle Pictures touch sensitive ac-

tivity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s learn to make compound

words.”

PUZZLEPUZZLE

PUZZLE

PICTURESPICTURES

PICTURES

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ACTVITY 13 - PUZZLE PICTURES (continued)

2. The friendly voice will say, “Look at the pic-

tures on the screen. Press the buttons of

the pictures you see in the correct order.”

Two objects will appear one by one on the

LCD screen.

3. Press the letter buttons to find the match-

ing pictures you see on the LCD screen.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase. The

object animation and the answer animation

will appear on the LCD screen. For example,

you will hear “Ear plus ring is earring.”

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound and an encouraging phrase

and the question will be repeated. A nega-

tive animation, the object animation and the

question animation will appear on the LCD

screen.

How Can You Help?

• Encourage your child to think of other compound words. Talk about the

meanings of these words with your child. Be sure to ask your child what

two words make up the compound word.

• Think of some compound words. Next, write each word on an index

card and cut out the two words as if you were creating puzzle pieces.

Do this with all of the compound words. Then, mix all of the puzzle

pieces up and have your child try to complete the puzzles.

• When reading to your child, let your child go on a compound word

hunt. Ask him or her to be on the lookout for compound words. Have

your child make a list of the compound words that he or she has found.

You may have to assist your child with this. Next, have your child draw

pictures to represent each word by itself as well as the compound word.

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ACTIVITY 14 - SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS

This activity strengthens language development by introducing your child

to spatial relationships. He or she will identify the location of various ob-

jects. A friendly voice will ask your child questions such as, “Is the circle

above or below the van?”

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Spatial Relationships activity teaches

your child new important vocabulary words. The words taught in this activ-

ity will allow your child to understand more words when he or she is read-

ing. Also, after completing this activity, your child could also use some of

these spatial relationship words in his or her own writing.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Spatial RelationshipsSpatial Relationships

Spatial RelationshipsSpatial Relationships

Spatial Relationships touch sensi-

tive activity button and you will hear a short

tune followed by “Let’s learn about location

words.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as, “Is the circle above or below

the van?” The question animation will appear

on the LCD screen with two answers to choose

from.

3. Use the mouse to select the answer from the

LCD screen.

4. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button located on the number buttons to se-

lect your answer from the LCD screen.

SPATIALSPATIAL

SPATIAL

RELATIONSHIPSRELATIONSHIPS

RELATIONSHIPS

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ACTIVITY 14 - SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS (continued)

5. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase followed

by the answer. A positive animation will be

shown on the LCD screen.

6. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound and an encouraging phrase

and the question will be repeated. A nega-

tive animation and the question animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

7. When any letter or shape button is pressed,

the letter or shape will be identified and it

will appear on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• When giving directions to your child at home, be clear and specific. Use

words such as under, below, next to, on the left/right, over, and above.

For example, “Please put the book next to the blue lamp.”

• Have your child draw pictures that represent each of the spatial rela-

tionship words taught in this activity. Allow your child to tell you a

sentence or write a sentence about the picture.

• Go on a treasure hunt! Write clues with the words taught in this activ-

ity. Let your child try to figure out the clues and search for the trea-

sure that you have hidden. Try to use at least five clues using a differ-

ent spatial relationship word for each clue.

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ACTIVITY 15 - WORD SCRAMBLE

This activity strengthens spelling skills by asking your child to put scrambled

letters in the proper sequence to correctly spell a word. Picture clues will

be given as your child tries to unscramble short words.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Word Scramble activity will help your

child apply the skills that he or she will learn throughout this learning toy.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Word Scramble Word Scramble

Word Scramble Word Scramble

Word Scramble touch sensitive ac-

tivity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s unscramble the letters to

make a word.”

2. The friendly voice will say, “Put the letters

in the correct order.” An object animation

and its scrambled letters will appear on the

LCD screen.

3. Press the letter buttons or use the mouse to

select the answer from the LCD screen.

4. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button located on the number buttons to se-

lect your answer from the LCD screen.

WORDWORD

WORD

SCRAMBLESCRAMBLE

SCRAMBLE

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ACTIVITY 15 - WORD SCRAMBLE (continued)

5. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase. A posi-

tive animation and the object animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

6. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound and an encouraging phrase,

and the question will be repeated. The nega-

tive animation and the question animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Together with your child, make up your own scrambled words with

vocabulary words that are familiar to your child.

• Prepare a list of simple words for your child to unscramble. (Do not

show your child the list.) Next, create a set of alphabet cards by using

index cards. Choose a word from the list. Tell your child what word he

or she will be unscrambling. Then pull out the letters from your alpha-

bet cards that are needed to spell the word. (If you need two of a

certain letter, prepare an additional card.) Scramble the cards and

have your child unscramble the cards in order to spell the word.

• Make a fishing game with your child. Using scrambled words from the

learning toy, write each scrambled word on a paper fish. Next, print

the unscrambled words on index cards using the same words. Your

child must pick a scrambled fish and match it with the unscrambled

fish. Be sure to check that a pair has been made.

ACTIVITY 16 - COMPLETE THE SENTENCE

This activity allows your child to read a sentence. Your child will need to use

a picture clue as well as other words in the sentence to determine a missing

word within a sentence. Your child will see a picture of a particular object

flash on the LCD screen. Next, a sentence will appear on the LCD screen with

a blank space to show where the word is missing. Your child will need to rely

on the picture clue shown earlier as well as the other words in the sentence

to determine the missing word.

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ACTIVITY 16 - COMPLETE THE SENTENCE (continued)

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child -

The Complete the Sentence activity is

designed to teach your child about sentence structure. Your child will learn

that sentences must convey a complete thought. By finding the missing

word, the thought will be completed. Your child will also sharpen his or her

vocabulary skills by searching for the correct word in order to complete

the sentence.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Complete the SentenceComplete the Sentence

Complete the SentenceComplete the Sentence

Complete the Sentence touch sen-

sitive activity button and you will hear a short

tune followed by “Let’s learn how to complete

a sentence.”

2. The friendly voice will say “Find the miss-

ing word in the sentence!” The question ani-

mation will appear on the LCD screen. You

will need to fill in the blank to complete the

sentence on the LCD screen.

3. Press a letter button to find the object to

complete the question.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase. A posi-

tive animation and the answer animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

COMPLETE THECOMPLETE THE

COMPLETE THE

SENTENCESENTENCE

SENTENCE

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ACTIVITY 16 - COMPLETE THE SENTENCE (continued)

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound and an encouraging phrase

and the question will be repeated. A nega-

tive animation, the object and the question

animation will appear on the LCD screen.

6. When any number or shape button is pressed,

the number or shape will be identified and it

will appear on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• When you are reading a story to your child that he or she has already

heard before, leave a word out of a particular sentence and see if your

child is able to determine a word that would make sense in the sentence.

• Let your child practice writing sentences. Remind your child that a

sentence must tell a complete thought. Let your child share his or

her sentences with you.

• Have your child keep a journal at home in which he or she records daily

happenings. Encourage your child to write about his or her interests.

Your child may wish to illustrate what he or she has written about.

ACTIVITY 17 - SENTENCE SCRAMBLER

This activity helps develop your child’s language skills. Your child must use

his or her knowledge of letters and sounds in order to unscramble simple

sentences. Words will scroll across the LCD screen in random order. Your

child must read all of the words and then decide the correct sentence order.

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ACTIVITY 17 - SENTENCE SCRAMBLER (continued)

Learning Benefits for Your Child - Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Sentence Scrambler activity provides

your child with opportunities to read complete sentences. Your child will also

recognize that a sentence tells a complete thought. Also, while playing this

activity, your child will see that the first word in every sentence must begin

with a capital letter and it must end with an end mark such as a period.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Sentence ScramblerSentence Scrambler

Sentence ScramblerSentence Scrambler

Sentence Scrambler touch sensi-

tive activity button and you will hear a short

tune followed by “Let’s unscramble the words

to make a sentence.” The LCD screen will scroll

the words of a sentence in random order.

2. Use the mouse to select the words in the cor-

rect order.

3. You may also use the arrows and the enter

button located on the number buttons to se-

lect your answer from the LCD screen.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase. A

postive animation and the correct sentence

will be shown on the LCD screen.

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound with an encouraging response

followed by a negative animation. The ques-

tion will be repeated.

SENTENCESENTENCE

SENTENCE

SCRAMBLERSCRAMBLER

SCRAMBLER

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ACTIVITY 17 - SENTENCE SCRAMBLER (continued)

6. Press any shape button to hear the shape

identified. The shape animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Allow your child time to compose his or her own sentences. Remind him

or her to use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence and an end

mark (period, question mark or exclamation point) at the end.

• Make up simple sentences for your child. Write each of the words on

cards and then mix up the cards. See if your child can unscramble the

sentence.

• Point out sentences to your child while you are reading to him or her.

Ask your child to look for capital letters and end marks.

ACTIVITY 18 - SOUND MATCH AND MUSIC

This activity stimulates creative expression by playing cheerful melodies and

sounds of various objects from the learning toy. Your child will have opportuni-

ties to hear a melody and also chances to match a sound to an object.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Sound Match and Music activity pro-

vides your child with an opportunity to listen to music while distinguishing

sounds. Your child will have to listen carefully and be alert when trying to

match the objects to their sounds.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Sound Match and MusicSound Match and Music

Sound Match and MusicSound Match and Music

Sound Match and Music touch sen-

sitive activity button and you will hear a short

tune followed by “Let’s match the sounds and

play music.”

SOUND MATCHSOUND MATCH

SOUND MATCH

AND MUSICAND MUSIC

AND MUSIC

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ACTIVITY 18 - SOUND MATCH AND MUSIC (continued)

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as, “What object sounds like ____?”

The matching object animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

3. Press the correct letter button to choose the

answer.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase and

the answer will be identified. You will see a

positive animation appear on the LCD screen,

followed by the object.

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound with an encouraging phrase,

and the question will be repeated. You will

see a negative animation appear on the LCD

screen.

6. Press the melody button and you will hear

20 built-in melodies randomly.

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ACTIVITY 18 - SOUND MATCH AND MUSIC (continued)

7. Press the shape buttons while listening to the

built-in melodies to change the instrument

sound of the melody that is being played.

How Can You Help?

• Provide plenty of time for your child’s creative expression. Ask your

child to think of new words that go along with the melody of the song.

Ask your child to share his or her new creation with others!

• Have your child draw or paint a picture about a song from the learning

toy. Your child may wish to draw or paint a series of pictures that de-

scribe the song.

• Play a game with your child. Make familiar sounds such as animal noises,

various types of transportation, etc. and let your child try to guess

what sound you have made. Let your child have a chance to be the

sound maker. This time, you can guess!

ACTIVITY 19 - MOUSE SKILLS

This activity strengthens hand-eye coordination. Your child will practice mov-

ing the mouse to specific places instructed on the LCD screen. A mouse will

appear somewhere on the LCD screen. There will also be a piece of cheese. Your

child needs to bring the mouse to the cheese by using the computer mouse to

get it there!

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child -

The Mouse Skills activity is designed to help

your child become more comfortable using the computer mouse. Your child will

be strengthening his or her hand-eye coordination skills by playing this activity.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the Mouse SkillsMouse Skills

Mouse SkillsMouse Skills

Mouse Skills touch sensitive activ-

ity button and you will hear a short tune

followed by “Let’s learn to use the mouse!”

Then the friendly voice will give an instruc-

tion such as, “Move the mouse to the cheese.”

MOUSE SKILLSMOUSE SKILLS

MOUSE SKILLS

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ACTIVITY 19 - MOUSE SKILLS (continued)

2. Move the mouse up, down, left or right,

depending on the location of the cheese

on the LCD screen. The mouse head will

move in the same direction as you move

the mouse.

3. If you move the mouse in the proper di-

rection and select the cheese, you will hear

a rewarding sound and a positive phrase.

A positive animation will appear on the LCD

screen. The next skill test will appear on

the LCD screen.

4. If you do not move the mouse correctly,

you will hear an encouraging phrase and

a negative animation will appear on the

LCD screen.

5. If a letter, or shape button is pressed, it

will be identified and the object anima-

tion will appear on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Watch your child while he or she is playing this activity. Check to see if

he or she understands how the mouse operates. Be sure to show your

child if he or she is having difficulty.

• If your child is unfamiliar with using a computer mouse, it may be help-

ful if you place your hand on top of your child’s hand and help guide

your child during the first few times he or she uses the mouse.

• Allow your child lots of practice with this activity. In time, your child

should be able to manipulate the mouse quite easily. Remember, this

skill takes practice and patience!

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ACTIVITY 20 - COUNTING

This activity helps your child learn how to count. Your child will use visual

clues to help him or her determine the correct number of shapes pictured.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Counting activity is presented to teach

your child about number and object association. Your child will benefit from

being able to count the pictured shapes.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the CountingCounting

CountingCounting

Counting touch sensitive activity

button and you will hear a short tune fol-

lowed by “Let’s learn to count.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as,

“How many triangles are

there?” A group of shapes will appear on

the LCD screen with four answers to choose

from.

3. Press the number buttons or use the mouse

to answer the question from the LCD screen.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a

rewarding sound and a positive phrase fol-

lowed by the answer. A positive animation

will appear on the LCD screen.

COUNTINGCOUNTING

COUNTING

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ACTIVITY 20 - COUNTING

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a

negative sound and an encouraging phrase

and the question will be repeated. A nega-

tive animation and the question animation will

appear on the LCD screen.

6. When any shape button is pressed, the shape

will be identified and it will be shown on the

LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Provide plenty of opportunities for your child to count various objects.

Your child may enjoy counting with coins, marbles, beans, etc.

• While reading stories with pictures, if the pictures allow, have your

child look for certain objects in the pictures and count how many there

are of a particular object.

• Once your child can count beyond 10, have him or her continue to use

real objects to count. See if your child can group by tens. Then have

your child count by tens and add the remaining number to see how

many are in all.

ACTIVITY 21 - ADDITION

This activity introduces your child to simple addition by asking him or her to

answer a numerical equation. A picture will accompany each equation.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Addition activity will introduce your

child to the parts of a numerical equation. He or she will learn that in order

to get a sum (or answer), you must add two numbers (addends) together.

ADDITIONADDITION

ADDITION

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ACTIVITY 21 - ADDITION (continued)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the AdditionAddition

AdditionAddition

Addition touch sensitive activity but-

ton and you will hear a short tune followed

by “Let’s learn how to add.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as, “What is one plus two?” The

equation will appear on the LCD screen.

3. Press the correct number button to answer

the question.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase followed

by the answer. A positive animation and the

answer animation will appear on the LCD

screen.

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a nega-

tive sound and an encouraging phrase fol-

lowed by the answer. A negative animation

and the question animation will appear on the

LCD screen.

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ACTIVITY 21 - ADDITION (continued)

How Can You Help?

• Show your child the number buttons on the keyboard. Tell him or her to

use them as a number line to help solve the problems.

• Have your child use tangible objects such as pennies, beans, blocks,

etc. to show the numbers being added. This should be helpful in find-

ing the sum or total.

• When your child is playing the activity, encourage him or her to tell a

story problem to go along with the numerical equation.

ACTIVITY 22 - SUBTRACTION

This activity introduces your child to simple subtraction by having him or

her find the difference between two numbers. A picture will accompany

each equation.

Learning Benefits for Your Child -Learning Benefits for Your Child -

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Subtraction activity will introduce

your child to a subtraction equation. Your child will recognize that when you

subtract one number from another, you are finding the difference between

the two numbers.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Press the SubtractionSubtraction

SubtractionSubtraction

Subtraction touch sensitive activ-

ity button and you will hear a short tune fol-

lowed by “Let’s learn how to subtract.”

2. The friendly voice will ask a random ques-

tion such as, “What is three minus one?” The

equation will appear on the LCD screen.

SUBTRACTIONSUBTRACTION

SUBTRACTION

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PHONICS READING CENTER™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 22 - SUBTRACTION (continued)

3. Press the correct number button to answer

the question.

4. If the answer is correct, you will hear a re-

warding sound and a positive phrase followed

by the answer. A positive animation and the

answer animation will appear on the LCD

screen.

5. If the answer is incorrect, you will hear a nega-

tive sound and an encouraging phrase, and

the question will be repeated. A negative ani-

mation and the question animation will appear

on the LCD screen.

How Can You Help?

• Show your child the number buttons on the keyboard. Encourage him

or her to use them as a number line when finding the difference be-

tween two numbers.

• Have your child use tangible objects such as pennies, beans, blocks,

etc. to show the numbers being subtracted. This should be helpful in

finding the difference.

• When your child is playing the activity, encourage him or her to tell a

story problem to go along with the subtraction equation.

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BATTERY INSTALLATION

1. Make sure the unit is Off.

2. Locate the battery cover on the bottom of

the unit. Use a coin or screwdriver to loosen

the screw. Install 4 “AA” (UM-3/LR6) batter-

ies following the diagram inside the battery

box. (The use of new, alkaline batteries is rec-

ommended for maximum performance.)

3. Replace the battery cover and tighten the

screw to secure the battery cover.

BATTERY NOTICE

• Install batteries correctly observing the polarity (++

+, --

-) signs to avoid leakage.

• Do not mix old and new batteries.

• Do not use batteries of different types.

• Remove exhausted or new batteries from the learning toy when you are

not going to use it for a long time.

• Do not dispose of batteries in fire.

• Do not attempt to recharge ordinary batteries.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES.WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES.

AUTOMATIC SHUT - OFF

To preserve battery life, the Phonics Reading Center™ learning toy will turn

off automatically after several minutes without input. The unit can be turned

on again by pressing the ON button.

NOTENOTE

NOTE: If for some reason the program/activity stops working, then please

follow these steps:

1. Please turn the unit off.

2. Interrupt the power supply by removing the batteries.

3. Let the unit stand for a few minutes, then replace the batteries.

4. Turn the unit on. The unit will now be ready to play again.

If the problem persists, please call our Consumer Services Department at 1-

800-521-2010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada, or 01235-546810 in the U.K.

WARNING: WARNING:

WARNING: All packing materials such as

tape, plastic sheets, wire ties and tags are

not part of this toy and should be dis-

carded for your child’s safety.

BATTERYBATTERY

BATTERY

INSTALLATIONINSTALLATION

INSTALLATION

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CARE AND MAINTENANCE

1. Keep the unit clean by wiping it with a slightly damp cloth.

2. Keep the unit out of direct sunlight and away from any direct heat source.

3. Remove the batteries when the unit is not in use for an extended period

of time.

4. Do not drop the unit on hard surfaces and do not expose the unit to

moisture or water.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Creating and developing the Fundamentals of Reading product line is

accompanied by a responsibility that we at VTECH® take very seriously.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information which

forms the value of our products. However, errors sometimes can occur.

It is important for you to know that we stand behind our products and

encourage you to call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-521-

2010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada, or 01235-546810 in the U.K. with

any problems and/or suggestions that you might have. A service rep-

resentative will be happy to help you.

NOTE: NOTE:

NOTE: This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not

installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the

manufacturer’s instructions, it may cause interference to radio and televi-

sion reception. It has been type tested and found to comply within the

limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications

in Subpart J of Part 15 FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable

protection against such interference in a residential installation. However,

there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular instal-

lation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television re-

ception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the

user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the

following measures:

1. Reorient the receiving antenna.

2. Relocate this product with respect to the receiver.

3. Move this product away from the receiver.

CARE ANDCARE AND

CARE AND

MAINTENANCEMAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE

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Vtech Phonics Reading Center Owners Manual

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