Editor's Note

Our review of LeapFrog: Learn To Read At The Storybook Factory, published December 8th, 2005, is also available.

The Charge

Learn how letters build words!

The Case

Educational television is certainly a great way of keeping the kiddies busy and have them learn something significant while they're having fun. LeapFrog's animated shorts are known for telling rich stories and giving young viewers the opportunity to explore the world of language and improve their reading skills, and LeapFrog: Talking Words Factory is no exception.

In this little adventure, Leap, Lily, and Tad head to the exciting word factory, where they get to observe how a bunch of machines pick letters and turn them into short words. Whether they learn why vowels are so important, how they fit into building words, or how you correctly read and pronounce words, the discoveries they make and exercises they complete at the factory are both instructional and amusing to follow.

One thing I like about the LeapFrog movies are the characters' determination to actively involved their audiences. As soon as the three curious frogs step into the big word factory, kids in front of their televisions will find countless opportunities to speak after the characters and learn to pronounce words that may or may not be familiar to them.

Sure, some of the content is rather repetitive, but I believe youngsters who've just recently entered the language learning process will appreciate having several chances to get acquainted with one single word. Suffice it to say that Talking Words Factory is a stimulating experience for those who slowly start to understand the alphabet and are eager to improve their reading skills and discover the secrets behind using the same letters to build so many different words.

Also included on this disc are a trailer showcasing other LeapFrog products, as well as a fun learning game that will give your children the opportunity to test their skills and find the right letters to complete certain words. This is definitely a sweet feature for the more experienced viewers.

As far as the technical aspects of the DVD are concerned, the main program is presented in a solid full-frame format. The animation remains rather simple, but the colors are strong and the picture quality quite solid. The audio transfer does a decent job as well.

Fans of educational programs such as the Baby Einstein episodes will certainly embrace Talking Words Factory, as it serves a great purpose and offers kids a new way of learning the aspects of a language when they grow a little older. Additionally, it should keep them completely occupied for at least 35 minutes.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

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• LeapFrog: Learn To Read At The Storybook Factory
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