While some children happily and diligently practice writing the letters of the alphabet on their own, others may need encouragement. This interactive electronic toy offers kids the chance to not only learn to identify letters and the sounds they make, but also challenges them to write the letters of the alphabet directly on the toy's "magic" writing screen.
This "desk" features large, colorful buttons for each uppercase letter of the alphabet, with their lowercase counterparts displayed in small print alongside each. Depending on the selected mode of play (there are six of them), kids get busy pressing the buttons and tackling the toy's challenges. Letter formation is demonstrated on a small LCD window, and children are encouraged to use the corded stylus to write the featured letter or short word on the erasable writing screen.
Younger children might stick with the first two modes of play to begin with. These beginner modes involve either pressing a letter to learn its name and then attempting to write the letter on the erasable screen, or engaging in quizzes that test letter recognition skills. The third mode introduces kids to the sounds each letter makes (and some make more than one sound!). The fourth mode asks kids to find letters given only the sounds they make. Children ready for basic spelling practice can push the mode selector to the fifth skill level. In this mode, kids are challenged to spell a three-letter word. If asked to spell the word "cat", for example, children are told which letters to press. If they spell the word correctly, they are congratulated and the word is then sounded out and named. The sixth and final mode is a free-play mode in which kids attempt to spell their very own three-letter words. Even incorrect combinations are learning experiences because the letters of the "word" are sounded out anyhow! The end result is a no-pressure activity that is educational no matter how successful a child is at it.
Kids or parents can easily toggle between upper- and lowercase universal settings. Although the featured letters are in uppercase, the display itself demonstrates letters and words in the selected case.
Before buying, there are a few points worth considering. For one, the toy does not recognize whether a child has correctly written the letters and words. It is up to children to compare their letter formations with those on display in the smaller window. Also, children who take their time writing may find that although the toy's feedback is positive, it is also frequent enough to be distracting. In fact, the toy may even shut off before a child is finished writing a word. Additionally, while the product is quite sturdy, the writing screen may suffer some damage over time. Some parents may object to the digital look of the letters on the LCD--the formations are not quite smooth or flowing.
However, this toy has plenty of positive qualities to earn our recommendation. The addition of a writing screen to an electronic alphabet-learning toy adds considerable interactive value to the educational experience. Even though children will not receive feedback on whether they've drawn letters correctly, they have a chance to compare their writing with that of the toy's. The audio of this electronic toy is a pleasing improvement over that of earlier versions--instead of a drab, monotone voice, kids are treated to pleasant, expressive feedback, complete with enthusiasm and intonations. Overall, the toy is very encouraging. Some kids may find the silly sound effects that accompany an incorrect answer a little more exciting than the congratulations for a correct one, however! The Phonics Writing Desk is especially valuable for teaching kids to connect uppercase letters with lowercase ones, and for motivating children to want to write. The design and size of the "desk" makes it quite portable and ideal for keeping kids engaged during long trips in the car. The cord that attaches the pen to the toy keeps it from getting lost, and is centered so that both right- and left-handed children can write comfortably.
