Customer Reviews

LeapFrog Didj Custom Learning Game Sonic the Hedgehog

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just got my 9 year-old a Didj for his birthday. The initial setup was easy and he took to the controls right away. The Sonic game is fun and does test spelling, but the word choice is somewhat illogical--lots of words like "bread", "laughter", "knowledge"--which don't follow any rules; i.e. all are sight words. This is great if your kid is already proficient at memorizing these words and just needs a review, but is terrible for reinforcing spelling rules based on phonemes.

A big selling point of this game is that parents can go online and make customized spelling lists. So it was very disappointing that if you connect to the Leapfrog Learning site and try to get to the customization page, you get a message saying the page is not working, they are "aware of the problem and are working on it" C'mon, Leapfrog, this is one of the big features you are pushing--fix this problem!!

My son has been playing this game non-stop since we gave it to him. Unlike the other review, the words were perfectly suited for his age/grade (2nd). Even if you needed easier words for your child, you can go into the Leapfrog Connect program and download a different word set (by grade, category, or create your own). The thing that makes this game so valuable (and the Didj as a whole) is that he is playing with HIS spelling words from school! I was so impressed by this: using the Leapfrog Connect program, you type in a spelling word from school and click "find". It will show you variations of that word and you choose the one you want (you do this for each of the spelling words). When you sync it to the Didj, not only the words but the AUDIO for each word syncs, so the female voice in the program will read the word to your child for them to spell! Every Monday our son's teacher gives a list of 20 words, and every Monday we sync them to the Didj. It's really awesome. They have had every spelling word too as of date, for the exception of "ball" which must have been an oversight since they had all the other "-all" words. My son has always liked Sonic, so we knew in advance he would like this game. The Didj mixes a lot of game play between the questions, but I appreciate that as otherwise my son would probably toss it aside and beg for a Nintendo DS or a Sony PSP. Plus with each correctly spelled answer, you are rewarded with a bunch of rings to collect. The controls take some time to get used to, and might be difficult for younger kids. My son struggled for a bit (I struggle to control Sonic too when I play!), but since he likes Sonic, he was already motivated to persevere. If your child has a pre-existing love of Sonic, this will be a hit.

This is much better than the didji racing game for spelling. My son didn't play that one much. I'm watching him spell words he's never spelled before. It helps that on some of the screens the letters are there, but he has to choose the correct order. Plus Sonic is just plain fun. I would highly recommend this one.

My 7 year old loves this game. I downloaded her weekly spelling words and she is spelling those while playing the game. I watched her play and the game went through the entire list of words during a short time playing. Great game!

My son just got this in the mail yesterday. When I got home he excitedly told me "this game is wayyy more learning than the other Didj games!". However, it wasn't a complaint, but an accomplishment. He enjoys the game a lot and both of us are thankful that the game teaches him a necessary skill in a fun way.

My daughter doesnt realize how much she is learning as she play. Great enjoyment.

Purchased this for my Grand Daughter. She immediately began to play and it kept her attention for a few hours. I asked her if she liked it and she told me that she liked it very much. She is nine years young, and an straight A-Student since beginning school.

this another great game for the didj product. Sonic helps them learn and think before they realize it. It's fun for adults.

Kids enjoy it a lot. But I am not convinced how much it helps with spelling as sometimes the words that are asked are not linked with a particular lesson. i.e. words that end in -eel vs -eal. It may be helpful for the words to be catagorized so that they can learn trends and spellings.

THis spelling game is a gem. The character is a fun loveing one that my boys love. My older school age kids did bore of this particular game faster than Didj racing (another spelling game) since they were able to conquer the many levels quickly. however it is great that I could add a specific list for up to 3 kids at once. My 3 year old still loves to play it since the fields are still a challenge, and he is just now learning to read and spell, so for him it is great! (but for older kids 2nd -5th grade, I suggest Didj racing Tiki tropics)