Customer Reviews

Write and Learn Lightboard

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

 

 

Just purchased for my almost 4 year old son. We need to work on letter recognition and writing skills and this looked perfect. My main issue with the item is that even when I write some of the letters to show him how to use the toy, it doesn't always recognize the letter...even when I'm being particularly careful to apply even pressure on the writing surface, moving the pen slowly and being very precise in the strokes. Makes me think that a 4 year old has very little chance of getting it "right" according to the computer.

I bought this toy because I saw that it has been developed since an earlier version to make it more able to recognize a young child's writing. My son got this for his 4th birthday and I was quite excited about it, however, I'm disappointed because when he uses it, the toy often corrects him unless he writes a perfectly straight line. His motor skills are good but it still tells him he's not correct and he has become very frustrated with it.

I bought this for my daughter for Christmas. Well, I took it out early and played with it first and I'm glad I did. I WON'T be giving her such a FRUSTRATING toy! Please know that I taught school, including first grade where I taught manuscript writing. Not only does this toy correct when I made perfectly straight lines -- it also teaches some of the order of letter strokes WRONG! This is a sad excuse for a writing toy, in my opinion. Stick to the Leapster cartridges (Disney Princess and Letters on the Loose) to teach writing. I bought the V. Smile Pocket for Christmas for my daughter as well and I'm really hoping it's not as bad as this V Tech product is. Don't buy if you don't want your child frustrated over handwriting. I was frustrated with it after less than five minutes and I'm in my thirties!!

My 3 year old loves this product. This is the first toy that she gets out over and over again besides her books. It really works on her fine motor skills holding the pencil and learning to draw straight lines. Then we'll move on to drawing letters and numbers. There are so many activities on this that it keeps her busy for quite a while. There are also 2 different levels on it so I know she'll be getting good use out of it for a long time. This is really a great educational toy.

I just thought I'd add my thoughts on this toy - I think it is wonderful for a child who needs that motor skill practice to get better at writing. I also like the fact it teaches correct stroke order so they learn to form the letters correctly. Another plus it teaches accuracy by making them go through each dot that makes up the letter,number or line -this also is helpful in teaching the correct formation because it illustrates where stopping points are so they learn the proper way to make things like v's and u's clearly different. There are a few cons, like another reviewer mentioned it's a bit specific about what it's looking for -on the advanced level it can get crazy about telling you a perfect looking letter isn't right, and it only teaches uppercase alphabet. But if you are looking for something to give instant feedback to a child while they practice this is pretty good (stick with the beginner level for the most useful help), also there are games designed to increase skill/accuracy so the child can get more practice without just drilling letters/numbers. I also liked the chunky pencil which seemed comfortable for my son/ beggining writer.

My three and a half year old LOVES this toy. But I can see how it is not for everyone. The games are as follows:

1. Shows dots and has child connect dots to make lines and shapes. This one is pretty easy, but you have to make straight lines.
2. Connect dots to make letters.
3. Connect dots to make numbers.
4. List the letter that comes next. Here you can write the letter or just touch/point to the letter (letters and numbers are shown above the screen).
5. Count dots. BAsically you point to them and they are counted for you.
6. Memory game.
7. Follow the dots. A dot appears and you touch it, then it appears somewhere else, etc... You try to catch them.
8. You guess the letters from the dots. The W is kind of weird since the dots don't make it clear, but most others are fine. My daughter likes this one. You just have to point to the letter.
9. Songs. There are 36 different pieces of music. Press a letter or number to get a different one.
10. Doodle on your own.

It is very picky about how you connect the dots for the letters. But overall my daughter has no problems. The dots have a little fuzzy area around them, and as long as you touch that part, it's ok. However, I have had it not recognize the letter when I tried also. If it doesn't work, my daughter just tries again. But, like I said in the title, it depends on your child. My daughter is very particular, and she likes to draw and do art work, so she will sit still for these kind of things. Some children might get frustrated with this. I wouldn't blame them. I don't think every toy is for every child. I've bought some toys that get 5 out of 5 stars, and then it turns out she doesn't like it. I don't think one is better than the other, they are just for different kids. Try it out and see if it's for your child. I was scared to buy it, but I'm glad I did. My daughter really likes it.

I bought this toy for my 3 yr. old grandson who is just beginning to write & recognize his letters. I watched him use this but it kept telling him he was doing it wrong, so I tried. Sure enough I tried the numbers as well as the letters and when I went to write the letter or number it told me I was not doing it correctly and to try again. If someone who has been writing letters for many years cannot do it correctly (or so it seems) I can't expect my grandson to get it right either. I was very discouraged, not to mention frustrated and am taking it back to where I purchased it. I am trying to encourage to write his letters, not discourage him and make him feel inadequate. Don't buy this toy!!!

Santa brought this toy for my 3 year old who is trying to learn his letters and numbers. Each night at bedtime I sit with him and we play it together. I was very impressed with it. It shows them how to write the letter the correct way using the correct starting points to begin, and it has lots of different activities. I highly recommend. I am looking to buy one for my nephew who is in first grade.

I bought this toy for my grandchildren, ages 3-5. I watched my four year old grandson try to use it and he repeatedly got a "try again" message when writing the letters (by following the dots on the screen). I could not tell what he was doing wrong, so I tried it. I also got a "try again" as often as not. You have to not start to write too early and you must precisely press the middle of each dot, with the right pressure and at the right timing. Far too difficult for adults, much less children!

I bought this item for my four year old who is learning to write, and it is very frustrating. As other reviewers have said, even when I tried to write the letters as the toy instructs, I was told that the letters were not correct. The toy does have some games that my son likes and some songs that he enjoys, but overall I would not recommend this toy until the technology improves. Save your money and invest in a chalkboard and chalk which is far cheaper and much more rewarding.