Leapreader vs books with CD

[tommyg]

Is this a worth while toy or not?

DS has a Cars book with CD that he likes. I was considering other ones but then saw the leapreader at a reasonable price.

What do you think?

 

[Lilicat]

I brought the Leapreader for my son and I have already set it up and added books. I am seriously impressed with it. We have Tag Junior (now rebranded as Leapreader Junior) so I knew what to expect and it surpassed my expectations.

Things that impressed me about it:

• When I uploaded the books it automatically uploaded some music I had purchased for my son's Leappad and will play it. So it functions as an MP3 player (although you can only buy music through Leapfrog).
• The range of accessories is brilliant, I have got my son the flash cards and my Mum got him the world map. The map particularly looks fantastic. They also do a human body and a space set.
• The learning to write books look really good, my son isn't ready for those yet (he is autistic) but I will definately get them when he is.
• I played with the sample book and it would read out word by word or like an audio book, it was nice to have both options. Plus there was clickable bits round the page.
• It is lightweight and portable which give you options. I will be taking ours on holiday, it will be great for keeping my son occupied in the car.
• It fits a lot of books, the Leapreader Junior only fits five which annoys me endlessly. My son wont stand for them being taken on and off (autism thing) so we ended up buying a second pen. So far I have put four books, a set of flashcards and a world map on the pen and it has plenty of space for more.

Hope that helps!

 

[Lilicat]

I forgot to add, they do a selection of Cars books (four I think) if that is what he enjoys. Just make sure you choose ones that say Leapreader not Leapreader Junior as I don't think it will play the Junior books. It wouldn't allow me to add one anyway.

 

[tommyg]

Thank-you very much for your reply.
I've also been dithering if adding more ebooks to the leappad would be an alternative way to go.

I'm concluding that the CD option really isn't the best as although he flicks through the book at the same time as listening to the disk he isn't really following the words so he isn't learning anything.