Leapfrog unveils "baby BlackBerry" for tots

David Carnoy | Jan 29, 2009

Is the baby iPhone next?
(Credit: Leapfrog)

There's good news for parents who are tired of having their toddlers getting their grubby little paws on their BlackBerrys and other smartphones while they're not looking. Leapfrog has announced a product called the Text & Learn or--as it's sure to be known in the blogsphere--the "baby BlackBerry."

Now kids can mimic their parents and send text messages and check their schedules at all hours of the day. The device, which is a bit bigger than your average BlackBerry, is geared toward preschoolers who are just learning to spell and includes games that focus on spelling and basic computer skills.

Virtual pal Scout is onboard to help; youngsters can exchange text messages with the little guy and check Scout's planner for meeting conflicts (OK, I'm kidding a bit there), and explore in a "pretend" browser mode. Other learning activities include letter matching, shape identification, and QWERTY keyboard navigation.

The Text & Learn was unveiled at the UK Toy Fair this week and isn't supposed to be announced in the US until next week, but we do know it will be available this summer and will cost US$25. No, it doesn't have any sort of wireless capabilities (what did you expect for 25 bucks?), though it'd be scary if it did.

Comments? Do we live in a sick world or is this a great tool for teaching tots to spell?

Via CNET Crave

Filed under: Gadgets, Handhelds, Mobile Phones
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Devlin

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Devlin says...
Although I generally am a supporter of technology that help give our kids an edge later on in life I think I'm going to have to draw a line on this one. True, computers are becoming more and more ubiquitous and children should learn to use them but exposing them to typing peripherals at such an early age will do nothing to help their penmanship. Already, a lot of people (at least here in America) have such terrible penmanship I sometimes wonder if I'm reading foreign script. Then there's the Blackberry aspect of the device, which I think will not help with their people skills.

Teaching kids to spell, recognize shapes, and solve cognitive puzzles/games are all well and good but should be approached with baby-steps (no pun intended). It'll be easier for them to later adapt to computers and electronics in general just because of how ubiquitous these devices are.

Jan 30, 2009 09:25

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PSmith

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PSmith says...
There's one rule that all heroin dealers, cigarette companies and peddlers of religion live by: If you don't get them addicted when they're young, you'll never get them.

This isn't about teaching kids to type. This is about making them depend on technology, about having kids to grow up never knowing what it's like NOT to have it. I teach (English, not math) and I've lost count of how many under-10s I've seen who can't do math without a calculator. Kids should have some exposure to computers, but not constant use until they can read and write well by hand.

Feb 16, 2009 01:39

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