If Read With Me Scout or Violet can’t get kids to get into reading, I have no idea what will. The adorable twin pups from LeapFrog come with their own curriculum, as well as interactive features that make them pretty solid educational tools.
Scout and Violet are male and female plush pups that come with five board books, all of which can be read completely by the dogs themselves while kids follow along in the books. But, the pups do a little more than just reading – they attempt to keep kids engaged (a difficult task) by asking them comprehension questions every once in a while. The books themselves take an interesting approach – instead of storybooks, LeapFrog went with five books that teach kids about storybook concepts, like rhyming, patterns, narratives, and learning through reading. There’s the risk that kids might not be quite as engaged by these books as they would be by stories, but it sounds like the educational material is worthwhile.
And, if the kids totally tune out the educational part, all’s not lost – they still have a pretty cute puppy pal, who can sing songs, say lines, and give encouragement. A few different actions elicit reactions, like a pat on the back, a kiss on the cheek, or a squeeze of one of the paws.
Read With Me Scout and Violet are available now from LeapFrog for $35 each. They’re recommended for ages two to five.
