Sizzlin’ Summer Sweeps #Giveaway Day 21: VTech V.Reader (ends 8/11)

Free Samples • Printable Coupons • Grocery Coupons • Free Stuff

This post is part of the Sizzlin’ Summer Sweeps – 31 Days of Giveaways for July 2010, brought to you by Crazy Coupon Mommy and Sisterly Savings! Make sure you check out all the other awesome giveaways you can enter!

What entertained us as children when I was younger, *ahem* let’s just say not that long ago, was so much simpler than what it is today. We read books, we rode our bikes, we caught lizards and frogs, we built blanket forts in the livingroom, we climbed trees, and we slid down hills on cardboard boxes. There was no Wii, computers (except for the Atari and Commodore which we only had because my Dad is a geek!) or iPhones or even cell phones!!

Seems like nowadays, if it isn’t electronic, it won’t hold your child’s interest or attention. This even applies to the youngest ones too! Whistler is almost 8 months old and just loves anything you might find in “Wired Magazine” – cell phones, laptops, iPad, remote controls, etc. My dad even gave him his very own Blackberry! So even though Whistler is MUCH younger than the recommended age of 3-7 years old, I *knew* he’d enjoy this learning toy as much as my inner child does :) So I was really excited when VTech asked me to review their new V.Reader Animated E-Book System.

While Whistler won’t get much of the reading or learning skills intended from the V.Reader, he absolutely enjoys sitting and reading with me from it. The animated screen captures his attention and I help him navigate by having him touch the screen to turn the page. I’m a big believer in babies being sponges and while I would not give this to him to play with unattended, I do think it’s a great tool for even someone as young as he is. I like the interaction it offers and he enjoys hearing a story in a different voice other than my own.

There are quite a few reviews out there basically saying, “My kid thinks it a computer and they like it” so there is no need for me to say the same. I did show it to my neighbor’s 5 year old son and he absolutely lit up. With very little instruction he was able to begin playing the games and reading along with the stories. There is no question about it, it’s definitely a hit with the children!

Instead, I’d like to give you a review from a parent’s point of view in value for money spent and potential educational benefits, if any.

So let’s start with what you get for the retail price of $59.99. The V.Reader Animated E-Book System comes complete with:

The system is fairly intuitive and can be immediately played with out of the box with very little instruction. It has a nice set of features that isn’t overwhelming.

Product Features

I really like that there are 2 ways that you can control the unit – with the touch screen or via assigned keys/buttons. While the touch screen is definitely a pretty cool feature, sometimes smaller, younger hands lack the finesse to operate it smoothly so having big color coded buttons that will do the same commands was smart thinking.

They also thought ahead by including a button that turns the background music on and off, two volume adjustment buttons to go up and down and also a headphone jack. <—- You know, because Junior has a different opinion as to what “play with that quietly” sounds like, right? Also perfect for entertaining in an otherwise quiet environment…like waiting at the doctor’s office.

I am happy VTech chose to go with a QWERTY keyboard rather than an Alphabetical one. Being exposed to this at an early age can only help to reduce frustration in learning how to type. The keyboard layout will already be familiar to them and there will be no “why are the letters all mixed up?”.

It runs on 4 AA batteries, but does have a socket to plug in a 9V AC adapter (not included) if you wanted to save the batteries and had an outlet handy. There is a low battery indicator that will pop up on the screen alerting you when there is 10-30 minutes of battery life remaining. The V.Reader will also turn off automatically if left on and several minutes have passed with no input. This is a welcome addition as we all know kids (and parents!) can be forgetful!

In addition to the storybook cartridge slot, there is an SD Slot in the battery compartment meant for downloaded games and media from the VTech website. (You will use this in conjunction with the included USB cable) More than 100 additional stories will be available via a download library located on the VTech Website, including some free titles, more themes and avatars to customize the e-reader. The V.Reader is compatible with a PC or Mac computer.

This is a new feature that will be go live in August and I’m excited to see all that it will entail. I like the idea of having the ability to expand the V.Reader’s functionality from the comfort of my home and the possibility of storing many more games and activities on a larger SD Card. This may eliminate the need to bring 5 different cartridges with you on a road trip and potentially losing some or all of them. (*Please Note: this is just my speculation as to what may be to come with the feature and not at all promised or endorsed by VTech.)

Activities

The first time you turn on the V.Reader, it will ask for the child’s name and to choose an avatar.

If by chance you forget a cartridge or lose one, your child will still be able to play the built-in spelling game that is very similar to Hang Man or Wheel of Fortune where you have to fill in the missing letters of words. It has 3 levels of play – Easy, Medium and Hard. I like that you have to get the letters in order, which adds foresight and planning skills into the mix, rather than just guessing.

Once you have entered the storybook cartridge into the system, you will be able to:

Watch the Story – read or listen to the story while watching animations
Reading Games – Play 8 story-related reading games
Story Dictionary – Learn the definitions of vocabulary words in the story

Watch the Story

This is the one I choose when using the V.Reader with Whistler. This option displays the words on each page and reads them to you at the storybook’s pace. The story and reader pause for you to turn the page, either by touching the screen or pressing the button.

You can also choose Free Play, which allows you to interact by touching anywhere on the screen. If you touch the words, they will be read as you touch them, at your own pace. Touching highlighted words will let you hear their definitions and touching the images makes them react with fun sounds or animations.

Reading Games

There are 8 different games to play that will work on various age-appropriate reading related skills including:

Reading comprehension
Onomatopoeia
Beginning sounds/Beginning letters
Syllables
Capital and Lowercase Letters
Foreign Languages
Antonyms
Rhyming

I was quite impressed by the variety of the games. Each one is appealing and fun. Kids would not think this was learning at all!

For incentive and to help your little one swell up with pride, certificates are also earned for doing well in the reading games :)

Story Dictionary

This provides meanings and definitions of words used in the story. I like that it takes it a step further by incorporating some comprehension by asking follow-up questions too!

Overall Impression

It’s a Kindle for Kids! But better. Because it’s got color and sound :) I wish I had one of these when I was a kid, it’s just so neat. With its intuitive design and engaging reading lessons, I definitely think you’re getting a great bang for your buck on this product! Its a fun way to sneakily make learning one of your child’s favorite activities.

*My only complaint for this otherwise well thought out item is that it doesn’t come with the AC adapter. I really dislike using anything that will go through batteries – it’s bad for the environment!*

To learn more about the V.Reader, visit the V.Reader Website and join the conversation at Facebook and Twitter. For future offers and information from learning experts, you can also sign up for the VTech Newsletter.

V.Reader is currently available exclusively at Target and will be offered nationwide in August at all key retailers and online at www.vtechkids.com.

Wanna win it?
The folks over at VTech have generously offered a giveaway for one lucky Crazy Coupon Mommy/Sisterly Savings reader to win!

One VTech V.Reader Prize Package to include: your choice of Blue or Pink V.Reader, 2 Extra Cartridges and a tote! Over $100 retail value!

How do I enter?

PLEASE follow directions!! Entering the giveaway is not hard – but if you do not complete the MANDATORY entry FIRST, your comments/entries will be deleted. If you have any questions about how to enter, please contact me…or just look at the comments above you and you will get the idea!

Just complete each of the following tasks and leave a comment for your entry(s)! Please leave one comment per task completed. (ie, if you do three of the following, you should leave three SEPARATE comments) Must be over 18 to enter. US residents only.

MANDATORY ENTRY – You MUST do this FIRST. If you do not do this, none of the other entries below will count and they WILL BE DELETED.

Visit the V.Reader Website and then come back here and let me know which 2 Story Cartridges you think your child would like!

LOTS OF WAYS TO GET BONUS ENTRIES!! Once you have completed the above mandatory entry, you can do as many of the below as you like for extra entries Good luck!

(If you already are a subscriber, follow on Twitter or like on Facebook, that counts as one entry, so be sure to leave a comment saying you already do so!)

Take the Summer Reading Pledge
Subscribe to Crazy Coupon Mommy via RSS Reader or email
Subscribe to SisterlySavings via RSS Reader or email
Follow VTech Toys on Twitter
Follow CCM on Twitter
Follow SS on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway (just click on the retweet button at the very bottom of this post just above the comment form. You can do this daily for extra entries! Just leave a comment each day you complete this task)
“Like” VTech Toys Facebook AND be sure to let them know CrazyCouponMommy.com sent you and thank them for sponsoring this giveaway by leaving a post on their wall!
“Like” SS on Facebook
“Like” CCM on Facebook
Join Club VTech Newsletter for Offers and Expertise
Share this giveaway on Facebook by clicking on the Share button below in the comment form!
Share this giveaway on Google by clicking on the Buzz button below in the comment form!
Vote for me on TopMommyBlogs (Be sure to click on words that say “Click here to vote”. You can do this daily for extra entries! Just leave a comment each date you vote.)
Vote for Whistler here (You can do this daily for extra entries! Just leave a comment each date you vote.)
Become a public follower of Crazy Coupon Mommy (Scroll all the way down to bottom of this page and look for this button
Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your blog post (this earns you 3 entries! Be sure to leave a separate comment for each!)
Got a blog or webpage? Place my link button on your site and leave the URL of where I can see it.

giveaways

***IMPORTANT*** You need to leave a separate comment for each of the above that you complete. Each comment acts as one entry, so if you only leave one comment saying “I did 1-3 above” then you’ll only get ONE entry instead of the 3 you deserve!

Contest will end 8/11/ 2010 at 11:59pm PST. The winner will be chosen randomly via computer using “And the Winner is…” WordPress Plugin or Random.org. Winner will be notified by a blog post (so be sure to subscribe to my newsletter so that you don’t miss the winner announcement!). Winner must respond within 48 hours or another random winner will be chosen.

Many thanks to VTech who provided me with a sample for the purpose of this review, as well as one prize package to giveaway to a randomly selected winner. I was not required to write a positive review and no other type of compensation was received. My reviews are always 100% honest and 100% my own.