Product Description

Take your little one's learning to the letter! The Write & Learn Smartboard makes it fun and easy to learn standardized writing. Little ones can try their hand at letters and numbers with the easy-to-hold Write & Learn stylus. The Write & Learn Smartboard's touch sensitive writing surface recognizes strokes and automatically tailors instructions as your child progresses. And with the Write & Learn Smartboard's friendly pencil character and fun six activities -- your little writer can't wait to go back to the drawing board again and again/ Measures 11" x 12.4" x 1.9". Requires 3 "AA" batteries, included.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9660 in Toys & Games
• Brand: VTech
• Model: 80-032301
• Released on: 2008-06-20
• Dimensions: 11.00" h x 13.00" w x 2.00" l, 2.60 pounds

Features

• Writing recognition technology teaches and recognizes correct letter and number strokes
• ABC keyboard
• Stylus pen and touch-sensitive writing surface
• 6 activities feature letter writing, number writing, letter order, spelling, drawing, and sing along
• Portable

From the Manufacturer
Take your little one's learning to the letter. The Write and Learn Smartboard makes it fun and easy to learn standardized writing. Little ones can try their hand at letters and numbers with the easy to hold Write and learn stylus. The Write and Learn Smart board’s touch sensitive writing surface recognizes strokes and automatically tailors instructions as your child progresses. And with the Write and Learn Smart board’s friendly pencil character and six fun activities your little writer can't wait to go back to the drawing board again and again.

Customer Reviews

Great idea, very poor execution by Vtech
Someone at Vtech had a great idea, but the engineers just didn't follow through. The concept of this toy is great, but it just doesn't work as advertised.

My 5 yo daughter received one for her birthday and couldn't wait to start using it. She eagerly wrote her letters (correctly) in the box only to be told "Oops! Try again!" This happens at least 75% of the time! I have even gotten the same response when I write letters or numbers.

I understand that children need to learn to write letters a certain way, and the toy does teach that, but it won't accept most letters/numbers that ARE written correctly. There is also a time delay, so if the child starts to write the letter before the machine is ready, it doesn't "see" what has been written and assumes it was wrong.

If this toy is frustrating for the average parent, imagine how a 5 year old feels. I have taken out the batteries and hidden the toy because I can't stand the sound of it anymore (no volume control either - grrr) I don't want my child being told her writing is incorrect, when its not.

Expects too much from a 4 year old's writing
I bought this for my four year old son and I am not impressed. I sat down with him to play with it and here's why what I found:

-It places a time limit on his writing a letter. If he's not done in time, it cuts him off. He doesn't really understand that his time is up.

-If the letter isn't pretty much perfect, it tells him he was wrong. Since he's just learning to write letters, this seems a little harsh for his just-developing ego.

-It has three little windows for writing letters, which I presume is to give them three chances at success. He doesn't understand this though, and keeps trying to write in the middle box.

-The drawing feature is lame because it accepts anything he draws as great. So this is the opposite of the letter writing feature.

He was really excited about this toy when he first saw it, but soon lost interest. I'm frankly much better off with flashcards for spelling and a dry-erase board for writing letters.

Vtech Write and Learn Smartboard
I also like the idea of this toy and I played with it a lot in the store trying to decide whether to buy it for my four year old son. I like the fact that it teaches upper case letters AND numbers as well as sounds. However, when forming letters, you have to follow the EXACT stroke sequence as the demonstration otherwise you will get message (something like 'try again' or keep practicing'). For instance, I write upper case M by going straight down, diagonally down, diagonally up, then straight down. Smartboard wants you to do the vertical lines first, then do the diagonal lines in order to 'pass'. I suppose it 'feels' in what order the child makes the strokes. Also, I'm left handed and a left handed person will make the horizontal line in a H from left to write and a right handed person will make it from left to right. SmartBoard is not so smart after all and will only accept the right handed way. I decided not to buy the toy, but I think it is a great idea and if you think your child will follow the verbal and visual directions exactly, it might work for him/her. Otherwise it could be discouraging. By the way, for a younger child directions like 'curve to the right' etc.might not make a whole lot of sense yet.