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Posted January 29, 2014 by Amy in Books
 
 

Clifford Ready-To-Read Review

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The LeapFrog Learning Library presents a brand new learning game for LeapPad and LeapsterGS.

Join Clifford, Emily Elizabeth, Cleo, Tbone, and all your friends on Birdwell Island on a reading adventure that is sure to please. Featuring three different skill levels from new to the alphabet to early readers, it’s appropriate for a variety of learning levels – and provides a great incentive for improvement as kids work to move on to the next level.

The setup in Clifford Ready-To-Read is easy for kids to pick up and play. The game leads you through the beginning, with Emily Elizabeth reading a book to Clifford (and you!). The book is colorful, and each word is highlighted as Emily Elizabeth reads. After the story, the kids soon learn that if they’d like to hear new stories, they have to earn the books first. This can be done by collecting ten stickers. The stickers are earned by playing the mini games in any order and amount they’d like. Each ten stickers adds a new book to Clifford’s shelf, which kids can then read themselves or have read to them any time they’d like.

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The mini games are well suited to the age recommended for the game (Pre-K to Kindergarten), and the difficulty of each is tailored to whichever reading level was selected when the game begin. In one game, the kids help Cleo dig out buried toys by scooping with their stylus, and then sort the toys into baskets based on the letter they begin with. In level 1, all the toys begin with the letter on the one box they are given, introducing the idea in a really approachable way. As the reading level selected rises, kids are expected to sort them into boxes on their own. Other mini games include one where kids assemble the pieces of a letter and then color it. It is then used to begin the name of a boat, where their artwork is proudly displayed. In another, kids take pictures of items that rhyme, and build words to inspire art. It’s really quite engaging, in a way that is simple yet engaging for kids. The educational value is easy to see in every game, and kids really enjoy playing it.

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As I like to have an expert opinion on children’s games, I handed Clifford Ready-To-Read off in turn to my young daughters, aged five and seven. My five year old absolutely will not put it down, and it has been the screen time of choice since she picked it up. The collecting stickers aspect of it has really captured her attention, and she loves how it counts how many stickers she has after each and every game. The seven year old is obviously well past the suggested age for the game, but I wanted to see if it was something that would be quickly outgrown, or if it would stand the test of time. I was pleased to find that she really enjoys the game as well, in particular the art mini games, and the books. Reading the books with Clifford and Emily Elizabeth works a lot like any other digital book, and it provides a colorful alternative to standard books to keep things interesting.

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Clifford Ready-To-Read hits the perfect note between educational and fun. Kids are learning in virtually every aspect of the game, and its colorful and fun setup keeps them begging to play. It’s a great choice for parents looking to add some educational value to your family’s screen time.

 


Amy

 
U.S. Senior Editor & Deputy EIC, @averyzoe on Twitter, mother of 5, gamer, reader, wife to @macanthony, and all-around bad-ass (no, not really)