If you’re a parent, you’ll know all about VTech. The company makes ‘electronic learning toys’ for children – everything from plastic trolleys and music toys through to e-readers and kid-focused laptops.
But what to do when parents are increasingly getting edutainment for their children through iPhone or iPad apps? Simple: VTech has launched its first iPhone app: What’s That Noise.
It’s pitched as a ‘storybook’, based on the existing V.Reader technology. The story focuses on a dog called Rufus, who has to learn to be a city dog, after moving from the sleepy countryside. Thankfully, this doesn’t appear to involve learning to leave streaky turds on pavements and barking from 10pm to the early hours, like the dogs in my neighbourhood.
The app offers automatic narration, but also a ‘Free Play’ mode that pauses the reading, so kids can touch words and images to learn how they sound. There are eight mini-games to play based on the story, and a dictionary of words used.
VTech has lots of competition on the App Store, but its brand should mean plenty of parents give the app a whirl.
Leave a Reply