Anybook Reader
I first discovered the Anybook Reader (made by Franklin) while reading a blog. Since I had just had my son (and my niece had been born only 7 months earlier), I started to do a little research. This device is REALLY neat. You place stickers from the company on ANY book you want (one sticker per page). You then use the device and record your voice reading that book's page. Therefore ANY book can become a recordable book. Being a military family, we are always away from family and friends. However, Timothy can listen to books being read by a number of family members on any given night. I'm so blessed that I had my grandmother record a few books before she died - now we have her voice captured forever and that is simply priceless. There are two models - 15 hours of recording time and 60 hours of recording time. The 15 hour device is plenty in my opinion.
The obvious factor is that the Anybook Reader has to do with reading and thus it is educational. However, there are even more great ways to use this device!!
- If your child is working on articulation, then you can record your voice reading several words. Then, your child can practice saying those words and have a good model to compare his/her pronunciation to the one recorded. (You can always erase and re-record words so you don't have to always be buying more stickers)
- If your child is working on listening comprehension, then you can use the stickers with pre-recorded sounds (dog barking, fire engine, clapping, rain storm, etc) and place them on a sticker. Place the desired stickers on a piece of cardboard or cardstock (for durability). Have your child close his/her eyes and you touch the device to one of the stickers to make that noise play. Then, your child will have to open his/her eyes and use the device to touch the sticker he/she thinks you had touched previously! If he/she hears the same sound, then he/she is right! If not, your child will have to listen again. If your child is more sophisticated then you can say something like, "find the sticker with the dog barking" and your child will have to touch the correct sticker.
This is such a cool "toy" and has so many great uses!!!