This document evaluates and compares two Leapfrog toys - Musical Turtle and Learning Remote - in terms of their ability to teach colors, memory, numbers, words, shapes, and develop fine motor skills. It also discusses factors like complexity, attention/memory, motor development and numeracy important for child development. An evaluation matrix is provided to compare how well each toy supports these developmental areas. Sources discussing the impact of toys, home environment and parental involvement on skills like numeracy, attention and motor development are also referenced.

1. An evaluative comparison of LeapFrog toys:
Musical Turtle vs Learning Remote
● Leapfrog
● Teaches:
○ Colors
○ Memory
○ Numbers
● For information:
○ http://www.leapfrog.com/en-us
/store/p/melody-the-musical-tu
rtle-online-exclusive-purple/_/A
-prod19357
● Leapfrog
● Teaches:
○ First words and phrases
○ Numbers
○ Pretend play
○ Shapes
● For more information:
○ http://www.leapfrog.com/en-us/store/p/vio
lets-learning-lights-remote-online-exclusiv
e-pink/_/A-prod19353
By Isabelle Currie, Kimberly Ames, Madison Nunes, and Kiki Luo

2. Complexity
● Toys that are more realistic such as dolls and animals can create problems in
children socialization
○ Concerns about whether the toys are “alive”
○ Talking dolls can help conversation learning
● Interactive toys may not have a good feedback system for false answers and
therefore the child is not learning correctly
● Interactive toys require less imagination
● Some interactive toys require guidance from adults
○ Provide correct feedback
○ Provide proper socialization with the toy vs with other children
(Jo Ann Oravec, 2000)

3. Motor Development
● There is an increase in fine motor skills needed between preschool/Head
Start programs and kindergarten
○ Therefore, it is important for children to have more time to develop fine and gross motor skills
before they reach kindergarten so that they are better prepared
● Additionally, many preschools may offer fine motor activities that are not
academically-oriented (i.e. brushing teeth)
○ While important for overall development, this causes preschoolers to spend less time engaged
in motor development that they will need for school (like gripping, handwriting, precise
movements, etc.)
○ Toys that provide some academics while also working on fine motor skills is optimal because
these can be lacking in some programs
(Marr, Cermak, Cohn, & Henderson, 2003)

4. Attention/Memory
● Children need to be able to remember and discriminate between different
instructions, which is an especially important task to learn before beginning
kindergarten/elementary school
● Children need to learn to inhibit certain reactions while also following others,
and also retain information
● Toys can be used to give commands or as aids to help with memory
○ They can be used to demonstrate patterns that the children watch and repeat
○ They can also give commands for the child that they need to follow about what to do and what
not to do
● This can lead to children in the future being able to provide instructions to
themselves
(Jones,Rothbart,& Posner,2003)

5. Numeracy
● The home environment has a large impact on a child’s numeracy skills before
they enter kindergarten.
● Recent studies have looked not only at the environment in terms of SES and
family background, but have also begun to look at home learning environment
effects such as maternal education, parental care-giving practices, and
attitudes and their effects on child numeracy.
● Math skills are a strong predictor for the outcome of reading and math
achievement
● Numeracy helps to promote math skills in younger children
(Anders et al., 2012)
(Duncan et al., 2007)

6. Evaluation Matrix
Scale of to
Melody the Musical Turtle Violets Learning Lights
Remote
Complexity
Motor Development
Attention/Memory
Numeracy

7. Sources
https://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-development/child-development/why-toy
Jones, L. B., Rothbart, M. K., & Posner, M. I. (2003). Development of executive attention in preschool
children. Developmental Science, 6(5), 498-504. doi:10.1111/1467-7687.00307
Marr, D., Cermak, S., Cohn, E. S., & Henderson, A. (2003). Fine motor activities in Head Start and kindergarten
classrooms. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 57, 550–557.
Anders, Y., Rossbach, H.G., Weinert, S., Ebert, S., Kuger, S., Lehrl, S., Maurice, J. (2012). Home and preschool learning
environments and their relations to the development of early numeracy skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27(2),
231-244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.08.003
Jo Ann Oravec (2000) Interactive Toys and Children's Education: Strategies for
Educators and Parents, Childhood Education, 77:2, 81-85, DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2001.10521635