Teach My Toddler – Review & Giveaway (closed)

Teach My Toddler was created when mompreneur Christy Cook set out to find educational products for her then 18 month old toddler. Seeing that most educational products don’t start at that age (besides the usual brain baby dvds that we’ve all seen), she created her own. The result is Teach My Toddler, an all-in-one learning system for toddlers presented in a compact tote.

Teach My Toddler focuses on 4 basic skills: alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. The tote is divided into 4 sections accordingly and within each section moms have a selection of teaching tools available. I love how well organized this system is and that it comes in its own tote. Moms can pull out the tote for an activity (the recommendation is 20 minutes a day) and then clean everything up and tuck it away neatly (because we really don’t need one more thing cluttering up our counters, do I hear an “amen”?)

The entire system works together in a consistent way – for example in my tote the letter H is for Horse. This image is consistent with “H” in the book and flash cards. A little more about the goodies inside the tote in each section:

Each section (alphabet, colors, numbers and shapes) has a poster that you can put up in a play area or the child’s room, anywhere that you would like a daily visual reminder or reference for the teaching that you will be doing. I like the poster idea, it’s something that can be present all the time even when the other teaching materials are packed away. Each section also has an easy foam puzzle (because we all know that with play comes learning); the alphabet section comes with an upper case and lower case alphabet puzzle (by the way, these foam shapes make great bath toys as well…again learning through play). Another item found in each section is a board book, as well as a set of flashcards.

In the front of the tote, you will also find a Parent’s Guide. This is such an excellent resource and really the key to this system. After all, if we can’t effectively teach, we’re going to get nowhere (and probably frustrated pretty fast!)

The Parent’s Guide lists 10 Keys to Success. One worth noting, “Make a big fuss when you bring the tote out, ‘This is a special time with mom, we’re going to sit and play together for a little while, it will be fun!'”

The Guide also lists ways to teach each section, for example “How To Teach Your Toddler The Alphabet” suggests letting your toddler remove and replace the letters on the puzzle and then having mom or whomever hold up each letter when the toddler removes it and saying the name.

Overall, I am so impressed with this kit and consider it my special advantage for my daughter over the next few months. My son is 4 and was reading before he turned 3 and whenever people ask how I taught him to do that, I really don’t have a clear answer. I had absolutely no structure and we just went with what he was interested in doing. I think the advantage I had in his case was that he was truly interested in learning his alphabet and reading so it was child-lead teaching in that case.

My son is so interested in the Teach My Toddler kit right now and insists on showing it to his sister (who is 14 months and not quite ready yet) to help teach her to read. It’s pretty endearing to see and I think Nevaeh will have 2 teachers when the time comes.

Teach My Toddler kits can be found in stores across Canada, click here to see where you can buy this kit across the country. The kit can also be ordered directly from the Teach My Toddler site for $49.99 with free shipping to Canada/US!

I’m not quite sure how big my list is going to be by the end of 2009, but this product has made my Top Items of 2009 already. If you’re a mom like me who would like to teach your child the basics at home and need some sort of structure or help, this kit is perfect. Or if you’re a grandma who wants to have a special project at your house, this is a perfect kit to share with a grandchild.

1 Feisty Frugal and Fabulous reader is going to have the opportunity to win their own Teach My Toddler kit! To enter, go to the Teach My Toddler site and comment telling me where you can buy the kit in your province (or the closest one to you!) This giveaway is open to Canadian readers only.

For additional entries:
~ Tell me what you like most about the Teach My Toddler kit from what I discussed in the review or from browsing the site.
~ Follow me
~ Subscribe via email
~ Grab my button
~ Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link

Please ensure your profile is public or leave me your email address in your comment. This giveaway will end on February 20th at 10:00pm CT. I will use Random.org to choose the winner, email the winner, and post the win here. Giveaway is open to Canadian addresses only.