Aimed at grades 3 through 8, LeapFrog's Crammer Study and Sound System rolls into stores today, and as with the equally impressive Didj we covered not too long ago, this one's as much a winner in design as it is in practice. Where the Didj sneaks curriculum-based learning into grade schoolers' hands through a vibrant, Nintendo DS-style shell, the Crammer is clearly designed for those kids' older siblings: The gadget looks like a cross between an iPod and a GPS device, and like the former, it also plays digital music files, making it the rare learning device kids won't be shy about showing off in the hallway at school.
Obviously, any music collection you load into the Crammer is meant to be secondary to the device's greater purpose, and given the storage space, we're only talking around 10 hours' worth of music, anyway. Navigating through a click screen, kids can access over 16,000 math, science, language-arts and social-studies questions, some examples of which the folks at LeapFrog were nice enough to provide for us (scroll to the bottom of this post if you're the impatient type). The Mac- and PC-compatible LeapFrog Connect Application, which comes bundled with the Crammer, also lets kids drill a little deeper into their test prep: Just upload content to the device via a USB cable to create your own digital flash cards for whatever subjects happen to be the current focus.
Like the Didj, the Crammer is also connected with the LeapFrog Learning Path, a free online tool that lets Mom and Dad track how kids' study habits are progressing. Data moves from the Crammer into your customized Learning Path every time the device is connected to your computer, and whether you choose to access the Learning Path through your Web browser (where you also get tips on learning enrichment) or through email progress reports, you can review what the kids are downloading and how they're using the data.
Available for $59.99 from the LeapFrog Store, the Crammer Study and Sound System also packs two games and a Spanish translator. You can customize the device with an accessory/skins kit ($12.99) and a soft case ($9.99), and if you haven't yet seen the frog/firefighter commercial that's been floating around, here's an extremely quick look at the Crammer in hand:
Last but not least, here's that sneak peek at the Crammer's questions we were promising -- check these out to see if you are indeed smarter than a 5th grader:
Grade 5 Science Questions:
1) What do creatures in the deep ocean use light for?
A) to lure in food
B) to see better
C) to signal danger
D) to read
2) Where is the Earth’s most carbon found?
A) In the atmosphere
B) In oceans
C) In fossil fuels
D) In plants
3) What is the name for the type of energy stored in chocolate?
A) Mechanical energy
B) Electrical energy
C) Chemical energy
D) Delicious energy
Answers:
1) A
2) B
3) C
Grade 5 Math Questions:
1) Find the next three numbers in the following pattern: 10, 11, 13, 16, 20...
A) 25, 31, 38
B) 24, 29, 35
C) 25, 30, 36
D) 25, 31, 40
2) A recipe calls for 2 pints of water, and you have a one-cup measure. How many cups do you need?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 8
3) In space, each point has 2 coordinates to describe its location.
A) True
B) False
Answers:
1) A
2) C
3) B – each has 3 coordinates
Grade 6-8 Math Questions:
1) Assume that 16% of the pretzels in a bag are broken. If a bag contains 177 pretzels, how many are broken?
A. 30
B. 11
C. 34
D. 36
2) What is the balance of the following bank account: $198 earns 15% interest for three years?
A) $290.27
B) $301.13
C) $305.45
D) $287.10
3) What is the area of a square field 50 yards on each side?
A) 50 yards
B) 100 yards
C) 6,250,000 yards
D) 2,500 yards
Answers:
1) A
2) B
3) D
