Reader Rabbit is a popular line of computer games created by The Learning Company. You must purchase this software, available in age-appropriate versions for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Reader Rabbit Personalized Preschool emphasizes letter sounds, phonics, early reading skills, spatial relations, vocabulary building and listening skills in 60 different activities. The game allows personalization for individuals, so several children can share the same software. It tracks the progress of each player with A.D.A.P.T. (Assesses Abilities, Develop Skills, Adjusts Levels, Provides Help,Track Progress) learning technology that allows parents or other adults to see how their child progresses. Reader Rabbit Personalized Preschool is recommended for children ages three to five.
Fisher-Price offers several mini-games children can play for free online. The games are separated into infant, toddler and preschool categories. Preschool games include The Musical Instruments Game, which teaches identification and sounds of musical instruments; Planet Heroes Turbo Shuttle, designed to teach about the solar system; Little People® Wheelies Memory Match, emphasizing memory skills; and the Phonics Learning Game, which teaches kids early reading skills. The site also offers several coloring pages you can print for your child. The games can be played by the child alone, but are also set up to allow parents to easily participate with their child.
Two games from KnowledgeAdventure include JumpStart Preschool and Advanced Preschool. Both games are geared to children ages two to four. The games teach prereading skills, letter recognition, sequencing, quantities, numbers, counting, music, songs and phonics through a variety of mini-games. Animal hosts, like Casey Cat, Elanor Elephant and Kisha Koala, guide your child through each level. The game tracks your child's attempts and successes to tailor the challenges to his level and avoid frustration. You can immediately download JumpStart Preschool or Advanced Preschool through the company's website. The CD version is available to purchase at most stores or can be ordered online. JumpStart also offers free online games for children, or the option of a monthly subscription that opens more games. The company also produces a line of supplementary products, like JumpStart Artist or JumpStart Explorer, meant to be used by a wide range of ages, including preschoolers.