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LeapFrog: Let's Go to School (NR)

common sense media says

Siblings Tad and Lily overcome first-day-of-school jitters.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the latest educational DVD from popular toymaker LeapFrog focuses on kids’ fears about going to school for the first time. What will they have to learn? How will they know what time it is? As the main characters, Tad and Lily, interact with classroom objects and learn about concepts such as phonics, counting, days of the week, and animals, their fears turn to excitement.

Educational value: Learning is presented as fun, and educational concepts like phonics, counting, and days of the week are reinforced through fun songs and an engaging story.
Positive messages: Tad and Lily learn to transform their school-related fears into excitement. They also empathize with others who are nervous, too.
Positive role models: Tad and Lily are typical young kids -- er, frogs -- who are nervous about a new situation, but by the end they’re feeling confident and excited. Older brother Leap is kind and reassuring about school.
Consumerism: The movie is part of LeapFrog’s line of Learning Path products, which is promoted through a song in the movie’s introduction and on the DVD packaging. Tad and Lily, along with older brother Leap, are well-known LeapFrog characters.
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More on LeapFrog: Let's Go to School

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

  • Families can talk about how kids sometimes feel nervous and uncertain about starting school for the first time. What are Tad and Lily nervous about? How are those fears resolved by the end of the movie?

  • What learning concepts do preschoolers already know? How high can they count? Do they know the ABCs?

  • What can kids expect from the first day of school?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Tomorrow is the first day of school for frog siblings Tad and Lily, and they’re both a little scared! Their firefly pal Edison takes them on a magical tour of their classroom, where they discover that the objects in the classroom are just as nervous. As they interact with classroom objects like blocks, the calendar, and the clock, Tad and Lily get a taste of what’s in store -- phonics, counting, days of the week, and more. By the end of the DVD, everyone is looking forward to the first day of school.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Going off to kindergarten can be a scary prospect for kids, and LET'S GO TO SCHOOL could be a big help to parents looking to soothe their kids’ nerves. The songs are catchy, and the characters are fun to watch (particularly the clock, who gets a little gruff at times). Young kids will relate to the animated objects and their fears; for example, the blocks keep jumping back in the box because they’re scared.

The movie covers a fair bit of educational territory in 35 minutes, perhaps too much to teach younger preschoolers all the concepts from scratch, but kids who are getting ready for kindergarten will enjoy the reinforcement of concepts they’ve already been introduced to.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Lionsgate
Director: Bob Nesler
Cast: Cindy Robinson, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Jessica Straus
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 32 minutes
DVD release: August 18, 2009
MPAA Rating: NR
This review was written by Angela Tiene
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

knuttle
parent of 4 year old
3
 
Great DVD for Preschoolers
My 3 yr old Twins love this DVD. They enjoy the entire Leap Frog DVD Series, but "Let's Go to School" got them interested in attending pre-school, and gave them something somewhat educational. They really enjoy watching "Talking Word Factory" and "Letter Factory" are their favorites. They started watching it a 2.5 yrs of age and they both know what sounds each letter makes, recite the alphabet, and can spell their names. They like "Math Adventure to the Moon" too, and although it may be better for 4+, they are great with counting the numbers with the DVD. They are also terrific for longer car trips, they watch one after the other and it keeps them interested.
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