Dear Parent,

You know how important reading is to your child’s future. If your child can read, your child can do anything. That’s because reading is the foundation upon which all fundamental learning is built. A good beginning is absolutely essential.

That is why VTech designed the Fundamentals of Reading product line to help your child develop language skills, the skills crucial to learning how to read. Our age-appropriate activities will help your child feel successful every step of the way. In fact, we provide three levels of reading progression to help your child move from a beginning reader, to a growing reader, and finally to an advancing reader. Our curriculum begins with letters, letter sounds, and letter formation all the way through vowels, consonants, word recognition - even full sentences.

With the Fundamentals of Reading product line, children think they’re playing, but they’re actually learning. So their confidence grows, their self-esteem grows and their appetite for learning grows, too.

How Can You Help?

You’ve already started by showing you’re interested in your child’s reading development. By being a good role model, your child should see you read books, magazines and newspapers. Of course, there are other sources including billboards, grocery lists, recipes and street signs. What’s most important is that reading is a fun, interactive experience that should be shared with your child daily.

We encourage you to play the activities in the Fundamentals of Reading product line together. You’ll see first hand what progress your child is making. Children love positive reinforcement so praise your child’s achievements. As your child embarks on the road to learning, he or she will encounter challenges. This is a natural part of the learning process.

Please be patient and if your child needs help, be sure to provide it.

Have fun. Remember, learning to read isn’t a race. It doesn’t matter who gets there first, it’s simply “getting there” that really counts.

We wish you the best as you help your child get off to a great start in becoming a lifelong learner. As your child grows, count on VTech® to be there with fun, innovative learning toys to help your child do his or her best every step of the way.

We thank you for entrusting us with the responsibility of building your child’s future. When your child can read, your child can do anything.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at VTech®

1

29100 manual 2 3/27/99, 5:22 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™

FIVE TWO-SIDED BUILT-IN ACTIVITY CARDS

VOLUME CONTROL SWITCH

ON BUTTON

OFF BUTTON

REPEAT BUTTON

HELP BUTTON

FUN, FLIP

TOP DESIGN

ACTIVITY

SELECTOR

COLOR-CODED VOWEL AND

CONSONANT BUTTONS

TO BEGIN PLAY

1. To begin play, press the ON button ( ). You will hear an opening short tune and an activity instruction.

2. To adjust the volume, slide the VOLUME CONTROL SWITCH to the left for low volume or to the right for high volume.

3. Slide the activity selector left or right to select one of the ten activities. A friendly voice will guide you through each of the following activities:

1. Learning Letters

2. Alphabet Order

3. Sounds of Letters

4. Beginning Sounds

5. Beginning Letter

6. Vowels

7. Consonants

8. Missing Letter

9. Spelling

10. Melody Maker

4. For a unique learning opportunity, the Braille alphabet is located on the card for activities 1-5.

5. Press the REPEAT button ( ) to repeat the question or instruction.

6. Press the HELP button ( ) to repeat an instruction or give the answer to a question or play a song.

7. To turn the learning toy off, press the OFF button ( ).

2

29100 manual 3 3/27/99, 5:23 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1 - LEARNING LETTERS

Learning

Letters

This activity allows your child to practice identifying the 26 letters of the alphabet. As your child presses a letter button, he or she will hear the friendly voice identify the letter.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Learning Letters activity is presented to introduce your child to the 26 letters of the alphabet. Your child may explore at his or her own pace by choosing which letters to press.

There are no specific instructions telling your child which button to press.

This free exploration is very inviting and encourages children to take risks by pressing letters he or she may not be too familiar with.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Learning Letters.

2. Slide the activity selector to the first position as shown. You will hear a short tune followed by “Press a button” and a fun sound effect.

3. Press a letter button to hear the letter identified.

For example, press the letter “Aa” button and you will hear “A” and a fun sound effect.

4. Press the repeat button to hear the instruction and a fun sound.

5. When the help button is pressed, you will hear “Press a button” and a fun sound.

How Can You Help?

• Encourage your child to find the beginning letter of his or her name as well as other names of family members. A sk your child to think of his or her friends’ names or favorite toys, animals, etc. and guide your child in finding the beginning letters of those words using the letter buttons on the learning toy.

• Write some letters of the alphabet down on paper and encourage your child to find the matching letter using the letter buttons on the learning toy. After your child presses the letter button and hears the name of the letter, ask him or her what letter it was.

• A llow your child plenty of free time to explore this activity. Have your child touch and trace the letter buttons on the learning toy with his or her finger.

He or she should say the name of the letter while tracing it. Have your child say, “The name of the letter is __ .”

ACTIVITY 2 - ALPHABET ORDER

Alphabet

Order

This activity strengthens alphabetical order skills. Your child will recognize that the letters of the alphabet are arranged in a certain order. He or she will have opportunities to tell which letter comes before or after certain letters. Your child will be asked specific questions such as, “What letter comes before B?” He or she will then have the opportunity to look at the letter buttons and find that letter.

3

29100 manual 4 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 2 - ALPHABET ORDER

(continued)

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Alphabet Order activity has been designed to familiarize your child with the alphabet. Your child will also be taught the concept of before and after. This activity provides opportunities for your child to identify letters of the alphabet on his or her own.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Alphabet Order.

2. Slide the activity selector to the second position as shown. You will hear a short tune followed by a random question. For example, “What letter comes after B?”

3. When a correct letter button is pressed, you will hear a correct response. For example, when you press the letter ‘Cc’ button, you will hear “C. Good job! C comes after the letter B.”

4. When an incorrect letter button is pressed, you will hear a negative response. For example, when you press the letter ‘Ss’ button, you will hear a negative sound effect followed by “S comes after the letter R. Try again.”

5. When the repeat button is pressed, the learning toy will repeat the previous question.

6. When the help button is pressed, the learning toy will identify the answer.

How Can You Help?

• While your child is playing this activity, encourage him or her to look at the letters while making his or her decision about the answer. Have your child tell you why he or she is choosing a certain letter for his or her answer.

• Your child should understand what the terms “before” and “after” really mean. To help your child grasp this concept, practice this skill with your child. You may wish to use objects that your child is familiar with (i.e.

colored blocks, small toys). Lay three or four objects in a line and talk about before and after in regards to those particular objects.

• Talk about “before” and “after” in regards to events that have occurred throughout the day. For example, ask your child, “What did you do before lunch?” or “What do we usually do after dinner?”

ACTIVITY 3 - SOUNDS OF LETTERS

Sounds of

Letters

This activity teaches the sounds of the consonants and vowels. Your child will hear the correct pronunciation of each letter sound. He or she will recognize that the vowels A, E, I, O, and U can make two different sounds, both long and short. Every time your child presses a letter button, the friendly voice will tell your child the sound(s) that the letter makes.

4

29100 manual 5 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 3 - SOUNDS OF LETTERS

(continued)

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Sounds of Letters activity introduces your child to sounds of letters. Your child will recognize that all the letters make a certain sound. They will learn that some letters can even make two sounds or more. There are no specific instructions telling your child which button to press. This free exploration is very inviting and should encourage your child to take risks by pressing buttons that may be unfamiliar to him or her.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Sounds of Letters.

2. Slide the activity selector to the third position as shown. You will hear a short tune followed by “Press a button” and a fun sound effect.

3. Press a letter button to hear the sound(s) of each letter. For example, when you press the letter ‘Bb’ button, you will hear “The letter B says buh.”

4. Press the repeat button to hear the instruction and a sound effect.

5. When the help button is pressed, the learning toy will say, “Press a button” and then the learning toy will play a sound effect.

How Can You Help?

• Encourage your child to say the letter sounds along with the learning toy.

Your child could practice by saying, “The name of the letter is B, the sound of the letter is buh.”

• This skill takes lots and lots of practice. Remember to remain positive and praise your child when he or she can tell you the sound of a given letter.

• In everyday situations, have your child tell you what letter a certain object begins with. Repeat the word slowly for your child by really stressing the beginning letter. Have your child tell you what sound that letter makes.

ACTIVITY 4 - BEGINNING SOUNDS

Beginning

Sounds

This activity helps your child identify the beginning sounds of words. The learning toy will identify the beginning sound of a word followed by that word. Your child will need to rely on his or her knowledge of letters and their sounds in order to complete this activity.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Beginning Sounds activity is designed to help your child identify the beginning sounds of words. Your child will increase his or her decoding skills by using this activity. Your child will be able to apply the knowledge he or she has gained from learning the

26 letters of the alphabet and their sounds.

5

29100 manual 6 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 4 - BEGINNING SOUNDS

(continued)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Beginning Sounds.

2. Slide the activity selector to the fourth position as shown. You will hear a short tune and the friendly voice will say “Press a button” followed by a sound effect.

3. When a letter button is pressed, the friendly voice will identify the beginning sound of an object that starts with that letter.

For example, when you press the letter

Bb button, you will hear “‘Buh’, “Bus.”

4. You can refer to the card to see the objects and the beginning letter in each word.

5. When the repeat button is pressed, the previous instruction will be repeated.

6. When the help button is pressed, the learning toy will say, “Press a button” followed by a sound effect.

How Can You Help?

• Encourage your child to say the sounds along with the friendly voice. Your child could practice by saying, “The name of the letter is B, the sound of the letter is buh.”

• When you’re reading with your child, allow him or her opportunities to tell you the sounds of the first letters in some of the words. Your child may even be able to sound out the entire word.

• In everyday situations, have your child tell you what letter a certain object begins with. Repeat the word slowly for your child by really accentuating the beginning letter. Have your child tell you what sound that letter makes.

ACTIVITY 5 - BEGINNING LETTER

Beginning

Letter

This activity continues to reinforce consonant and vowel sounds. Your child will identify the beginning letter in various words.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Beginning Letter activity is designed to help your child learn to spell a variety of words as well as gain confidence in listening for sounds of letters at the beginning of words.

6

29100 manual 7 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 5 - BEGINNING LETTER

(continued)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Beginning Letter.

2. Slide the activity selector to the fifth position as shown. You will hear a short tune, followed by a random question. For example, you will hear “What letter does bus begin with?”

3. When a letter button is pressed, the friendly voice will identify the letter. For example, when you press the letter ‘Bb’ button, you will hear“B. Good job! Bus begins with the letter B.”

4. You can refer to the card to see the objects and the beginning letter in each word.

5. When the repeat button is pressed, the previous question will be repeated.

6. When the help button is pressed, the answer will be identified.

How Can You Help?

• After your child has found a beginning letter correctly, have him or her tell you the meaning of the word, and then use the word in a sentence. This is a great way to check for comprehension of the word.

• Have your child write some of the words from this activity on paper. Your child may wish to use paint, crayons, or markers to show the words he or she is able to spell.

• When you are reading stories with your child, cover up the beginning letter of a particular word. Ask your child to tell you what the beginning letter should be.

ACTIVITY 6 - VOWELS

Vowels

This activity introduces vowels in words. Your child will have to differentiate the vowel sound from the consonant sounds in the words. Your child will be able to identify the vowels A, E, I, O, and U because they are in a different color than the consonants. Your child will explore many words while trying to identify the vowel sound.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Vowels activity has been designed to show children that every word must have a vowel sound. It provides plenty of exposure to the vowels A, E, I, O, and U. It teaches children to differentiate between vowels and consonants.

7

29100 manual 8 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6 - VOWELS

(continued)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Vowels.

2. Slide the activity selector to the sixth position as shown. You will hear a short tune followed by a random question, for example, “Which letter is the vowel in the word nut?”

3. You can refer to the words located on the cards, which have the vowels color-coded to reinforce this activity.

4. When the correct letter button is pressed, the friendly voice will identify the answer. For example, when you press the letter ‘Uu’ button, you will hear “U. Good job! U is the vowel in nut.”

5. When an incorrect button is pressed, the letter will be identified. For example, if you press the letter ‘Aa’ or ‘Kk’ button, you will hear the letter identified followed by a negative sound. “A is a vowel” or “K is a consonant.”

6. When the repeat button is pressed, the previous question will be repeated.

7. When the help button is pressed, the answer will be identified.

How Can You Help?

• Using the letter buttons, point out the letters A , E, I, O, and U. Ask your child if he or she notices what all of these letters have in common. Your child should be able to determine that these letters are in a different color than the rest of the letters. Tell your child that there is a special name for these letters. The special name for this group of letters is vowels.

• While reading books, magazines, or signs to your child, draw attention to the vowels in the words. Have your child tell you what the vowel is in a certain word.

• Using old magazines, have your child look for vowels in print. Help him or her cut out vowels. Next organize all of the A ’s together, E’s together, etc. and glue them onto cards which have been labeled for each of the vowels. Keep the learning toy nearby so your child can refer to the vowel buttons.

ACTIVITY 7 - CONSONANTS

Consonants

This activity builds more confidence with consonant sounds. Your child will match a letter sound to the appropriate letter within the context of a word.

Your child will have to rely on his or her knowledge of letters and their sounds to identify the letter.

8

29100 manual 9 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 7 - CONSONANTS

(continued)

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Consonants activity will help your child see the differences between the letter sounds within words. This activity also teaches him or her that not all 26 letters in the alphabet are consonants.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Consonants.

2. Slide the activity selector to the seventh position as shown. You will hear a short tune. The friendly voice will then ask a random question. For example “In the word bus, what letter says buh?”

3. You can refer to the cards to sound out the words.

4. When the correct letter button is pressed, the an swer will be identified. For example, you will hear

“B. Good job! The letter B says buh in the word bus. B is a consonant.”

5. When an incorrect button is pressed, the letter will be identified.

For example, when you press the letter ‘Mm’ button, you will hear “M” followed by a negative sound. Then you will hear

“The letter M says mmm. Try again.”

6. When the repeat button is pressed, the previous question will be repeated.

7. When the help button is pressed, the answer will be identified.

How Can You Help?

• Before beginning this activity, have your child look at the learning toy’s letter buttons. Have him or her practice saying the sounds of each of the consonants before pressing these letters to check if he or she is correct.

• While playing with this learning toy, encourage your child to listen to the entire question before making a guess. Remind your child to look at the entire word before making his or her final decision.

• When you are reading books to your child, stop at certain words and ask your child questions like the learning toy does. For instance, “In this word, which letter says puh?”

29100 manual 10

9

3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 8 - MISSING LETTER

Missing

Letter

This activity strengthens spelling skills. Your child must decide which letter is missing in order to complete a word. He or she must rely on the knowledge of letter sounds in order to complete this activity. Using the objects and words on the cards, your child will be asked to choose which letter is missing from them in order to complete the word.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Missing Letter activity provides opportunities for your child to spell words correctly. Your child should recognize that there is a letter missing from each word. It also teaches your child how to correctly spell some short words.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Missing Letter.

2. Slide the activity selector to the eighth position as shown. You will hear a short tune followed by a random question, for example, “What letter is missing in the word hat?”

3. You can refer to the cards to see the word and visually fill in the missing letter.

4. When the correct button is pressed, a positive phrase and the answer will be heard. For example, when you press the letter ‘Aa’ button, you will hear “A.

Good job! A is the missing letter in the word hat.”

5. When an incorrect button is pressed, the pressed letter will be identified and you will be asked to try again. For example, when you press the letter ‘Ee’ button, you will hear “E” and a negative sound. Your child will be asked to try again.

6. When the repeat button is pressed, the previous question will be repeated.

7. When the help button is pressed, the answer will be identified.

How Can You Help?

• When your child is playing with the learning toy, point out that the missing letter on the cards corresponds to the letter buttons. Reinforce this connection.

• Practice this activity by having your child guess what letter is missing from a word that you have written down on a piece of paper. It may be helpful to provide choices of letters for your child.

• When reading a book to your child, choose a word that your child is familiar with and cover up one of the letters in that word. Ask your child to tell you what letter is missing. Continue in the same manner with more words.

10

29100 manual 11 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 9 - SPELLING

Spelling

This activity explores spelling skills. Your child must rely on his or her knowledge of letters and sounds in order to sound out and spell simple words.

Your child will be asked to spell words on the cards. As your child presses each letter button, the name of the letter will be identified. After the final letter has been pressed, the friendly voice will spell the entire word again and say the name of the object.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Spelling activity ties together all the skills taught in this learning toy. Children should be able to spell simple words by applying the skills taught.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Spelling.

2. Slide the activity selector to the ninth position as shown. You will hear a short tune and the friendly voice will ask a random question, for example,

“How do you spell leg?”

3. You can refer to the cards to see how many letters are in the word. This will help visualize the spelling of each word.

4. When the correct letter buttons are pressed, the answer will be identified followed by a positive phrase.

For example,

you will hear

“Good job! Leg

is spelled L, E, G.”

5. When an incorrect button is pressed, the letter will be identified, followed by a negative sound and “Try again.”

6. When the repeat button is pressed, the previous question will be repeated.

7. When the help button is pressed, the learning toy will identify the answer.

How Can You Help?

• After your child has spelled a word correctly, have him or her tell you the meaning of the word and then use the word in a sentence. This is a great way to check for comprehension of the word.

• Have your child write the words down on paper. Your child may wish to use paint, crayons, or markers to show the words that he or she is able to spell.

• Your child can practice reading the words that he or she can now spell.

Together with your child, say the name of the letters in the word and then say the name of the word.

11

29100 manual 12 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 10 - MELODY MAKER

Melody

Maker

This activity enables your child to enhance his or her listening skills by following directions in order to play various songs. Your child will follow the letters located on the cards and press the letter buttons to hear a song.

Learning Benefits for Your Child - The Melody Maker activity provides your child with an opportunity to have some fun while enhancing his or her creative skills! Following directions and listening are encouraged in this activity.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Turn the card to the index, Melody Maker.

2. Slide the activity selector to the tenth position as shown. You will hear a short tune and the friendly voice will say “Follow the letters to play a song.”

3. Press the letter buttons in the order shown on the cards to play two different melodies.

4.Press the repeat button to hear the instruction phrase again.

5. Press the help button to hear one of the two cheerful melodies.

How Can You Help?

• Ask your child if he or she recognizes the song being played. Encourage your child to sing along if he or she knows the song. If the song is unfamiliar to your child, but familiar to you, be sure to teach the song.

• Provide plenty of time for your child’s creative expression. Have your child try to think of new words that go along with the melody of the song.

Have your child share his or her new creation with others!

• Have your child draw or paint a picture about the song. Your child may wish to draw or paint a series of pictures that describe the song.

29100 manual 13

12

3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ BATTERIES

BATTERY INSTALLATION

1. Make sure the unit is off.

2. Locate the battery cover on the back of the unit.

Use a coin or screwdriver to loosen the screw.

Install 2 new ‘AA’ (UM-3/LR6) batteries following the diagram inside the battery box. (The use of new, alkaline batteries is recommended for maximum performance.)

3. Replace the battery cover and tighten the screw to secure the battery cover.

BATTERY NOTICE

• Install batteries correctly observing the polarity ( +, - ) signs to avoid

leakage.

• Do not mix old and new batteries.

• Do not use batteries of different types.

• Remove exhausted or new batteries from the learning toy when it will

not be used for an extended period of time.

• Do not dispose of batteries in fire.

• Do not attempt to recharge ordinary batteries.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES.

AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF

To preserve battery life, the FLIP FOR PHONICS™ learning toy will turn off automatically after several minutes without input. The unit can be turned on again by pressing the ON button.

NOTE: If for some reason the program/activity stops working, then please follow these steps:

1. Please turn the unit off.

2. Interrupt the power supply by removing the batteries.

3. Let the unit stand for a few minutes, then replace the batteries.

4. Turn the unit on. The unit will now be ready to play again.

If the problem persists, please call our Consumer Services Department at

1-800-521-2010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada or 01235-546810 in the U.K.

WARNING: All packing materials such as tape, plastic sheets, wire ties and tags are not part of this toy and should be discarded for your child’s safety.

13

29100 manual 14 3/27/99, 5:24 PM

FLIP FOR PHONICS™ MAINTENANCE

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

1. Keep the unit clean by wiping it with a slightly damp cloth.

2. Keep the unit out of direct sunlight and away from any direct heat source.

3. Remove the batteries when the unit is not in use for an extended period of time.

4. Do not drop the unit on hard surfaces and do not expose the unit to moisture or water.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Creating and developing the Fundamentals of Reading product line is accompanied by a responsibility that we at VTECH® take very seriously.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information which forms the value of our products. However, errors sometimes can occur.

It is important for you to know that we stand behind our products and encourage you to call our Consumer Services Department at 1-

800-521-2010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada, or 01235-546810 in the

U.K. with any problems and/or suggestions that you might have. A service representative will be happy to help you.

Note: This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, it may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply within the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Sub-part

J of Part 15 FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

1. Reorient the receiving antenna.

2. Relocate this product with respect to the receiver.

3. Move this product away from the receiver.

29100 manual 15

14

3/27/99, 5:25 PM