How LeapPad taught kids to read

For multiple years, the hottest toy in the United States was a book. But not just any book: a smart book that could play sounds and respond to taps and help kids learn to read. However, buying it came with a high price and big parenting questions.

On the next episode of Version History, David Pierce is joined by The Verge’s Andru Marino and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy to explain how the LeapPad worked, why it was so enticing to both kids and adults, and why the company that made it could never quite follow it up.

We’re almost finished with our fifth season of Version History, all about the most iconic school tech. We’ve heard Nilay Patel pitch the TI graphing calculator for the hall of fame, the lead game designer of The Oregon Trail make up the scoreboard, and Marques Brownlee reminiscence about the first Chromebook. If you missed any part of our season, check out the episodes here:

If you want to know more about LeapFrog LeapPad’s history, here are some links to get you started: