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.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ FISHERMAN REPEAT JOYSTICK BUTTON LCD SCREEN ON/OFF BUTTON LETTER HELP BUTTON BUTTON DEMO BLEND BUTTON BUTTON HANDLE ACTIVITY SELECTOR VOLUME CONTROL SWITCH (UNDERNEATH) TO BEGIN PLAY TO BEGIN PLAY 1. To begin play, press the ON/OFF BUTTON to turn the unit on. You will hear “Let's go fishing.” followed by a short tune. The welcome animation and bubble animation will be displayed on the screen. 2.
3. To adjust the volume, slide the VOLUME CONTROL SWITCH (located on underside of the cabinet) up for higher volume or down for lower volume. 4. Press the REPEAT BUTTON to repeat the previous response or question. 5. Press the HELP BUTTON to learn the correct answer. TO BEGIN PLAY 6. Press the DEMO BUTTON to see and hear a sample of the activity you have selected. 7. The TIMER FUNCTION in activities 2 through 9 allows one minute for the child to answer each question.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES LETTERS AND BLENDS ACTIVITY 1 - LETTERS AND BLENDS This activity introduces the 26 letters and 23 frequently used blends. This activity reinforces that letters make sounds and some letters make more than one sound! Every time your child presses a letter or blend button, the voice will tell your child the sound(s) of the letter or blend and show a related animation. This is a free exploration activity. Your child may randomly select which buttons to press.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 1 - LETTERS AND BLENDS (continued) How Can You Help? • Allow your child plenty of free time to explore this activity. Ask your child to find the letters and the blends on this game. He or she should say the name of the letters and blends once he or she has found them. Then he or she should press down the button to see if he or she guessed the correct answer and also to hear the sound the letter or blend makes.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 2 - FIND THE LETTERS AND BLENDS (continued) FIND THE LETTERS AND BLENDS 3. The correct answer will elicit a positive response as well as a reiteration of the correct answer for added reinforcement. 4. An incorrect answer will elicit an encouraging response. Your child will then be given another chance as the learning toy repeats the question. After the third incorrect attempt, the unit will reveal the correct answer, and a new question will be asked.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Slide the activity selector to the third activity. You will hear “Let's go fishing!”followed by a short tune, the activity name and a question such as “What letter is before B?” or “What letter is after A?” The timer will then begin as a “Tick Tock” sound effect is heard. 2. Your child may answer the question by pressing a letter button. The press of a blend button will result in an “invalid key” response.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 3 - BEFORE AND AFTER (continued) How Can You Help? • In order to be successful while playing this activity, your child must know what the words “before” and “after” really mean. Practice this skill with your child. You may wish to use objects that your child is familiar with (i.e. colored blocks, small toys, etc.) Next, lay three or four objects out in a line and talk about “before” and “after” in regards to those particular objects.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 4 - MISSING VOWELS (continued) 2. Your child must press letter buttons to fill in the missing letters in the word. The letters must be entered in order from left to right. His or her choices are limited to the vowel buttons, which are differentiated as yellow fish buttons in contrast to the pink consonant buttons. Pressing a consonant or blend button will elicit an invalid key sound effect. 3. Each correct letter will replace a blank in the word.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES THE BLENDER ACTIVITY 5 - THE BLENDER (continued) This activity reinforces knowledge of blends by asking your child to find the missing blend in a word. Your child will be shown a word with a blank space where the missing blend should be. He or she must determine which of the yellow blend buttons shows the missing blend. Once found, your child should press the blend button that he or she believes is the correct answer.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 5 - THE BLENDER (continued) How Can You Help? • Together with your child create sentences using blend words taught in Fishing for Phonics™. Your child may wish to use a different color crayon/marker when writing the blend word in the sentence so that it stands out from the rest of the words. • Create puzzle pictures with blends.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 6 - SPELLING (continued) 2. Use the letter buttons to spell the word in order from left to right. Each correct letter will appear one at a time, replacing the blanks on the screen. When the word is complete and all the blanks are filled, press the fisherman to stop the timer. 3. A correct answer will elicit a positive response as well as a reiteration of the correct answer for added reinforcement. 4. An incorrect answer will elicit an encouraging response.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 7 - WORD GUESS (continued) ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Slide the activity selector to the seventh activity. You will hear “Let's go fishing!”followed by a short tune and the instruction “Guess the word.” An animation will be shown as a visual clue. The timer will begin as a “Tick Tock”sound effect is heard. 2. To answer the question your child will need to press the letter buttons to fill in the blanks one at a time from left to right. WORD GUESS 3.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 8 - OBJECT MATCH (continued) OBJECT MATCH This activity builds vocabulary skills. Your child will need to determine which object matches the word as three different pictures scroll across the screen. Learning Benefits for Your Child - Object Match tests your child's knowledge of the vocabulary presented in Fishing for Phonics™.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 9 - MEMORY CHALLENGE This activity challenges your memory, sequencing and spelling skills. Your child will have an opportunity to test his or her memory as he or she is asked to remember the spelling of a word. The letters are voiced one at a time. He or she must then repeat the letters in order by pressing the letter buttons.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 9 - MEMORY CHALLENGE (continued) How Can You Help? • Allow your child to retell a story that he or she has read, or one that has been read to him or her. Be sure that your child can tell the story in the correct sequence. Encourage your child to use words such as “next,” “after that,”“third,” “finally,” etc. when retelling a story.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 10 - MUSIC (continued) 3. When a blend button is pressed, you will hear a single music note played. 4. Pressing the fisherman will replay the last melody or music note. How Can You Help? • Provide plenty of time for your child's creative expression. Ask your child to think of new words to accompany the melodies. Encourage your child to share his or her new creation with others! • Have your child draw or paint a picture about a song from Fishing for Phonics™.
FISHING FOR PHONICS™ BATTERIES BATTERY INSTALLATION (continued) 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.
FISHING 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. 5. Do not expose the unit to moisture or water. Creating and developing the Fundamentals of Reading product line is accompanied by a responsibility that we at VTECH® take very seriously.
