LeapFrog makes learning products that blend innovative technology with time-tested teaching techniques for fun and educational results.

We are big fans of our LeapFrog TAG and LeapFrog just sent us a new way to enjoy it: two sets of early reader books that teach short and long vowel sounds.

My daughter knows her letters and the sounds they make and she is just about ready to make the jump from pre-literacy skills to literacy. Every day she grabs her TAG pen and reads through several of the new TAG “Learn to Read” books.

One of the charming things about young children is their literal-mindedness.

So, just imagine our often confused but always well-meaning friend, Amelia Bedelia, as a kindergartner. In Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School, the classic character enthusiastically, and literally, jumps right into class. She takes each instruction very seriously and the results are hilarious.

As LeapFrog Summer Reading Ambassadors, we’ve been showing off the LeapFrog TAG and TAG Junior systems at schools, libraries, and playgroups in our area.

When I reviewed the LeapFrog TAG last year, I was impressed. As an educational consultant, I believe the TAG system is a great example of technology that genuinely engages kids in learning. Download classic stories onto the reading pen and children can listen to the whole story, hear individual words, and play games. Using the TAG helps build reading comprehension and fluency.

Is your child entering kindergarten or pre-school in the fall? Teach letter recognition over the summer using two fun, educational resources: How to Build an A and the LeapFrog – Letter Factory.

Summer is a great time for enrichment activities. Free from the daily grind of classes and homework, your child can explore his or her creative side.

Shop for art supplies on sale at local craft stores, or find wholesale arts and crafts supplies online at DollarDays. Many moms have a craft box (or craft closet) full of supplies to keep their kids occupied during school vacations and on rainy weekends.

While some parents splurge on summer art classes and camps, activity books can inspire at a much lower price tag. LittleMissMatched’s The Artist in Me! costs under $12 at Amazon.

Learning to recognize different coins and understanding their value is an essential part of the preschool and the kindergarten curriculum.

Parents can use coins to introduce math concepts like sorting and counting. You can help your child learn to identify coins and their value while teaching them to save money using Coin County: A Bank in a Book, an award-winning book by Innovative Kids.

Our boys, we are told, are in crisis. Whether or not this is a myth, there’s a perception that today’s civilized is just bit, well, too nice for a growing boy. And where are all the role models of manly virtues? A new book, Amazing Tales for Making Men Out of Boys, hopes to fill this gap with examples and stories of manly men who exhibited great strength and courage…

If your child is a picky eater, try preparing meals together. If your child feels some ownership over a meal, he’s more likely to eat it. Start by picking an easy-to-make recipe or by using a children’s cookbook.

I received a review sample of the Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook, the newest book in their cookbook series for children ages 3 to 12. The Handstand Kids Cookbook series introduces children to the language and cuisine of other cultures through fun, easy-t0-make recipes. Ingredients and utensils are listed in both English and Mandarin.

Momma Loves Her Little Son, a new book by the son of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash, has won a place in my heart and on my bookshelf. John Carter Cash explains that the book is based on his own relationship with his mother who frequently told him that “Momma loves her little son.”