User's Manual
AlphaBert’s Sonic Phonics
™
AlphaBert’s Learn-to-Read System
™
Dear Parent,
At VTech®, we know how important learning to read is to your child’s future. That’s why
we created AlphaBert’s Learn-to-Read System™ - a progressive line of interactive
learning products uniquely designed to teach your child how to read, while making the
experience fun and rewarding.
This progressive system eliminates the guesswork when selecting learning toys for
your child. Learning to read is a step-by-step process, and AlphaBert’s Learn-to-
Read System™ provides the necessary building blocks in focused stages. Each stage
has its own unique learning milestone, and builds on existing skills with an extensive
curriculum that is personalized to your child’s age and ability.
Beginning Reader Stage: teaches letters, letter sounds and letter-object associations
Growing Reader Stage: teaches blends, phonics to sound out words and simple spelling
Advancing Reader Stage: teaches independent reading, comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, creative writing
Most importantly, AlphaBert and his friends make learning to read fun, not frustrating.
Your child will meet AlphaBert, Sprocket, AlphaBit, AlphaBetsy and AlphaBerto, the
reading robots who love to learn and want your child to share their excitement and
curiosity. AlphaBert & Friends are your child’s learn-to-read coaches who provide
encouragement to fill your child with confidence and pride.
As with all VTech
®
learning products, AlphaBert’s Learn-to-Read System
incorporates advanced technologies that are easy-to-use and reinforce learning. Our
hands-on, multi-sensory toys engage diverse learning styles and promote productive
play.
™
Reading has the power to enlighten, entertain and develop young minds. We thank
you for trusting VTech® with the important job of helping your child learn to read!
Sincerely,
Your Friends at VTech
AlphaBert
®
Sprocket
AlphaBit
AlphaBerto
AlphaBetsy
To learn more about AlphaBert’s Learn-to-Read System™ and other VTech® toys,
visit www.vtechkids.com
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AlphaBert’s Sonic Phonics
LCD SCREEN
VOLUME CONTROL
SWITCH
ACTIVITY BUTTONS
™
SPROCKET
ON BUTTON
OFF BUTTON
ARROW BUTTONS
ENTER BUTTON
LETTER BUTTONS
HELP BUTTON
TO BEGIN PLAY
1. To begin play, press the ON BUTTON. The keyboard will
pop out slightly and you will hear a short opening tune.
AlphaBert will identify himself, then Sprocket will turn and
look at AlphaBert then turn forward again, kicking his legs
and waving his hand and identify himself. AlphaBert will
then encourage you to select an activity.
2. Select one of the sixteen activities by pressing one of the ACTIVITY BUTTONS.
AlphaBert and Sprocket will guide you through each of the following activities:
1. Learning Letters
2. Uppercase & Lowercase Letters
3. Alphabet Order
4. Sounds Of Words
5. Word Challange
6. Beginning Letters
7. Missing Letters
8. Missing Vowels
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9. Beginning & Ending Blends
10. Rhyming Words
11. Word Groups
12. Word Scramble
13. Letter Catch
14. Hangman
TO BEGIN PLAY
15. Memory Challenge
16. Hear A Song
3.Press the HELP BUTTON to repeat the question, or to
receive the answer to the question.
4. To adjust the volume, turn the red dial to the left for high
volume or to the right for low volume.
5. AlphaBert’s eye will turn towards Sprocket each time he
asks a question, and Sprocket will turn to look at AlphaBert.
6.Sprocket’s mouth will move each time he speaks.
Occasionally he will kick his legs and wave his hand.
7.When the correct answer has been selected, Sprocket will
wave his hand and reward you with a positive response.
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8.The activity instructions will be repeated every 10 seconds if there is no input to the
unit. After about 30 seconds without input you will hear a fun phrase to remind you
that you have a question to answer.
9. To turn the unit OFF, press the OFF BUTTON or push in
the keyboard.
AlphaBert’s Sonic Phonics™ - ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1 - LEARNING LETTERS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Learning Letters by pressing the activity
button. Y ou will hear a sound ef fect followed by “Let’s learn
the letters and their sounds. Press a button.”
LEARNING LETTERS
2. Press a letter button to hear the letter identified followed
by an object that begins with that letter. For example, press
the letter H button. You will hear the letter identified and
see the letter appear in uppercase and lowercase letters
on the screen, followed by an animation of a hat.
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ACTIVITY 2 - UPPERCASE AND LOWERCASE LETTERS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Uppercase and Lowercase Letters by
pressing the activity button. You will hear a sound effect
followed by “Let’s learn uppercase and lowercase letters.”
2.An uppercase letter will appear on the top line of the screen
and three lowercase letters will appear on the bottom line.
UPPERCASE AND
The first letter will be highlighted with the cursor. You will
hear AlphaBert say “Match the uppercase and lowercase
LOWERCASE LETTERS
letters.”
3. To select your answer, press the letter button or use the
arrow keys to scroll through the letters. When you have
scrolled through and selected your answer, press the enter
button.
4. When the correct letter is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Yeah! You’re crankin’ now!” The
screen will display the uppercase and lowercase letters
together.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “Uh-oh! Short circuit. Try again!” The question will be repeated. If
an incorrect answer is selected a second time, AlphaBert and Sprocket will show
you the correct answer.
ACTIVITY 3 - ALPHABET ORDER
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Alphabet Order by pressing the activity
button. Y ou will hear a sound ef fect followed by “Let’s learn
alphabet order.”
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2.A letter and a blank space will appear on the screen.
AlphaBert will ask a question, for example, “What letter
comes before the letter h?”
3.To select your answer, press the letter button.
4. When the correct letter is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Yeah! You’re crankin’ now!” The
screen will display the two letters in the correct order.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “Uh-oh! Short circuit. Try again!” The question will be repeated. If
an incorrect answer is selected a third time, AlphaBert and Sprocket will show you
the correct answer.
ACTIVITY 4 - SOUNDS OF WORDS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Sounds Of Words by pressing the
activity button. Y ou will hear a sound effect followed by “Let’ s
learn how to make words. Press a button.”
SOUND OF WORDS
ALPHABET ORDER/
2.Press a letter button to hear the word sounded out
phonetically. For example, press the “ J ” button. The word
will appear on the screen and you will hear “juh, ahh, mmm,
jam!” Once the word has been identified you will hear a
short tune and see the object animation appear on the
screen.
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ACTIVITY 5 - WORD CHALLENGE
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Word Challenge by pressing the activity
button. You will hear a sound effect followed by “Can you
find the object?”
2. A word will appear on the screen, then three pictures will
appear and a flashing cursor highlighting the first picture.
3.T o select the correct answer , use the arrow buttons to scroll
through the answers. When you have highlighted your
answer, press the enter button.
4.When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert will look at
WORD CHALLENGE/
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
BEGINNING LETTERS
positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!” The
screen will display the animation and word.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “Uh-oh! Sort circuit. Try again!” The question will be repeated. If an
incorrect answer is selected a second time, AlphaBert and Sprocket will show you
the correct answer.
ACTIVITY 6 - BEGINNING LETTERS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Beginning Letters by pressing the
activity button. You will hear a sound effect followed by a
question such as “Can you find a word that begins with the
“buh” sound as in blimp?”
2. Three words will scroll across the screen. Each word will
stop in the middle of the screen. Press the enter button
when the answer appears on the screen.
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3. When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!” The
screen will display the two words with the same beginning
letters.
4.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “That answer doesn’t compute. Try again!” The question will be
repeated. If an incorrect answer is selected a second time, AlphaBert and Sprocket
will show you the correct answer.
ACTIVITY 7 - MISSING LETTERS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Missing Letters by pressing the activity
button. You will hear a sound effect followed by “Can you
find the missing letter in the word?”
2. An animation will appear on the screen followed by the
word with a blank space. AlphaBert will ask “Can you find
the missing letter in the word ape?”
MISSING LETTERS
3.To select your answer, press the letter button to complete
the word.
4.When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!” The
correct answer will be identified.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “That answer doesn’t compute. Try again!” The question will be
repeated. If an incorrect answer is selected a third time, AlphaBert and Sprocket
will show you the correct answer.
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ACTIVITY 8 - MISSING VOWELS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Missing V owels by pressing the activity
button. You will hear a sound effect followed by “A, E, I, O
and U are vowels.”
2.A word will appear on the screen with blank spaces where
the vowels belongs. AlphaBert will ask you to find the
missing vowels in the word. For example, “Can you find
the missing vowel in the word dress?”
3. To select your answer, press the letter button to complete
the word.
4.When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!” The
correct answer will be identified.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
MISSING VOWELS/
phrase such as “That answer doesn’t compute. Try again!” The question will be
repeated. If an incorrect answer is selected a third time, AlphaBert and Sprocket
will show you the correct answer.
BEGINNING & ENDING BLENDS
ACTIVITY 9 - BEGINNING & ENDING BLENDS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Beginning & Ending Blends by pressing
the activity button. You will hear a sound effect followed by
“When two letters combine to make a new sound, they form
a blend.”
2. You will see a word appear on the screen with a flashing
cursor under the middle two letters. AlphaBert will ask you
to find the blend in the word. For example, “Can you find
the blend ST?”
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3. Use the arrows to move the cursor back and forth. When
you have selected your answer, press the enter button.
4.When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!” The
correct answer will be identified.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “That answer doesn’t compute. Try again!” Then the question will
be repeated. If an incorrect answer is selected a third time, AlphaBert and Sprocket
will show you the correct answer.
ACTIVITY 10 - RHYMING WORDS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Rhyming Words by pressing the activity
button. Y ou will hear a sound ef fect followed by “When two
words sound the same, they rhyme.”
2.Y ou will see a word on the top of the screen. AlphaBert will
ask you to find a word that rhymes with the word displayed
at the top of the screen. For example, “Can you find the
word that rhymes with lamp?”
3.Three words will scroll across the bottom of the screen from
right to left. To select your answer, press the enter button
when the correct answer is highlighted on the bottom of
the screen.
4. When the correct word is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Yeah! You’re crankin’ now!” The
correct answer will flash on the bottom of the screen.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “Uh-oh! Short circuit. Try again!” The question will be repeated. If
an incorrect answer is selected a second time, AlphaBert and Sprocket will show
you the correct answer.
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RHYMING WORDS
ACTIVITY 11 - WORD GROUPS
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Select the activity Word Groups by pressing the activity
button. You will hear a sound effect followed by “Can you
find the object that doesn’t belong?”
2. Three pictures will appear on the screen with a flashing
cursor highlighting the first picture.
3.To select your answer, use the arrow buttons to scroll
through the choices. When you have hightlighted your
answer, press the enter button.
4.When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!” The
correct answer will be identified.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “Uh-oh! Short circuit. Try again!” The question will be repeated. If
an incorrect answer is selected a second time, AlphaBert and Sprocket will show
WORD GROUPS/
you the correct answer.
WORD SCRAMBLE
ACTIVITY 12 - WORD SCRAMBLE
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Word Scramble by pressing the activity
button. You will hear a sound effect followed by “Can you
unscramble this word?”
2. An animation will appear, then the scrambled word will
appear on the top of the screen.
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3.Press the letter buttons to unscramble the word. You must
spell the word from left to right. Once you press a letter, it
will automatically be placed in the first available blank space
on the screen. Use the arrow keys to make adjustments to
your answer.
4.When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, then Sprocket will wave his hand and respond
with a positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!”
The correct answer will be identified.
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “Uh-oh! Short circuit. Try again!” The question will be repeated. If
an incorrect answer is selected a third time, AlphaBert and Sprocket will show you
the correct answer.
ACTIVITY 13 - LETTER CATCH
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Select the activity Letter Catch by pressing the activity
button. You will hear a sound effect followed by “Can you
spell the word?”
2.Y ou will see an animation of the object, then blank spaces.
The letters will scroll on the screen from top to bottom,
starting on the left side.
3.T o select your answer, press the letters on the keyboard or
use the arrow buttons to scroll through the letter options.
When you have scrolled through and selected your answer,
press the enter button.
4.When the correct answer is selected, AlphaBert will look at
Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond with a
positive phrase such as “Woohoo! That’s electrifying!” The
correct answer will flash on the screen.
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LETTER CATCH
5.If an incorrect answer is selected, you will hear a sound effect and an encouraging
phrase such as “That answer doesn’t compute. Try again!” The question will be
repeated. If an incorrect answer is selected a third time, AlphaBert and Sprocket
will show you the correct answer.
6. Press the Help button once to reveal the first letter in the word. Press it a second
time to reveal the answer.
ACTIVITY 14 - HANGMAN
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Hangman by pressing the activity button.
You will hear a sound effect followed by “Let’s play
hangman!”
2. You will have 10 chances to guess the correct word. The
number in the top left corner indicates how many chances
are remaining.
3. Press the letter buttons to try and spell the word. When a
correct letter is selected, it will appear in the appropriate
blank space. If you spell the correct word, AlphaBert will
look at Sprocket, Sprocket will wave his hand and respond
HANGMAN
with a positive phrase such as “Y eah! You’re crankin’ now!”
4.If you select a letter that is not in the word, you will hear a
sound effect and an encouraging phrase. The remaining
number of chances will decrease, and part of Sprocket’s
head will appear on the screen. If you lose all 10 chances
or the time runs out and you do not spell the correct word,
AlphaBert and Sprocket will show you the correct answer.
5. Press the Help button once to reveal the first letter in the
word. Press it a second time to reveal the answer.
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ACTIVITY 15 - MEMORY CHALLENGE
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Select the activity Memory Challenge by pressing the
activity button. You will hear a sound effect followed by
“Follow me!”
2.AlphaBert will ask you to follow him by pressing the correct
sequence of objects. The objects will appear on the screen
as they are identified.
3.When the correct answer is selected another object will be added to the sequence.
There is a maximum of 6 objects per sequence.
4.If an incorrect answer is selected, AlphaBert and Sprocket will show you the correct
answer.
ACTIVITY 16 - HEAR A SONG
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Select the activity Hear A Song by pressing the activity
button. Y ou will hear a sound effect followed by “Let’ s Jam.”
2.Press any of the letter buttons to select one of the 26 pre-programmed melodies. A
fun animation related to the melody will play on the screen. Select from the following
melodies:
a. It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
b. Jack and Jill
c. Little Miss Muffet
d. London Bridge
e. Mary Had A Little Lamb
f. Old MacDonald Had A Farm
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HEAR A SONG
MEMORY CHALLENGE/
g. Pease Porridge Hot
h. Polly Wolly Doodle
i. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
j. Sailing, Sailing
k. Shenendoah
l. Sing A Song of Sixpence
m.Skip to My Lou
n. Take Me Out to the Ball Game
o. The Wheels on the Bus
p. Three Little Kittens
q. Pop! Goes the Weasel
r. The Alphabet Song
s. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
t. Camptown Races
u. Did You Ever See A Lassie?
v. Farmer in the Dell
w. Frére Jacques
x. Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
y. Hickory Dickory Dock
z. Old King Cole
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AlphaBert’s Sonic Phonics™ - BATTERIES
BATTERY INSTALLATION
1. Make sure the unit is turned OFF.
2. Locate the battery cover on the back of the unit. Use a
screwdriver to remove the battery cover.
3. Insert 4 new “AA” batteries following the diagram inside
the battery box. (The use of new, alkaline batteries is
recommended for maximum performance.)
4. 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.
• Do not short circuit the supply terminals.
• Only batteries of the same and equivalent type as recommended are to be
used.
BATTERY
INSTALLATION
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES.
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AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF
To preserve battery life, the AlphaBert’s Sonics Phonics™ learning toy will turn off
automatically after approximately two 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 should now be ready to play again.
If the problem persists, please call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800521-2010 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 .
AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF
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AlphaBert’s Sonics 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 or try to dismantle it.
5. Do not expose the unit to moisture or water.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
™
Creating and developing the AlphaBert’s Learn-to-Read System
is accompanied by a responsibility that we at VTech
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 specification 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:
®
take very seriously. We
product line
1. Reorient the receiving antenna.
2. Relocate this product with respect to the receiver.
3. Move this product away from the receiver.
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CARE AND
MAINTENANCE
Look for more great products
™
in AlphaBert’s Learn-to-Read System
…coming soon!
AlphaBert Sprocket AlphaBit
AlphaBertoAlphaBetsy
Our helpful Consumer Services staff
is available to answer product
questions and to assist in finding
the retailer nearest you
USA
1-800-521-2010
www.vtechkids.com
01235-546810
www.vtechuk.com
CANADA
1-800-267-7377
www.vtechcanada.com
UK
© 2002 VTech
Printed in China
91-01525-000
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