The Learning Box 2

Children love to count and spell and they will be even more excited about the concept when they listen to music from the Learning Box. This collection contains three cds including Bright Sparks, Counting and Alphabet Sing-along 2 and Number Crunch. The Learning Box brings learning to life through a whole swag of appealing techniques and is designed for children from kindergarten to preschool and to the early school years.

When it comes to learning, it's the early years that matter most. Young children have an enormous capacity to take in new information, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

They also love the opportunity to stretch their young minds - particularly in those all-important years leading up to the start of school.

Spelling, numbers, letters - they're all important building blocks for developing skills in reading and maths. And the latest boxed set of early leaning CDs from ABC Kids, 'The Learning Box2', has it all - on three appealing, entertaining and carefully designed albums which will maximise learning and fun for every child.

'The Learning Box' features three sensational CDs for preschoolers and children just starting school: Bright Sparks, Counting and Alphabet Sing-along 2 and Number Crunch. This collection of songs and rhymes features a bumper collection all of them chosen for their appeal to children, and their ability to stimulate learning.

'Number Crunch', focuses on that all-important early skill of learning to count - something that is a source of enormous pride in a small child. The brainchild of kids' music producer John Kane, who's discovered that using music to promote learning not only means kids enjoy it more - it makes the information easier to take in and remember as well.

Using a whole range of contemporary music styles, 'Number Crunch' has given every number from 1 to 10 its own distinct musical personality. Number 1 is bright, catchy pop sound, while number 2 gets down and dirty with punk rock sound. Number 3 has a German waltz feel, number 4 is laid-back pop, and number 5 is rap. Number 6 is dance music, number 7 techno/house, number 8 Nashville country-influenced, number 9 1970's style, number 10 that's into rock'n'roll, number 11 calypso, number 12 moves to a Latin beat. The catchy tunes on used will have them singing to themselves - learning the times tables without even trying.

There are songs about the solar system, insects, spelling songs, counting songs, songs about shapes and songs about telling the time, to capture the attention of preschoolers and school beginners with a whole range of interests and passions.

'Why is it hot in the summer' answers some of those never ending 'why?' questions that children love to ask, and 'The Life Cycle of the Butterfly' is fascinating journey into that mysterious transformation from caterpillar to beautiful butterfly.

The funky 'Joe's Spelling Factory' is another approach to spelling, sounds and putting it all together, and kids will be inspired to read more when they hear 'I love a B Double O K'.

There are a couple of old favourites to help kids count - five little monkeys & one potato two potato, and telling the time becomes a fun game with 'the hands on the clock'.

'Counting and Alphabet Sing-a-long Volume 2' has been released in the wake of a huge response to the first Counting and Alphabet Sing-a-long album. Children have the chance to count in fives and tens, to practice their two-times tables, and even to count in French, with Une, Deux, Trois.

There's more than one way to look at the alphabet, as 'The Backwards Alphabet' shows, and 'Counting the Alphabet' and 'The Animal Alphabet' give kids new strategies for learning without them even realising it.

The 'Learning Box2' is designed for children in the kindergarten, preschool and early school years. RRP: $16.95

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