LeapFrog Enterprises Inc NYSE: LF (commonly known as LeapFrog) is an educational entertainment company based in Emeryville California. LeapFrog designs, develops, and markets technology-based learning products and related content for the education of children from infancy through grade school. The company was founded by Michael Wood and Robert Lally in 1995. John Barbour is the chief executive officer of LeapFrog.
The history of LeapFrog traces back to the late 1980s when LeapFrog co-founder Michael Wood, an attorney at Cooley LLP, had difficulties teaching his son how to read. After finding no phonics based educational toys, he began researching phonics and marketing while continuing as a partner at Cooley. By 1994, Wood had developed the first prototype of what would become Phonics Desk, LeapFrog's first product. The prototype utilized a Texas Instruments chip that was previously used by one of Wood's clients to develop talking greeting cards. Wood solicited feedback on his prototype from Robert Calfee, an expert on children’s reading development and a professor of education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.
Wood used Calfee's feedback on his prototype to redesign the toy over the next few months. This second prototype became the Phonics Desk and Wood began manufacturing the toy in 1995. That year, Wood resigned as a partner at Cooley LLP and founded LeapFrog Enterprises with Robert Lally. The company received $800,000 in seed funding from friends, family, and former clients of Wood. Toys "R" Us became the first major retailer to carry the Phonics Desk shortly before Christmas 1995. Other retailers such as FAO Schwarz and Target later began carrying the toy.
In 2003, LeapFrog marketed an animated DVD, Letter Factory & Talking Words Factory, whose purpose is to encourage young children to learn to read. More recently, they have expanded the series and there are now 16 different titles available.
LeapFrog was awarded the 2011 Toy of the Year Award, Instructor Magazine's 2011 Teacher’s Pick Award 2010, Parent's Best Toys, NAPPA Gold, 2010 Time to Play Award, Golden Apple Award and was placed on The Toy Insider's 2010 Hot 20 and FunFares's 2010 Hot Dozen lists.
Source: Wikipedia.
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