Parents are the best teachers {Review and Giveaway of Pen Pal Whizz}

I like to think that as a mum, I am one of the best teachers my children can have in the first few years of their lives. Back when I was teaching at Berries, it was enjoyable and mostly easy to teach Chinese to a group of preschoolers as the syllabus, worksheets and teaching aids had all been prepared for us.

When it comes to teaching my 4-year-old who only goes to half-day childcare, especially now that I have another baby to take care of 24/7, sometimes I can't help but ask myself: Is she supposed to know this Chinese character by now? What else can I do besides printing writing worksheets? Is she even interested in all my flash cards? Is she effectively bilingual? Am I doing enough to teach her as a stay-at-home mum?

Just when that last question was weighing heavily on my mind,  I was introduced to Pen Pal Whizz and was astounded by all the magic contained in a pen. Seriously, it was a load lifted off my shoulders and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect timing.
 

Pen Pal Whizz - A brilliant education tool which seeks to enhance learning and interaction in children

Children aged 3-7 have strong cognitive abilities and therefore it is optimal for them to start learning more at this age to prepare them for higher education. Pen Pal Whizz, a simple pen device that allows children to tap on what they want to learn, blends digital technology and traditional learning, transforming printed materials into interactive tools that can emit responsive voices or sounds.

The Pen Pal Whizz bundle comes equipped with 18 books customised for kids aged 2-7

It is a unique education tool that not only recites written text, it also enables character dialogue, gives clues to play games, allows the child to practise reading after the narrator and so on. These fun, refreshing aspects arouse the curiosity of the child, enabling a new learning experience through a combined sense of touch, sight, hearing and cognitive thinking.

How it works: 1) Switch on, 2) Tap pen on selected book cover, 3) Ready to read! It's that easy!

Benefits of Pen Pal Whizz:

1) Provides an additional dimension to traditional book reading
Enables child to engage in visual and audio learning simultaneously.

2) Set your own pace
You and your child can decide and customise your pace of learning.

3) Portable and convenient
Allows learning to take place anytime, anywhere.

4) Embedded games and character dialogue  
Arouses curiosity, encourages exploration and increases attention span.

5) Unique and personalised
Voice recordings, selection of books and MP3s make each pen one of its kind.

6) Promotes self-learning
Great way to engage a child when adult supervision is not possible.

It makes me relieved to know that my girl can now learn by herself when Mummy is busy

As of now, Pen Pal Whizz is already compatible to over 100 English and Chinese titles which are in line with our local curriculum. Popular titles such as BLEAGH! by Leana Lyn Doray and award-winning series by local author Emily Lim now come in Pen Pal Whizz compatible editions and the characters can even 'talk'. (Review and giveaway on selected titles will be coming up end of the month)

New books are also continuously added to the JLB library collection every month and users can download them for free. In fact, JLB provides customization service and can make your favourite book come alive. Every pen comes with a 4GB in-built memory, is shock-resistant, child-friendly in design, re-chargeable and can even function as a MP3 player.

Now, there are more reasons than one why this pen can really be a great pal to have.

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Additional materials

Apart from the books, we also wish to share with you two added features (sold separately) which we absolutely love. First is the Magical Music Card, which with the use of Pen Pal Whizz, a piece of paper transforms into a --- PIANO! Now we can have a music lesson anytime, anywhere, even when we are on holiday.

Now, this has to be the lightest and most compact piano I have ever seen

The second is my personal favourite - Voice Recordable Stickers. You can easily record your voice or your child's voice into every individual sticker, peel it off and stick it anywhere you want! I can already imagine all the endless possibilities, from customizing our favourite but non-compatible story books, adding audio captions in travel albums, making learning charts more interactive for instance adding English/Chinese names to Parts of My Body, or even recording the hubby's voice so that he can still tell the girls a bedtime story when he is out at sea.

The stickers are sold at S$9.90 for 11 sheets of 40 stickers each. You can re-record every of them and to avoid messages from getting accidentally erased, you can just peel off and stick the 'Play' portion

Now, are you as amazed as I am by the sheer magic of Pen Pal Whizz? To give you a better idea of how it works, Angel and I have even come up with a demo video just for you! Well, you are welcome!



As you can see, I am having as much fun as my girl is with our newly found Pen Pal. In fact, we even recite poems and have singing contests just so we can keep recording our voices over and over again. Listening to your voice is one of the best ways to improve on your pronunciation and achieve good enunciation, isn't it?

Mummy! Look, I have so many new books and a great friend to accompany me in reading them!

Lastly, I have to remind you that no educational tool should ever replace the role of a parent and it is always important that we spend quality time reading, listening and learning with our children. Every. Single. Day. Yes, parents are the best teachers so here's wishing all of you a HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY!

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What better way to celebrate Teacher's Day than to hold a giveaway and encourage readers to be the best teachers to their kids?

Terms and conditions:

1) This giveaway is open to Singaporean residents only.
2) Winner can choose between a blue or pink Pen Pal Whizz (1-year warranty included) and will be required to self-collect the prize at JLB office.
3) Winner will be notified and must respond within 72 hours, or prize will be redrawn.

Simply follow the below steps to enter. Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Update
If you are keen to try out the product physically, you can do so by visiting the retail stores stated here. Alternatively, you can also purchase it directly from JLB. Currently, the Pen Pal Whizz bundle (with the 18 books) is retailing at a promotional price of S$188 with free delivery. Consumers can contact JLB at 6776 6787 or email to enquiry@jlb.com.sg for orders. 

Disclosure: We received a Pen Pal Whizz bundle and supplementary materials for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was received in writing this post or filming the video. All opinions, voice-over and off-key singing are our own.