User manual VTECH BUZZ THE SPELLING BEE

User's Manual Buzz the Spelling Bee TM Printed in China 91-02047-002 © 2002 VTech Dear Parent: At VTech® we know that a child has the ability to do great things. That's why all of our electronic learning products are uniquely designed to develop a child's mind and allow them to learn to the best of their ability. Whether it's learning about letters, numbers, geography or algebra. All VTech® learning products incorporate advanced technologies and extensive curriculum to encourage children of all ages to reach their potential. When it comes to providing interactive products that enlighten, entertain, and develop minds, at VTech® we see the potential in every child. 1 INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing the VTech® Buzz the Spelling BeeTM learning toy. We at VTech® are committed to providing the best possible products to entertain and educate your child. Should you have any questions or concerns, 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. The VTech® Buzz the Spelling BeeTM learning product is a fun, handheld toy that uses light-up letters and 16 double-sided activity cards to teach reading fundamentals. Your child can select from 8 different activities that teach critical language skills such as beginning spelling, phonics, rhyming, word games, vowels and consonants. Buzz's engaging personality, fun sound effects, and animated antennae get your child excited about going to school. Buzz also has an easy-grip carry handle so you can take him along for spelling fun on-the-run! 16 DOUBLE-SIDED ACTIVITY CARDS BRAILLE LABEL MOVING, LIGHT-UP ANTENNAE DEMO BUTTON LIGHT-UP LETTER BUTTONS VOLUME CONTROL SWITCH ON/OFF BUTTON REPEAT BUTTON HELP BUTTON ACTIVITY SELECTOR 2 INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE · · One VTech® Buzz the Spelling BeeTM learning toy. One instruction manual. 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. BATTERY INSTALLATION 1. Make sure the unit is OFF. 2 Locate the battery cover on the back of the unit. Use a coin or screwdriver to open the battery cover. 3. Install 4 new "AA"(UM-3/LR6) 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. Always replace a whole set of batteries at one time. Do not mix old and new batteries. 3 · · · · · Do not use batteries of different types. Remove exhausted or new batteries from the equipment when the unit will not be used for a long time. Do not dispose of batteries in fire. Do not attempt to recharge ordinary batteries. Only batteries of the same and equivalent type as recommended are to be used. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES. NOTE: If for some reason the product/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 will now be ready to play again. If, after following the above steps, you are still having a problem with the unit, please call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-5212010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada, or 01235-546810 in the U.K. and a service representative will be happy to help you. TO BEGIN PLAY 1. To begin play, press the ON/OFF button to turn the unit on. You will hear a friendly greeting followed by an entertaining melody. Watch the letter buttons as they light up! 4 2. To turn the unit off, press the ON/OFF button again. You will hear a closing phrase and silly sound followed by an entertaining melody. 3. Press the DEMO button to hear simple instructions on how to play with each learning activity. You will see the letter buttons light up and hear fun phrases. NOTE:The DEMO feature only operates when the unit is off. When the unit is turned on, this feature will not function. 4. Press the REPEAT button to hear the last question or instruction repeated. 5. Press the HELP button to hear a correct answer, built-in melodies or an instructional phrase, depending on which activity is currently being played. 6. To adjust the volume, slide the VOLUME CONTROL SWITCH to the left for low volume or to the right for high volume. 5 7. Watch as the antennae move and light up as you answer a question correctly. ACTIVITIES There are 8 activities in the VTech® Buzz the Spelling BeeTM learning toy. Slide the activity selector to the activity you'd like to play and have fun. Letter Colony 1. Slide the activity selector to Letter Colony. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Find the red cards. Press a letter." 3. Then Buzz will ask you to press a letter. You will hear the letter identified followed by two words that begin with the pressed letter. For example, you will hear "A. A is for ant and ape." The red activity cards will show the words that are being announced. 4. The letter A will also light up as Buzz announces the letter. 5. Watch as Buzz's antennae light up and spin! 6 Flying Phonics 1. Slide the activity selector to Flying Phonics. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Find the red cards. Press a letter." 3. Press a letter button and you will hear the phonetic sound of the pressed letter. For example, you will hear "A says A and ah." 4. The letter A will also light up as Buzz announces the letter. 5. Watch as Buzz's antennae light up and spin! Flower Power 1. Slide the activity selector to Flower Power. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Find the yellow cards." 3. Next, you will hear "Press a letter to make a word that rhymes with [bat]." Use your letter buttons to find the letter that makes a rhyme with the word being asked. You may use the pictures on the activity cards to help guide you through this activity. 4. Watch as Buzz's antennae light up and spin as you answer correctly. 5. If you answer correctly, you will hear a positive phrase such as "Right on, honey" followed by a fun sound effect. 7 6. If you answer incorrectly, you will hear an encouraging phrase such as "Oops, that's a stinger. Try again." 7. After three tries, Buzz will identify the correct answer and ask a new question. Busy Building Bees 1. Slide the activity selector to Busy Building Bees. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Find the purple cards." 3. Next, Buzz will say "Let's get busy. Press three letters to make a word." 4. Press any of the three letter buttons to create a word. As you press the buttons, they will light up. 5. If you create a real word, the letters will be identified followed by their phonetic sounds. 6. Then you will hear a positive phrase such as "You're buzzin' with brilliance." 7. If you press three letters that do not make a real word, you will hear a fun sound followed by "Try again." 8. If you have difficulty creating a three letter word, you may use your cards for reference. Note: When you input a 3-letter word, Buzz will only recognize those that are age-appropriate. Some words such as "etc." will not be classified as words as the meaning of these words should be taught later as they are advanced for this age. 8 Buzz Words: Vowels/Consonants 1. Slide the activity selector to Buzz Words. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Find the green cards." 3. Then you will hear "A, E, I, O and U are vowels. The other letters are consonants. Find a [vowel/consonant] in the word red." Use your cards to refer to the question being asked and press the corresponding letter buttons. 4. If you answer the question correctly, you will hear a positive phrase such as "Right on, honey" followed by a fun sound. 5. If you answer incorrectly, you will hear an encouraging phrase such as "Ouch, that stings. Try again." 6. If you answer incorrectly after three tries, Buzz will identify the answer and ask a new question. Spelling Bee 1. Slide the activity selector to Spelling Bee. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Find the blue cards." 3. Next, you will hear "Ooh, spelling" followed by a question. For example, you will hear "Spell ant." 4. Use your light-up letter buttons to spell the word. 9 5. You may use your activity cards to see a picture and blank spaces to see how many letters are in the word being asked. 6. If you spell the word correctly, you will hear a fun sound followed by a positive phrase such as "You're buzzin' with brilliance." 7. If you spell the word incorrectly, you will hear an encouraging phrase such as "Ooh, that stings. Try again." 8. If you answer incorrectly after three tries, Buzz will identify the answer and ask a new question. Buzzin' Bee Bop 1. Slide the activity selector to Buzzin' Bee Bop. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Find the orange cards." 3. Next, you will hear "Press a letter and let's get zippy!" Use your letter buttons to hear a music note. Each letter button matches a specific music note. Press any of the 26 letter buttons to hear a note and compose your own song! As you press each letter button, the letter will light up! 4. You may also hear 10 different built-in songs by pressing the HELP button. Press the button continuously to hear all of the 10 melodies. The songs will be played in the following order: 10 · · · · · · · · · · The Alphabet Song Old MacDonald Had a Farm Flight of the Bumblebee William Tell Overture Rockin' Robin The Wanderer Frère Jacques Alouette Memphis Blues St. Louis Blues Zip 'n Zoom 1. Slide the activity selector to Zip 'n Zoom. 2. You will hear a short tune followed by "Let's get busy. I'm zippy. Find me." 3. Next, Buzz will say "I'm behind a letter that says "buh." 4. Press the letter buttons to answer the question. 5. If you find Buzz behind the correct letter, you will hear a positive phrase such as "You're buzzin' with brilliance." 6. If you cannot find the correct letter after two tries, Buzz will give you hints to help you find where he is hiding. 7. After three tries, Buzz will identify the letter he was hiding behind by announcing it. 11 AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF To preserve battery life, the VTech® Buzz the Spelling BeeTM learning toy will automatically turn off after approximately 2 minutes without input. It can be turned on again by pressing the ON/OFF button. CARE AND MAINTENANCE 1. Do not expose the unit to moisture or water. 2. Do not drop the unit on hard surfaces. 3. Keep the unit clean by wiping it with a slightly damp cloth. 4. Keep the unit out of direct sunlight and away from any direct heat source. 5. Remove the batteries when the unit is not in use for an extended period of time. IMPORTANT NOTE: Creating and developing preschool products is accompanied by a responsibility that we at VTech® take very seriously. We 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 1800-521-2010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada, or 01235546810 in the U.K. with any problems and/or suggestions that you might have. A service representative will be happy to help you. 12 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 specifications in Subpart 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: · reorient the receiving antenna · · relocate this product with respect to the receiver move this product away from the receiver 13