Animal Island Learning Adventure (AILA) Review

My daughter and I have enjoyed learning with the Animal Island Learning Adventure (AILA) Sit & Play from DMAI. This hands-free learning tablet is ideal for toddlers ages 12-36 months. It is a stand-up tablet that can rest on the table or floor in front of your toddler while they watch and learn in an incredibly fun way.

This is a partnered guest post by Melissa, an elementary school teacher. All opinions are her own.

Animal Island Learning Adventure Review

My daughter is 39 months and she will sit engaged and captivated by the songs, stories, lessons, and activities in this tablet. She will wave her arms, dance, and respond to the tablet.

She also tries to touch the tablet during some of the activities (such as the popping letter bubbles). She doesn’t quite realize that it’s not actually her doing anything (as in it’s not interactive) so it’s definitely perfect for the younger recommended age group.

New Curriculum Updates:

Literacy Skills

Letter Awareness: All twenty-six letters of the alphabet with their corresponding sounds, syllables and rhymes leading to elementary phonics patterns and sight words
Narrative Awareness: With 63 immersive storybooks (and growing!), toddlers gain an understanding of narrative as both fun and instructional, essential for preschool readiness.
Print Awareness: Understanding that print is read from left to right and top to bottom and knowing that words consist of letters and that spaces appear between words

Numeracy Skills

Number Awareness: Recognizing and counting the numbers 1-10, size and quantity
Concept Awareness: Understanding of size, shape, and quantity as a foundation for problem-solving skills.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Awareness: Over 200 key vocabulary words utilizing initial letter sounds to help toddlers towards their goal of learning 1000 unique words by age three.

Soft Skills

STEAM: Colors, Shapes, Observation, and Exploration
Social-Emotional Skills: Friendship Skills, Managing Emotions, Problem-Solving, and Skills for Learning
4C’s: Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Creativity

Additional Features

Songs: Over 20 sing-along songs, along with original songs that reinforce letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.
Lullabies: Over 15 lullabies for winding down the day or for quiet times

There are three different learning modes in this tablet. First is broadcast mode which is the default mode when you turn on the AILA. Broadcast mode plays learning content continuously. Next is learning session mode, which can be started through the parent app.

These sessions are designed to last about 15 minutes. Last is lullaby mode which provides curated content for quiet time.

One suggestion I have for the app would be an option to automatically stop after the 15-minute learning session. Instead, it plays on broadcast mode after the learning session has ended.

The Parent App

This tablet is used in conjunction with the Animal Island Learning Adventure (AILA) for Parents. Through the app, you can monitor your toddler’s learning sessions and rate them. Each learning session lasts approximately 15 minutes and covers letters, sounds, numbers, stories, and other learning skills.

The app also has some really cool features such as check-in and send media. As long as both devices are connected to the same WiFi network you can click check-in on the app and it will show you real-time video of your toddler as they are working on the app.

You can also send media to your child such as a picture and it will automatically show up on their tablet as mail. My daughter was very excited when I sent her a picture and she started laughing.

Newly added features to the parent app include:

A refreshed look and feel to the User Interface (UI) and improved usability of key features for a better User Experience (UX)
Tutorial to provide parents with more information on features and benefits
Milestones Chart as a resource for parents
Learning Session messages which provide a summary of the content and curriculum delivered during each Learning Session. Each message summarizes the scope and sequence of the session curriculum—ABCs, 123s, Colors, Shapes, Vocabulary, Storybooks, Songs, Soft Skills, and more.

All in all my daughter and I definitely recommend the award-winning AILA Sit & Play to other toddlers as a valuable and fun learning tool. My daughter asks me each day if it’s time to watch “the green thing” as she calls it. LOL!