Growth Spurt: Knowledge Universe offerings include online games for three-year olds and online toy updates

Internet Strategies for Education Markets: The Heller Report, May, 2001

With a stated goal of serving cradle to grave learning, companies within the Knowledge Universe Learning Group have been among the first to address early childhood content.

FamilyEdge Pursues a Subscription Model

Knowledge Kids Network (profiled in ISEM May, 2000) launched a beta of its KidsEdge collection of learning activities at the end of August, and in February formally launched the subscription version of the offering, FamilyEdge. With offerings for children from about three years old to fourth grade, the company was among the first to bring Internet content to the early childhood sector. Games for the youngest children can be operated by pressing a single key.

The content for children is a part of a larger network of offerings. Free sites provide resources for caregivers on ParentsEdge, GrandparentsEdge and TeachersEdge. Steve Sandborg, vp of marketing, says the sites for parents and grandparents are fully built-out, but the teachers' area has received less emphasis. All are designed to market the subscription site and encourage e-commerce. There are also free KidsEdge activities, but the high value activities are now behind the subscription area.

The subscription offering includes three categories of activities: fun and games, learning experience and educational activities. Only activities in the last category are tracked. KKN provides a performance report to parents and recommends remediation. Remediation is typically a home activity, not an online activity. Sandborg says NextSchool, now in development, will supply more rigorous assessment and reporting features.

Corporate Benefit Packages and Affiliate Groups Bring FamilyEdge to Parents and Grand parents

Much of KKN's marketing focus for FamilyEdge subscriptions is through affinity groups and corporations, though no deals can be announced yet. Sandborg says that companies regard it as a good benefit for employees. He expects groups such as AARP to extend it to members. General consumer pricing is $7.95 a month or $59.95 annually. Deals through corporations and affinity groups bring those prices down to about $5.95 per month or an annual fee of $39.95.

KKN is also actively marketing to child care centers, including sister company Knowledge Learning Corp. (San Rafael, CA, www.knowledgelearning.com). That company, owned by Knowledge Universe Learning Group, provides early childhood education in more than 300 community-based and corporate sponsored centers in the US. It operates under various brand names, including Children's Discovery Centers and Knowledge Beginnings. KULG is also a minority investor in Nobel Learning Communities (Media, PA, www.nobellearning com), which operates a nationwide network of private preschools and elementary and middle schools.

LeapPad Now Has Internet Updates

LeapFrog has added Internet download functionality to its popular LeapPad. LeapFrog's Mind Station allows content appropriate to a child's skills and interests to be downloaded to the company's toys. The Internet connection also uploads performance data to help define content downloaded for the next round of play.

The Internet connection will also work with new products in the LeapPad line designed for ages four and up: LeapPad with Voice/Record Playback and LeapPad Traveler. Leap Pad was the nation's number one selling toy in December 2000, and it won People's Choice Toy of the Year and Best Educational Toy of tile Year from the Toy Manufacturers of America.

LeapFrog's Imagination Desk, for ages three and up, features coloring books and other downloadable content that can be personalized to include the child's name and interest. The toy has a touch-sensitive surface and interactive coloring pages that talk and teach as the child colors.