Allow your child's favorite characters to help teach letter writing and letter recognition using an LCD and gel pad writing surface. First, the child may press the UPPER/lower button to choose whether to see the animation for the uppercase or lowercase version of the letter. Then the child enters a letter by pressing a letter trigger. An animation showing the correct way to form the letter appears on the LCD. In addition, animations that match the example word for each letter play with appropriate sound effects. The child is then asked to write the letter on the writing surface.