Developed by Mike Wood, the founder of Leapfrog, SmartyAnts is a newly launched online, phonics-based reading service for children ages 4 to 7. According to the website, “SmartyAnts assesses each child’s skills and tailors a reading program just right for his abilities and personality.” Plus a real-world buddy in the form of a “Reading Pup” sings and tells stories to reinforce what your child learns. According to Wood, the pedagogy behind SmartyAnts “comes from some of the great minds in early childhood education.”

The product is subscription-based. After a 2-week free trial, SmartyAnts starts at $24.99 for 3 months, or $49.99 for a full year.

Here is a recent article that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. There is also a YouTube channel dedicated to SmartyAnts. Here’s founder Mike Wood giving an overview about what he calls a “child’s personal reading tutor”