Interactive educational toy

A plush toy having an exterior and an interior surface, the toy comprising,

• a) a plurality of indicia on the exterior surface of the animal;
• b) switching circuitry electrically connected to the indicia from the interior surface;
• and
• c) a microprocessor-containing logic circuit having its input terminals connected to the switching circuitry and its output terminals connected through other circuit elements to a sound synthesizer and speaker;
• wherein a logic circuitry controls interaction between the switching circuitry and a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities including at least one instruction modality that names an indicia, a second modality that asks the user to identify a named indicia and provides appropriate feedback to the user as a function of the user's answer, and a third modality that asks the user to answer questions based on a relationship between the indicia.

A method for teaching the names, functions, and order if any, of indicia comprising the steps of,

• a) providing a toy that is attractive to a child, the toy having an exterior surface;
• b) attaching a plurality of indicia on the toy's exterior surface;
• c) electrically connecting switching circuitry to the indicia;
• and
• d) electrically connecting the switching circuitry to the input terminals of a logic circuit having at least one memory and having its output terminals connected through other circuit elements to a sound synthesizer and speaker;
• wherein the logic circuitry controls interaction between a user's control of at least one switching circuitry and a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities including at least two distinct instruction modalities.