The Learning Company (TLC) is an American educational software company, founded in 1980. It produced a grade-based system similar to Knowledge Adventure's JumpStart series. The products for preschoolers through second graders feature Reader Rabbit, and software for more advanced students features The ClueFinders. The company also purchased the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. The company has corporate offices in San Francisco and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[1]
Founding and ownership[edit]
The original The Learning Company was founded by Ann McCormick, Leslie Grimm, and Teri Perl, three educators who saw the Apple II as an opportunity to enhance the ability to teach young children concepts of math, reading and science, along with Warren Robinett, fresh from a stint at Atari. Part of the original funding for the company came from a National Science Foundation grant. Additional funding was provided by Jack Melchor, and Melchor Venture Partners, among others. The Learning Company first went public on April 28, 1992 - Morgan Stanley and Robertson, Stephens & Co. served as the lead underwriters. In 1995 TLC became the target of larger software firms interested in purchasing it. In that year a "bidding war" took place between Brøderbund and SoftKey, with the latter eventually acquiring TLC for $606 million. SoftKey took up The Learning Company's name and continued acquiring other software companies including Mindscape, Inc. in March 1998 for $150 million and, ironically, former rival Brøderbund in June of the same year for $416 million. Mattel purchased the company in 1999 for $3.8 billion from entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary,[2] renaming it "Mattel Interactive", in what has been called one of the worst acquisitions in corporate history.[3] Mattel sold Learning Co. to Gores Technology Group, receiving $27.3 million for the unit. TLC, along with Brøderbund, is now a subsidiary of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; however, some of the acquired entertainment holdings were sold to Ubisoft.
Software[edit]
Logo of the Learning Company used from the mid-1990s until the late-2000s.
- Grade-based titles
- Other titles
Super Solvers series[edit]
Super Seekers games[edit]
Other games[edit]
- Tools and other programs
- All-Star Typing
- Read, Write, and Type
- MetroGnomes' Music
- The Children's Writing & Publishing Center
- The Writing Center
- Student Writing Center
- Other early educational programs
- Magic Spells
- Bumble Games
- Bumble Plot
- Moptown Hotel
- Moptown Parade
- Wordspinner
- Juggles' Rainbow
- Juggles' House
References[edit]
External links[edit]
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Games |
|
|
| Television shows |
|
|
| Developers |
|
|
| Publishers & distributors |
|
|
| Actors |
|
|
