The Learning Company
Reader Rabbit and beyond
The Learning Company dominated educational software with Reader Rabbit, Math Blaster, and other titles that taught millions of children through play.
The Learning Company built an educational software empire through engaging games that made learning feel like play. Reader Rabbit became synonymous with early literacy software, while acquisitions brought Math Blaster and The Oregon Trail under one roof. The company’s history mirrors the rise and consolidation of the educational software industry.
Fast facts
- Founded: 1980 by Ann McCormick, Leslie Grimm, and Teri Perl.
- Key franchise: Reader Rabbit (1983-present).
- Acquisitions: MECC, Broderbund, Mindscape.
- Acquisition: purchased by Mattel (1999) for $3.5 billion; massive writedown followed.
- Current: brands survive under various owners.
Reader Rabbit
The flagship franchise:
- Debut: 1983 for Apple II.
- Target: early childhood literacy.
- Approach: phonics through mini-games.
- Longevity: dozens of titles across decades.
The catalogue at 1988 prices
COMPUTE!’s educational software guide of May 1988 lists three Learning Company titles together, which gives a clearer picture of the business than the Reader Rabbit headline alone:
| Title | Ages | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reader Rabbit | 4–7 | Apple II, Apple IIgs, C64, MS-DOS | $39.95–$59.95 |
| Math Rabbit | 4–7 | Apple II, MS-DOS | $39.95 |
| Rocky’s Boots | 9 & up | Apple II, C64, MS-DOS | $34.95–$49.95 |
Two things stand out.
The company was already running a franchise, not a title. Math Rabbit is in the guide alongside Reader Rabbit in 1988 — the rabbit had been extended into a second subject within five years of the first game.
And Rocky’s Boots is the outlier worth noticing. Aged nine and up, and about digital logic — building working circuits from gates. A company whose public identity is early literacy was also shipping a game that taught children how computers work, at the same price, on the same shelf.
⚠ Reader Rabbit and Math Rabbit span four platforms here including MS-DOS and the C64; MECC’s Oregon Trail in the same table is Apple II only. The company that would eventually buy MECC was already the broader operation.
Acquisition strategy
Building an empire:
- MECC (1995): brought The Oregon Trail.
- Broderbund (1998): added Carmen Sandiego.
- Mindscape (1998): more educational titles.
- Mattel disaster (1999): overvaluation led to massive losses.