Ann McCormick

Ann McCormick
McCormick, Ann
Occupation	Founder

Career

Dr. Ann McCormick has woven together a career that bridges child development, education, and interactive technology, marking her as a foundational figure in educational software design and advocacy.

Roots in Education and Early Vision

With a Ph.D. in Education from UC Berkeley, Ann began her work in classrooms, tutoring and training teachers nationally. Driven by emergent cognitive science theories, she believed deeply in exploration-led learning— an ethos that would define her career.

Founding Alternative Learning Technologies / The Learning Company (1981–1982)

In 1980, Ann teamed up with Leslie Grimm, Warren Robinett, and Teri Perl, to form Alternative Learning Technologies in Portola Valley, CA, working under National Science Foundation grants to prototype child-focused software. Sometime prior to the release of Rocky's Boots, Alternative Learning Technologies was reneamed The Learning Company, with Ann encouraging the development of Rocky's Boots (1982), a logic-puzzle game praised for its hands-on learning and playful interactivity.

As board chair, Ann secured funding— including Apple and NSF grants— and guided The Learning Company's strategic vision.

Launching Reader Rabbit and Public Impact (1983–1985)

Ann championed and inspired Leslie Grimm’s development of Reader Rabbit (1984), a phonics game that emphasized error-free encouragement over punitive responses. Her leadership helped drive The Learning Company to critical acclaim: receiving Parent’s Choice awards, Learning Magazine Software of the Year, and coverage in Fortune, NY Times, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and features on PBS and Donahue.

Post-The Learning Company: Virtual Reality and School Innovation

After leaving The Learning Company around 1985, Ann joined Jaron Lanier’s VR startup, VPL, advising major players like AT&T, IBM, and Apple toward “future schools” that embraced immersive learning. She then partnered with Karen Stone‑McCown of the Nueva School, integrating cutting-edge tech in classrooms where children created VR and digital media from first grade onward. Later, she co-launched Learning Friends, an internet company aiming to deliver literacy learning for ages 4‑9 with keystroke-based assessment and thematic cultural worlds—backed by Hewlett Foundation funding.

Legacy and Impact

Ann McCormick’s career blends deep educational insight with bold technical innovation:

• As CEO and Chair of The Learning Company, she helped build the foundation for enduring educational brands like Reader Rabbit.
• Her leadership, public advocacy, and media presence helped legitimize edutainment as both a consumer product category and for serious educational value.
• Her post-The Learning Company work anticipated the rise of VR and personalized online learning, pushing the boundaries of what classrooms— and children— could do with technology.

Ann’s ongoing focus on literacy app design underscores a lifelong commitment to helping children thrive through innovative, compassionate, research-based educational tools.