My DD was about 3 1/2 when she started asking me. I had the same questions you had. So I poked around the Internet and got a free trial to this software:
www.headsprout.com -- She played the first few trial "episodes" and then had enough. I didn't push it and forgot about it. About a year later, out of the blue she asked "Hey can I play that headsprout game again?" At that age, she blew through it and LOVED it. It can't hurt to try the free trial and see what happens from it. Good luck
I'll also say, by the time she asked to play it again, she was reading simple readers - like "BOB" books.
