<PAGE>   1

     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 19, 1998.
                                                           Registration No. 333-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                    FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           THE LEARNING COMPANY, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                                             94-2562108
(State or other jurisdiction of                               (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)

                   One Anthenaeum Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                         PF.MAGIC, INC. 1992 STOCK PLAN
                            (Full title of the Plan)

                                 Neal S. Winneg
                    Senior Vice President and General Counsel
                           The Learning Company, Inc.
                              One Anthenaeum Street
                         Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (617) 494-1200
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Title of                         Proposed         Proposed
 Securities         Amount         Maximum           Maximum         Amount of
    to be            to be      Offering Price      Aggregate       Registration
 Registered       Registered       Per Share    Offering Price (1)      Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>              <C>            <C>             <C>                 <C>
Common Stock,    54,480 shares       (1)            $151,396            $45
$.01 par value
per share
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

----------
(1) The offering price is computed pursuant to paragraph (h) of Rule 457 under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on the basis of the price at which the
options may be exercised, with the maximum exercise price per share being
$17.4837.
<PAGE>   2
PART I. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

      The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or given
to participants in PF.Magic, Inc.'s 1992 Stock Plan, pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

      Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

      The Learning Company, Inc. (the "Registrant") is subject to the
informational and reporting requirements of Sections 13(a), 14 and 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and in
accordance therewith files reports, proxy statements and other information with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following documents, which are on
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated in this
Registration Statement by reference:

            (a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Sections
      13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or the latest prospectus filed pursuant
      to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act that contains, either directly or
      by incorporation by reference, audited financial statements for the
      Registrant's latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed.

            (b) All other reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of
      the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the document
      referred to in (a) above.

            (c) The description of the Common Stock, $.01 par value per share
      ("Common Stock"), contained in a registration statement filed under the
      Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
      updating such description.

      All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all shares of Common Stock offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all shares of Common Stock then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to
be part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

      Item 4. Description of Securities.

      Not applicable.

      Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

      The validity of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon for
the Registrant by Neal S. Winneg, General Counsel of the Registrant. Mr. Winneg
owns options to purchase an aggregate of 131,500 shares of Common Stock, which
are or become exercisable in periodic installments through January 1999.

      Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

      Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, allows a
corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to
the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of
fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of
loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or
knowingly violated a
<PAGE>   3
law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in
violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit.

      Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, provides
that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
(other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), by reason of the
fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation
or is or was serving at its request in such capacity in another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or
proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect
to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his
conduct was unlawful.

      Section 8 of the Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides
for elimination of directors' personal liability and indemnification as follows:

      "8. Limitation of Liability and Indemnification of Directors

      8.1 Elimination of Certain Liabilities of Directors. A director of the
Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its
stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the
Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or
which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under
Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for any transaction
from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the Delaware
General Corporation Law is amended after approval by the stockholders of this
Section to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the
personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the
Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by
the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended. Any repeal or modification
of this Section by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely
affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the
time of such repeal or modification.

      8.2 Indemnification and Insurance

            8.2.1 Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a
party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit
or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative
(hereinafter a "proceeding"), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person
of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer,
of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation, as a
director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation or of a
partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with
respect to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is
alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee, or
agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee,
or agent, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to its
fullest extent authorized by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the same
exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only
to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader
indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior
to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including
attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement)
reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith, and such
indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
officer, employee, or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs,
executors, and
<PAGE>   4
administrators; provided, however, that the Corporation shall indemnify any such
person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof)
initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was
authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The right to
indemnification conferred in this Section shall be a contract right and shall
include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred defending
any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however,
that, if the Delaware General Corporation Law requires, the payment of such
expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director
or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by
such person while a director or officer, including, without limitation, service
to an employee benefit plan) in advance of the final disposition of a
proceeding, shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an
undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts
so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer
is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section or otherwise. The
Corporation may, by action of its Board of Directors, provide indemnification to
employees and agents of the Corporation with the same scope and effect as the
foregoing indemnification of directors and officers.

            8.2.2 Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The right to indemnification and
the payment of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of its
final disposition conferred in this Section shall not be exclusive of any other
right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute,
provision of this Restated Certificate, Bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders,
or disinterested directors or otherwise.

            8.2.3 Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its
expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee, or agent of the
Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise against any such expense, liability or loss, whether or not the
Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense,
liability, or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law."

      The Registrant has purchased directors' and officers' liability insurance
which would indemnify the directors and officers of the Registrant against
damages arising out of certain kinds of claims which might be made against them
based on their negligent acts or omissions while acting in their capacity as
such.

      Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

      Not applicable.

      Item 8. Exhibits.

      The Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits attached hereto is
incorporated herein by reference.

      Item 9. Undertakings.

      1.    The Registrant hereby undertakes:

            (a) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
      made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                  (i)   to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
                        of the Securities Act;
<PAGE>   5
                  (ii)  to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
                        after the effective date of the Registration Statement
                        (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof)
                        which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a
                        fundamental change in the information set forth in the
                        Registration Statement; and

                  (iii) to include any material information with respect to the
                        plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                        Registration Statement or any material change to such
                        information in the Registration Statement;

      provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the
      Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information
      required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
      is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission
      by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange
      Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement;

            (b) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
      Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a
      new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
      the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
      initial bona fide offering thereof; and

            (c) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective
      amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
      the termination of the offering.

      2. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

      3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
<PAGE>   6
                                   SIGNATURES


      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Cambridge, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this
18th day of June, 1998.

                                      THE LEARNING COMPANY, INC.


                                      By: /s/ Michael J. Perik
                                          ------------------------------
                                          Michael J. Perik
                                          Chairman of the Board and
                                          Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY


      We, the undersigned officers and directors of The Learning Company, Inc.
hereby severally constitute Michael J. Perik, R. Scott Murray and Neal S.
Winneg, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power
to any of them, and to each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in
the capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
herewith and any and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to said
Registration Statement and generally to do all such things in our name and
behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable The Learning
Company, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and all
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and
confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of
them, to said Registration Statement and all amendments thereto.
<PAGE>   7
      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
date indicated.

   Signatures                           Capacity                      Date

 /s/ Michael J. Perik
-----------------------------     Chairman of the Board           June 18, 1998
Michael J. Perik                  and Chief Executive Officer
                                  (Principal Executive Officer)
 /s/ R. Scott Murray
-----------------------------     Executive Vice President        June 18, 1998
R. Scott Murray                   and Chief Financial Officer
                                  (Principal Financial and
                                  Accounting Officer)
 /s/ Kevin O'Leary
-----------------------------     Director and President          June 18, 1998
Kevin O'Leary

 /s/ Lamar Alexander                    
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Lamar Alexander

 /s/ Michael A. Bell
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Michael A. Bell

 /s/ Robert Gagnon
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Robert Gagnon


-----------------------------     Director                        June   , 1998
Carolynn N. Reid-Wallace

 /s/ Robert A. Rubinoff
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Robert A. Rubinoff

 /s/ Scott M. Sperling
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Scott M. Sperling

 /s/ Anthony J. DiNovi
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Anthony J. DiNovi


-----------------------------     Director                        June   , 1998
Mark E. Nunnelly

 /s/ Paul J. Zepf
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Paul J. Zepf
<PAGE>   8
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number


 4.1        Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended(1)

 4.2        By-Laws, as amended(1)

 5          Opinion of Neal S. Winneg, Esq.

23.1        Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., Independent Accountants

23.2        Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP, Independent Accountants

23.3        Consent of Neal S. Winneg, Esq. (included in Exhibit 5).

24          Power of Attorney (included in the signature pages of this
            Registration Statement).

----------
(1)   Incorporated herein by reference to exhibits filed with the Registrant's
      Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 6, 1996.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "THE LEARNING COMPANY", "secsgml_size_bytes": 21378}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "LEARNING CO INC", "cik": "0000719612", "assigned-sic": "7372", "irs-number": "942562108", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0104"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-57335", "film-number": "98651358"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ONE ATHENAEUM ST", "city": "CAMBRIDGE", "state": "MA", "zip": "02142", "phone": "6174941200"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ONE ATHENAEUM ST", "city": "CAMBRIDGE", "state": "MA", "zip": "02142"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "SOFTKEY INTERNATIONAL INC", "date-changed": "19940210"}, {"former-conformed-name": "WORDSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC", "date-changed": "19920703"}, {"former-conformed-name": "MICROPRO INTERNATIONAL CORP", "date-changed": "19890618"}]}
1

     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 19, 1998.
                                                           Registration No. 333-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                    FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           THE LEARNING COMPANY, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                                             94-2562108
(State or other jurisdiction of                               (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)

                   One Anthenaeum Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                         PF.MAGIC, INC. 1992 STOCK PLAN
                            (Full title of the Plan)

                                 Neal S. Winneg
                    Senior Vice President and General Counsel
                           The Learning Company, Inc.
                              One Anthenaeum Street
                         Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (617) 494-1200
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Title of                         Proposed         Proposed
 Securities         Amount         Maximum           Maximum         Amount of
    to be            to be      Offering Price      Aggregate       Registration
 Registered       Registered       Per Share    Offering Price (1)      Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,    54,480 shares       (1)            $151,396            $45
$.01 par value
per share
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
(1) The offering price is computed pursuant to paragraph (h) of Rule 457 under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on the basis of the price at which the
options may be exercised, with the maximum exercise price per share being
$17.4837.
2
PART I. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

      The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or given
to participants in PF.Magic, Inc.'s 1992 Stock Plan, pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

      Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

      The Learning Company, Inc. (the "Registrant") is subject to the
informational and reporting requirements of Sections 13(a), 14 and 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and in
accordance therewith files reports, proxy statements and other information with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following documents, which are on
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated in this
Registration Statement by reference:

            (a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Sections
      13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or the latest prospectus filed pursuant
      to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act that contains, either directly or
      by incorporation by reference, audited financial statements for the
      Registrant's latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed.

            (b) All other reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of
      the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the document
      referred to in (a) above.

            (c) The description of the Common Stock, $.01 par value per share
      ("Common Stock"), contained in a registration statement filed under the
      Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
      updating such description.

      All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all shares of Common Stock offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all shares of Common Stock then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to
be part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

      Item 4. Description of Securities.

      Not applicable.

      Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

      The validity of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon for
the Registrant by Neal S. Winneg, General Counsel of the Registrant. Mr. Winneg
owns options to purchase an aggregate of 131,500 shares of Common Stock, which
are or become exercisable in periodic installments through January 1999.

      Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

      Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, allows a
corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to
the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of
fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of
loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or
knowingly violated a
3
law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in
violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit.

      Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, provides
that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
(other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), by reason of the
fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation
or is or was serving at its request in such capacity in another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or
proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect
to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his
conduct was unlawful.

      Section 8 of the Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides
for elimination of directors' personal liability and indemnification as follows:

      "8. Limitation of Liability and Indemnification of Directors

      8.1 Elimination of Certain Liabilities of Directors. A director of the
Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its
stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the
Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or
which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under
Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for any transaction
from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the Delaware
General Corporation Law is amended after approval by the stockholders of this
Section to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the
personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the
Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by
the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended. Any repeal or modification
of this Section by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely
affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the
time of such repeal or modification.

      8.2 Indemnification and Insurance

            8.2.1 Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a
party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit
or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative
(hereinafter a "proceeding"), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person
of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer,
of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation, as a
director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation or of a
partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with
respect to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is
alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee, or
agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee,
or agent, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to its
fullest extent authorized by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the same
exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only
to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader
indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior
to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including
attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement)
reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith, and such
indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
officer, employee, or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs,
executors, and
4
administrators; provided, however, that the Corporation shall indemnify any such
person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof)
initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was
authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The right to
indemnification conferred in this Section shall be a contract right and shall
include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred defending
any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however,
that, if the Delaware General Corporation Law requires, the payment of such
expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director
or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by
such person while a director or officer, including, without limitation, service
to an employee benefit plan) in advance of the final disposition of a
proceeding, shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an
undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts
so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer
is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section or otherwise. The
Corporation may, by action of its Board of Directors, provide indemnification to
employees and agents of the Corporation with the same scope and effect as the
foregoing indemnification of directors and officers.

            8.2.2 Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The right to indemnification and
the payment of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of its
final disposition conferred in this Section shall not be exclusive of any other
right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute,
provision of this Restated Certificate, Bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders,
or disinterested directors or otherwise.

            8.2.3 Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its
expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee, or agent of the
Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise against any such expense, liability or loss, whether or not the
Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense,
liability, or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law."

      The Registrant has purchased directors' and officers' liability insurance
which would indemnify the directors and officers of the Registrant against
damages arising out of certain kinds of claims which might be made against them
based on their negligent acts or omissions while acting in their capacity as
such.

      Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

      Not applicable.

      Item 8. Exhibits.

      The Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits attached hereto is
incorporated herein by reference.

      Item 9. Undertakings.

      1.    The Registrant hereby undertakes:

            (a) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
      made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                  (i)   to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
                        of the Securities Act;
5
                  (ii)  to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
                        after the effective date of the Registration Statement
                        (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof)
                        which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a
                        fundamental change in the information set forth in the
                        Registration Statement; and

                  (iii) to include any material information with respect to the
                        plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                        Registration Statement or any material change to such
                        information in the Registration Statement;

      provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the
      Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information
      required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
      is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission
      by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange
      Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement;

            (b) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
      Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a
      new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
      the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
      initial bona fide offering thereof; and

            (c) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective
      amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
      the termination of the offering.

      2. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

      3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
6
                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Cambridge, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this
18th day of June, 1998.

                                      THE LEARNING COMPANY, INC.

                                      By: /s/ Michael J. Perik
                                          ------------------------------
                                          Michael J. Perik
                                          Chairman of the Board and
                                          Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      We, the undersigned officers and directors of The Learning Company, Inc.
hereby severally constitute Michael J. Perik, R. Scott Murray and Neal S.
Winneg, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power
to any of them, and to each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in
the capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
herewith and any and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to said
Registration Statement and generally to do all such things in our name and
behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable The Learning
Company, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and all
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and
confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of
them, to said Registration Statement and all amendments thereto.
7
      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
date indicated.

   Signatures                           Capacity                      Date

 /s/ Michael J. Perik
-----------------------------     Chairman of the Board           June 18, 1998
Michael J. Perik                  and Chief Executive Officer
                                  (Principal Executive Officer)
 /s/ R. Scott Murray
-----------------------------     Executive Vice President        June 18, 1998
R. Scott Murray                   and Chief Financial Officer
                                  (Principal Financial and
                                  Accounting Officer)
 /s/ Kevin O'Leary
-----------------------------     Director and President          June 18, 1998
Kevin O'Leary

 /s/ Lamar Alexander                    
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Lamar Alexander

 /s/ Michael A. Bell
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Michael A. Bell

 /s/ Robert Gagnon
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Robert Gagnon

-----------------------------     Director                        June   , 1998
Carolynn N. Reid-Wallace

 /s/ Robert A. Rubinoff
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Robert A. Rubinoff

 /s/ Scott M. Sperling
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Scott M. Sperling

 /s/ Anthony J. DiNovi
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Anthony J. DiNovi

-----------------------------     Director                        June   , 1998
Mark E. Nunnelly

 /s/ Paul J. Zepf
-----------------------------     Director                        June 18, 1998
Paul J. Zepf
8
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number

 4.1        Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended(1)

 4.2        By-Laws, as amended(1)

 5          Opinion of Neal S. Winneg, Esq.

23.1        Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., Independent Accountants

23.2        Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP, Independent Accountants

23.3        Consent of Neal S. Winneg, Esq. (included in Exhibit 5).

24          Power of Attorney (included in the signature pages of this
            Registration Statement).

----------
(1)   Incorporated herein by reference to exhibits filed with the Registrant's
      Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 6, 1996.