marytara's Full Review: LeapFrog LeapFrog Tag Reading System
My oldest child grew up with just about every Leap Frog product available at the time. When he was learning to read, he started out with the My First LeapPad and later graduated to the Leapster handhelds and the LeapPad Learning systems. Now, at 8 years old he has the LeapFrog Didj that he enjoys playing along with his Nintendo DS that he bought with his own money. My 4 year old daughter is definitely less of a techy kid. She's far more interested in books, pretend play, and anything overly girly. She had the LeapFrog LittleTouch system for babies and toddlers, and really couldn't be bothered with it. She later received the LeapFrog ClickStart system and enjoyed it but quickly mastered it.
So, when the Tag Reader came out I was on the fence about getting it for her. She just didn't seem like a LeapFrog kid the way my son was. Had this product been around a few years ago I absolutely would have gotten it for my son. But, at $49.99 for the system not counting extra stories (sold separately). I wasn't sure my daughter would even use it. I settled on putting it on her list for Santa and figured one of the relatives would get it - win/win situation. Well, as my luck would have it I actually won a Tag Reader last fall at an Autism event. Bonus!
About the Tag Reading System If you are familiar with the LeapPad learning sytems you'll recall a "magic" pen that reads books when a matching book and cartridge are inserted into the reader. My son loved his LeapPads and had tons of the books and cartridges that he used to store in this great big nylon zip up binder. The thing was that no matter how much we tried to keep it all together the books and the cartridges managed to get separated. Coupled with the fact that my son had 2 LeapPads - one that did writing, and only certain cards/books worked in that version -- it became confusing. He loved that system but over time the spiral bound pages began to tear, cartridges went missing, and the cord that held the pen to the system got pulled out. So, now that we've just gone down LeapPad memory lane - lets talk about the Tag.
Well, the Tag is the next generation of the LeapPad and offers several improvements. Say Goodbye to that clunky plastic reader, spiral bound books, and miniscule plastic cartridges. Say Hello to a magic cordless pen about 1/100th of its size. Advantages of the Tag over its predecessor are the fact that there are no cartridges to lose and match up with books. The reader pan is "magic" and recognizes which book is which. The old function where you had to "touch go" in the beginning of the books is also a thing of the past. The new books (aside from Ozzie and Mack) are hardcover with slick pages that are more like library books and less like spiral bound notebooks. The system is cordless so it is friendly to children who are right or left-handed and no longer constrained by a short cord.
The initial Tag Reading System (retail $49.99) includes a paperback book, Ozzie and Mack - but additional books are hardcover and priced from $7-10 each. There is also a plastic storage case to hold it all together for around $15. You can also find bundles that include the reader, extra book and storage case - which is a nice starter set. The Tag is suggested for children 4-8 years old, though personally I find it better geared to pre-k and kindergarten level readers. It comes in bright green or a "girls" pink one. We actually have the green one, which is gender neutral and my daughter hasn't pitched a fit about that yet. The reader pen runs on two AAA batteries and it does have a headphone jack on it for contained use. Battery use is heavy, so stock up on AAAs. The reader does tell you that the batteries are low, how convenient.
To set up the Tag reading system you will need to connect the Tag pen to your computer using the included USB cable. It is a standard USB so if you lose the cord, any USB will do. It comes with LeapFrog connect software that you need to load onto your computer and after that you can just download the books into your pen. The pen holds up to 5 stories (we own Little Mermaid, Fancy Nancy, Dora Goes to School in addition to the preloaded Ozzie & Mack). At this point the capacity is suitable for us. But, if your child has a lot of the books it could get a little hairy with having to make sure the story is loaded onto the pen. A friend of mine got this for her son and has already run into this problem - additional memory for the pen for added storage would have been nice. Update: The latest version that just came out of the Tag now has 32 MB and now can hold more stories (up to 10 books). Definitely opt for the 32MB version unless you can get the older on sale!
There are a variety of books available including popular characters like Disney Cars and Princesses, Kung Fu Panda, Diego and Dora, Fancy Nancy, and Olivia to name a few. Other popular titles include Dr. Seuss, Click Clack Moo, I Spy and more. More titles continue to be released and they are readily available.
In addition to reading the book, the Tag can also play games and activate all sorts of activities throughout the pages. While it doesn't necessarily teach a child to read it does reinforce site words and encourage reading skills. My daughter has a blast with it and even lets her big brother take a turn on occasion. Parents can log in to the LeapFrog connect software, connect the tag via USB and see their child's progress. I also found where my daughter "earned" reward activities (printables) based on the games she has played with her books.
Lets face it, nothing beats actually sitting down and reading with your child to instill the love of reading. But, the Tag comes close. I love that it is an activity my daughter can play with independently and it really holds her attention. So, yes, the Tag has proved to be a perfect choice for my 4 year old, after all. I wholeheartedly recommend purchasing the Tag for your preschool or Kindergarten age child. They'll love it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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