 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Tag Reading System
- Tag
- Price: $49.99
- Genre: Educational
Common Sense Media says
It's cool: Just tap, and the Tag pen reads to you.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is an electronic reading device that connects to the Internet so that you can download new books for it to read aloud. It works with books printed on special paper, but these Tag books look like regular books and many are classics enjoyed by kids. The system comes with the Tag reader and one book, but to expand your Tag library, you must buy new books at $13.99 each. However, the audio that you download into the Tag reader is free.
What's it about?
From the makers of the LeapPad and the Leapster comes a new reading system called the TAG READING SYSTEM. This nifty new electronic reader is contained inside a pen-like device which children hold over books that have been printed on special dot-matrix paper. By tapping on a page of the book, the Tag can read the whole page, a word, a phrase, or respond to images on the page. The Tag reader is six inches long and uses two AAA batteries to run. It houses a computer processor, a stereo audio system, and a small infrared camera on the end of the device. By quickly photographing the dots on a page, the Tag can determine where it is on the page and then read to your child. The Tag reader can hold the audio content of up to five books at a time, and you can interchange which books are in its memory by connecting to the Internet. The Tag Reading System comes with one book: Ozzie and Mack by Trish Holland, but additional books are available for $13.99.
At launch, the Tag Reading System has 16 books, two activity boards, and two card sets that work with the Tag reader. Parents can choose which classic and/or activity storybooks they want to add to their child's library by purchasing them and then connecting the Tag to the Internet to download the audio content for free. Choices include such classics as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Little Engine That Could, Olivia, and other kids' favorites. Leapfrog also offers books featuring popular branded characters including Diego (from Go Diego Go), SpongeBob SquarePants, and Kung Fu Panda, with Jack Black's voice featured in the audio.
Is it any good?
Tag is fascinating to hear and see in action. It's simple for kids to hold it like a pen and tap icons, words, or images to make a book come alive with sound and music. By tapping the "Read the Story" icon, the Tag reads the whole book, while indicating when the child should turn the page. Alternatively, the child can tap the "Read the Page" icon or a specific word. Your child can even drag the pen over a series of words to have a sentence read. Touching illustrations will also provide a rich audio response.
But, Tag's greatest feature is that it makes reading fun. With Tag, kids want to touch the words to hear them spoken. The books also contain reading games that focus on vocabulary, phonics, and reading comprehension. And Tag always provides positive feedback so kids feel good about themselves when playing with this electronic reader.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether reading with the Tag pen makes reading the book more fun. Did you expect the illustrations to speak? Which of the games inside the book did you like best?
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AGE
Keeps a 4 year old's attention
My daughter received her Tag from Santa yesterday. As I type, she is perched on the stairs engrossed in the Diego book. Her 7 year old sister is an avid reader and this allows her to keep up. The sound and effects are very engaging and the stylus is easy for her four year old hand to grasp and use effectively.
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AGE
Great for travel
The main reason why I said noticeable product placement is most of the books are about branded characters, but this is also what my kids are super interested in.
I love this for traveling, my at the time 2 year old daughter was most avid player of this system and all 3 of them still use them a lot. We love these books and I always check the aisle to see if there are new books.
The big downside is it's small enough it's fairly easy to lose.
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AGE
My Grand daughter got the tag for her birthday. At first i thought this gadget might too advance for her but she loves books so i decided to try it and the outcome has been excellent.. she takes her tag everywhere.. thank god for Tag..
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AGE
My 4 yo son received it a few weeks ago for his birthday. He's extremely active but also loves to read. This allows him to by physically engaged and independent while he "reads" which he totally loves. The song in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a regular phrase he is repeating as he dances around the house.
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| Platforms: | Tag |
| Available online? | Available online |
| Genre: | Educational |
| Developer: | LeapFrog |
| Release date: | June 8, 2008 |
| Price: | $49.99 |
| ESRB rating: | NR |
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