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The LeapFrog Tag Reading System will change the way your kids experience reading. Combining fun, interactive activities with help for sounding out challenging words, this unique reading system will engage children in the reading process. Recommended for children ages four to eight, the Reading System uses the innovative Tag Reader to bring books to life. A simple touch to the Tag Activity Storybook will prompt the Tag Reader to speak words, ask questions, sing, and engage your child in over 17 learning activities. The Reading System has received over 28 awards in six countries!  | Tag Reading System Ages: 4 to 6 years
Requires: - 2 "AAA" batteries (included)
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With just a touch, the Tag Reader will read, sing, and ask questions to your child. | 
Kids can select from a growing library of interactive books and store them on the reader. |
Easy for Children to Use
The durable Tag Reader is cleverly shaped like a pen, with the optical reader at the tip. It's easy for children to operate independently and the pen fits well into small fingers. The lightweight Reader has a built-in speaker in the front for clear sound with volume control buttons located below the speaker. The adjustable volume ranges from very soft to loud. Your child can also use the Reader with headphones (not included). An adult can help pry open the flaps that hide the headphone plug and USB port. There's also a handy audio book feature -- perfect for traveling -- that plays aloud an entire story. The battery is securely placed behind a screw-locked compartment for safety. Advice to parents: the optical reader is exposed at the tip of the Reader so be sure to keep liquids away from it. Amazing Response with Every Touch
Your child will instantly gravitate to the entertaining, interactive way the Tag Reading System opens up the world of books. She can touch virtually anywhere on the special Tag Activity Storybook and the Reader will respond with music, sound effects, amusing phrases, and other fun activities related to the book. There are special symbols placed throughout the pages that cause the Reader to read the entire page, play a game, prompt children to answer "yes" or "no" questions, repeat a phrase, or simply stop the Reader from speaking. When children want to read on their own but need just a little help, simply pointing to a word on the page will let them hear just that word. This feature is perfect for children that are just developing their reading skills but get frustrated when faced with a challenging word. The Reading System will help them gain confidence and enjoy reading. Each TAG Storybook features games and activities that will help develop age-appropriate skills such as building vocabulary, reading comprehension, and other core reading skills. Store up to 10 Books
The sample full-size book comes conveniently pre-loaded onto the Tag Reader. Additionally, 10 books can be loaded onto the Reader giving children the opportunity to switch back and forth between different books with ease. The Tag Reading system comes with a LeapFrog Connect CD and the Reader can easily connect to a computer with the USB cable (included). There are currently over 30 books in the Tag Reading System library and it will continue to grow as LeapFrog constantly adds new books. Books range from classic children's books to contemporary, cartoon-based adventures, so there's something for every child. They also range in varying reading and skill levels allowing parents to tailor the books to their child's individual needs. What's in the Box
One Tag Reader, one full-size Tag Activity Storybook, USB Cable, LeapFrog Connect CD, 2 "AAA" batteries.
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 An eBook for kids - amazing! |
| Review Date: December 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Beedrew, Lebanon, Ohio |
We bought the Tag for our four-year-old's birthday, and she loves it! Her attention span for any kind of toy isn't the longest, but she has no trouble "reading" the story to herself with the Tag "pen." (And for those who are wondering, she still wants us to read to her at bedtime.) It remains to be seen whether the Tag can help her learn to sight read earlier than usual, but for now keeping her interested in books and interacting with them on her own, is enough for me. I will update my review after she has been using it for awhile.
A few details about how the Tag works, since that is not obvious from the product description or pictures. First, you NEED a computer with a USB port, CD drive, and Internet connection in order to use the Tag. The Tag unit is a pen-shaped device that has a speaker which actually outputs the "sound" of the story (with headphone jack and volume controls), and some internal memory for the electronic books that you will download from LeapFrog's site. Depending on which Tag you buy, it might hold 16 megabytes (about 5 books) or 32 megabytes (about 10 books). Only one hardcover book, in our case The Cat in the Hat, was included in the box with its audio preloaded onto the Tag unit.
It's worth noting that the Tag is NOT a scanner! You can't use any old picture book with it and have it read the words. You must buy Leap's special hardcover books to go with it. These look and feel like regular books, but there must be something embedded in the paper that lets the Tag "read" the book to your child. The books range from $10-$14 and there are over 25 of them in the Tag library, with more being published all the time.
Getting started is really easy if you're fairly proficient with your PC. The process is much like adding and removing photos from your digital camera. You put the AAA batteries into the Tag unit and load the software from the included CD onto your PC. The software tells you to connect the Tag to your computer via USB, and power it on. The software then analyzes your Tag to see what books are already there. It allows you to download the audio for any Tag book onto your PC; select which books to add or remove from the Tag unit; and then "synchronize" the PC and the Tag. There is no charge for downloading the books. You could download ALL of them and put as many as will fit on your Tag, since the audio is not really useful without the Tag hardback book to go with it. And those, of course, you must pay for.
Once you have put the audio on the Tag, "reading" a book is very easy: Just turn on the Tag, and lightly tap various spots in the hardcover book, as directed in the book. Tag reads entire pages or just words, and if you tap the pictures in the book, the characters (or objects) speak in "their own" voices. My daughter loves that feature.
I do wish there were a cap or cover for the business end of the Tag, to protect the plastic stylus if the Tag gets dropped. I think I will buy the carrying case and teach my daughter to put the Tag away when she isn't using it. The Tag hardcover books seem as durable as any other book.
The thing I love about Tag, versus earlier book readers from LeapFrog, is that you no longer need a cartridge to go with each book. Yes, you have to go online to download the audio and that is a bit of hassle, but I much prefer it over buying Leap books and then losing the (small) cartridges, so the books become useless. People without high speed Internet might feel differently, but for me this way is much better. I did open the Tag box and do all the setup and installation before we gave it to my daughter, so she was ready to go with three books when she got it.
As of this writing in December 2009, there is a $10 off coupon for the Tag reader good through the end of the year. Just search for "LeapFrog Tag coupon" on Google and it will direct you to a PDF file which you can download and print. I am not sure how it can be used to buy from Amazon, but maybe there is a way.
UPDATE: I have just learned that the Tag can read Tag Junior books, too. These are board books designed to go with the Tag Junior device, which works just like the Tag except that it is shaped for the smaller hands of 2-4 year olds. The reverse is not true, however; the Tag Junior device cannot read Tag books. Also, the Tag will not read individual words out of Tag Junior books, only whole pages. |
A great toy!
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| Review Date: November 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: MomCeo, New York, USA |
My twin 5-year olds have had this toy since last Christmas. They love it. We have (I think) a prior version with less memory-we're only able to store about five books on the pen (as opposed to 10, as the review indicates).
The TAG was very helpful for my girls as they began to read stories and recognize words by sight. Leapfrog has an extensive library of books, so there's lots of variety to choose from, with characters the kids recognize (Dora, Diego, Spongebob, etc), as well as kid's classics like "Cat In The Hat" and "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom". We purchased the carrying cases as well, which provides handy storage for several books and the TAG pen. We take the TAG books and pens on long car rides - keeps the kids busy for a good long while.
I also appreciate that there are many "levels" of exploration with this toy. The child can use the pen alone, and listen to all of the audio for all stories downloaded to the pen just by pressing a button. The TAG will cycle through all of the stories. The books themselves are also multi-dimensional: You can just read the story, or you can play the games embedded in the books and earn rewards on the Leap Path website. My girls also like to explore the books, and place the pen on the pictures of the characters themselves - Leapfrog has embedded some cute dialog as well. For instance, when reading the Spongebob book, if you place your pen on Spongebob's face, he'll say something funny related to the story.
The LeapPath website allows parents to drill down into each book the child has read, total minutes the child spent exploring the story, and cool info on what skills the child is building.
CONS: The TAG EATS batteries. Be sure to have a supply of AAA batteries on hand. The volume could use a boost; my daughters are sometimes holding the pen to their ears in order to hear the narrative (they're not too fond of earphones, so that's not an option for us). Downloading new stories to the TAG pen can take a little while; its not a horrific wait, but it can seem like forever with an impatient child jumping up and down in front of you, waiting to read a story and use his pen.
All in all though, an awesome toy. |
LOVE it!!
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| Review Date: November 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Pretty Critical, Montana |
| My daughter has been using the Tag Reader (normal, not jr) since Christmas 2008, 3 months before her 3rd birthday. She LOVES it!! I prefer to keep computer games out of her hands, so this is a great alternative! This interactive book helps teach kids how to read and recognize words. They can use it anytime & anywhere---excellent for travel! I'm glad they came out with the higher-capacity reader. All kids should have a Tag Reader :) |
A no-brainer
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| Review Date: November 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Ivan Kaltman, |
This may be the best investment you will ever make for learning/fun. I gave my 3 1/2 year old daughter the first book (Ozzie and Mack) and it was love at first sight. What's not to love? Imagine being a young child and being able to read the book yourself! But it gets even better...the characters talk in their own voices! And there are games to play! Car-rides? Tag. Waking up early and not wanting to put the TV on? Tag. Bed time story taking turns having Dad read it out loud and then having my daughter read it with Tag? Priceless!
The technology is ingenious, and though mildly irritating to have to upload and download through a computer, it is a small price to pay. Speaking of small price...the books retail for $14 but can often be found on sale for $10. That is basically the price of a regular book with all the features of Tag for just a few extra bucks.
The books themselves are quality; good stories and great artwork. They are also "graded" meaning the games/activities have different levels which make for excellent replay value as they enter different levels of reading (pre-reader, emergent reader, ect.)
I can't speak much to the durability as we have only had it for a few weeks. If I have to shell out another $40 for a Tag pen next year it will still be an amazing value. Bravo LeapFrog, for making a great hybrid system of fun and leaning that has enough variety to be perfect for every child! |
Love it!
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| Review Date: December 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: TCat, Phoenix, Az |
We purchased the Leapfrog Tag reading system for our 5 year old in the summer of 2009. It's now Christmas and the first thing on her wish list is more Tag books!
My daughter loves to take the pen and books in the car on roadtrips and often sits on her bed and entertains herself by "reading" to the pets. The fact that the books do more than read to her is wonderful, she enjoys the sounds that each picture makes, loves the games that nearly every page offers and is learning easy reader skills that keep her wanting more. She even asked me to chart her progress on the Parent page on the computer so she can see how she is progressing!
We love this system and will buy it for other young readers as gifts. Not alot of parts, not loud and annoying, not a hassle to deal with, but fun, educational and leaves the kids wanting more. What more could one ask for!!! |
Good learning toy
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| Review Date: February 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Meachell13, |
| I bought this for my son who will be 3 in a few months. I know that the product says 4 and up but he already knows all of his colors, shapes, letters and numbers so I felt that he would be able to use the Tag longer than the Tag junior. After comparing them I really felt that the more advanced parts of the Tag junior can be down with the Tag. The biggest difference is the device that you use on the books. I think that the kids will have to be careful with the pen tip because it is small it may break.... mine hasn't yet and my son can be a little rough with things. :-) He understands to point to the different pictures to make them talk and to point to the purple circle that will read the whole page. We played with the demo that Leapfrog has on their website and he really loved repeating all the words that the computer said so I knew that he would like it. They have a few videos of the Tag Junior there as well so you can see a comparison. |
Fantastic toy & learning tool for ages 3 & 6
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| Review Date: January 22, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Melissa, Northern CT USA |
I have two boys, ages 3 1/2 and just turned 6, and they got two Tag systems for Christmas. We also got them some additional books, and they received more books from relatives. Currently they have the Cat in the Hat that came with it, Star Wars, T-Rex's Mighty Roar, Bakugan, Up, and Cars' Tractor Tipping.
We have the old leap pad - it was handed down to us - but it's not as easy to use, it requires a child to sit at a table to use it, and you have to have the cartridge in just right for it to work. This is so much better and more portable. We gave the boys sets of headphones for the car, and they take it with them everywhere. Since Christmas I doubt a day has gone by where they are not "reading" one of the books. My 3 year old needed no instruction, just figured it out. He loves T-Rex's Mighty Roar in particular, and though I got Bakugan for his older brother, he "reads" it too. He's memorized nearly all of the books.
It only takes 2 AA batteries, works very well. We keep the whole system plus the two pens in a small backpack to keep it neat. I used our labeler to put their names on the pens - I do wish they came in different colors besides green and pink; it would have been nice to give one in blue or red to one kid and green or yellow to the other, but they know their names so it works out.
We don't allow our kids to play video games or go on the computer so this was a big deal for us - we didn't want a toy where they are getting a lot of screen time or zoning out. This is truly an educational toy that they love and learn from.
I hope LeapFrog continues to put new titles out - especially continuations of existing titles - like a second Star Wars, Cars movie, and also other non-media associated titles. I was also disappointed that Amazon isn't carrying Green Eggs & Ham except through Target! But we'll get it elsewhere
It is a great bargain - do check out the deals at LeapFrog directly, they are sometimes better than here. |
Amazing, FUN, Educational
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| Review Date: January 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Kelly N. Burykin, |
| Both of my kids (5 and 3) LOVE this toy! I love knowing that they are learning, as they play! They both love playing with it, however, it seems like my 3 year old loves it even more. Great value for the price! Would recommend to everyone. Don't buy the Tag Super Speller and Tag Funny Phrases, they are far from durable. They are made of cardboard, and break easily. STICK WITH THE BOOKS for the tag system! |
Greatest Present Ever!!
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| Review Date: January 22, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Lisa Hernandez, Chicago |
| This is by far the greatest thing I have ever received for my son. I love it! It has opened his eyes and mind to learning. He has letter recognition down, but actually putting the letters together and making words was our next step. This was a surprise present, and one I now recommend and buy for others! I was a little hesistant with the tip, but it seams to hold up to my son's roughness. The only problem we have run across is battereis. My son is on this thing so much, he is eating batteries. Might do recharageables just to keep up! And if you are a little too rough with the tip, it will dent the pages. It's something else they learn- how to be gentle with their toys! Love it, and I think it's something everyone should incorporate into their childs learning! |
One of the best investments we have made all year
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| Review Date: May 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Rachel, New Orleans |
One of the best investments we have made all year, LeapFrog's Tag Reading System is an Anya Favorite.
A little on the pricey side, but well worth it. Your little one will have a blast touching the pages with his/her Tag and hearing the story played through the pen. There are also a ton of other tid-bits buried in these books: games, reading assistants, the actual character voices.
LeapFrog Tag Reading System (Pink) (32 MB)We decided to actually purchase the Tag instead of the LeapFrog Tag Junior Book Pal because of the "test run" at Wal-Mart. Anya was much more interested in the pen than the little ball of the Tag Junior. The Tag is recommended for ages 4 - 8, whereas the Tag Junior is for 24 months to 4 years. I know a lot of parents want to age their child, buying advanced toys for little toddlers that aren't ready for them, and I usually try not to do this (usually a waste of money, because they lose interest quickly on these toys) but for this one I made an exception. She can't use all the functions cognizantly, but she enjoys holding the pen and clicking on words and pictures. I believe she will grow into the functions of the pen.
Not to mention this baby worked very easily with my MacBook - added bonus!
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