Customer Reviews

LeapFrog Tag Reading System (32 MB)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

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.

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 (especially if you get some headphones). The higher-capacity reader is a great upgrade since she can have all her books programmed in instead of just 5 of them. All kids should have a Tag Reader :)

UPDATE on 03/26/10: She just turned 5 and is reading at about a 3rd grade level. Reads paragraphs easily and smoothly. We know it is because she has this interactive reader that she can use anytime. (And we read other books to her, of course) We got her the Tag USA Map for her birthday, so now she is learning about all the states, too! She LOVES it.

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!

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!!!

Shes 2 almost 3 and plays with these books all the time. Her mother likes to sits and runs the pen to read the book to her. Shes already learned new words and I think her mother is having fun sitting with her playing with Tag.
This has to be one of the best products to come out in years but one complaint! Why just 32mb of memory?(10 Books) Memory is cheap and I'd pay a extra 20 bucks for one with 1gb so all her books could be on without linking it up to the PC all the time.

My 2.5 & 4 year old got these for Christmas. They started wanting to read more and more and the book really helps. The two year old took a little time to get it, but he has caught on. Many of the books have the nice game features at the end that add to reading comprehension, but don't involve having to read the story. They make the same books entertaining over and over again. I will say my son's first pen stopped working unexpectedly - though I'm not sure the reason (i found it on the floor of the car after a week or two...not sure how it got there or what happened in the interim...) But I replaced it right away. My 4-year old will sit quietly in her room with it at bedtime, a nice way for her to put herself to bed.

Great fun educational toy.

Both my son (5years) and daughter (4 years) have had the LeapFrog Tag for about 1 1/2 years and they LOVE it. The technology really amazes me! It is unfortunate that the few reviews with 1 star had so many problems with it b/c we have had NO problems so far. My kids have even dropped the pens accidentally at times and it did nothing to them, so they seem pretty durable. They continue to come out with new books and my son just got the interactive United states Map and the Phonics Learn to Read books. The books do go on sale at stores and online, so you can get a good deal! I paid 5.00 for a book with a coupon last week!
I will say that I don't believe that the Tag reader should be a substitute for parents reading books to their children. Children still need that time with parents! My kids use their tag reader on car trips using headphones or when they need some quiet time to themselves. I think it is better than watching TV or movies. They don't use it every single day but I don't expect them to as they would get tired of it. All in all, an AWESOME and more importantly educational toy for kids. I don't reccommend getting it for any child under 4. It might be ok for a 3 year old, but the parent should probably assist the child until they can really learn and understand it.

You won't regret it!!

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.

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.