LeapFrog TAG Reading System – Green

I acquired the LeapFrog TAG reading system for my 7 year-old granddaughter in an effort to help improve her lagging reading skills. I gave the Leapfrog TAG device to her father (my son)for a test drive. He has used the Leapster 2 gaming system with his little girl for several years, so positive brand awareness influenced his interest in the LeapFrog TAG system. I asked him for some comments about the device. Here is what he said:

“On the parental side, software installation was quite simple. The device was in use less than ten minutes after opening the box. Managing the LeapFrog TAG’s media library at the desktop is also quite easy. The UI can be personalized to and utilized by the child with minimal instruction.

While my overall opinion of the system is positive, I found the materials included with the device to be decidedly minimalist. Unlike the Leapster 2, no protective case was included. Considering the TAG’s size, this increases the likelihood of misplacement. Batteries were not included, a rarity these days. Finally, the ‘sample’ book included was comprised of snippets from multiple available titles. The Leapster 2 had come with a complete game included. No additional purchase was required for the child to enjoy full immediate use of the device.

After purchasing a copy of ‘Walter the Far—g Dog Goes on a Cruise’ on sale for $10 at a local big box retailer, LeapFrog TAG’s potential was realized. It’s entertaining, versatile, and certainly more than just a talking book. The child can have the entire story read to him/her or point to specific words for assistance with pronunciation. Illustrations feature puzzles and quizzes to elicit interest beyond the story itself.

In addition, sound effects are employed to entertain which was of particular interest with the above noted title. Upon first receiving the TAG device and additional book, my child spent roughly a half hour with it (uninterrupted), then revisited frequently throughout the rest of the day. The device was used multiple times every day since receiving it, but my child is already requesting more titles after fully exploring the one(s) we have.

In just a short time, I have witnessed my girl’s ability to learn and speak more complex words. Long term viability of the LeapFrog TAG will likely be a function of available titles. I have noticed more of the newer ones to involve mostly games and puzzles. We will be sampling one of those soon.

Even if the LeapFrog TAG turns out to be only a transitional learning tool that doesn’t provide years of use like the Leapster 2, I’ve already found it to be a valuable help improving my child’s reading skills.”

I hope my son’s remarks were helpful. I can tell you that he was very satisfied with the TAG system and even more important so was my granddaughter.

My nephew got the Tag reader several years ago, so I’ve been eyeing it for my daughter for a while. She just turned 4 so I got it for her for her birthday. I love the updated look – it feels more sleek and cool. My nephew’s earlier version came with a paperback book, but this one comes with a sampler book that lets you try out lots of different pages from other Tag books. It’s really helpful to see what else is out there and for her to figure out which ones she would play with most. And I have to say I am amazed by the amount of games and activities embedded in each page. Great product – I highly recommend it!

I recently purchased this reader for my 2.5 year old son and so far, we are very impressed. I did some research and although the Tag Junior is geared towards his age group, it can only “read” the Tag Junior books and it has less memory. I chose to go with the regular Tag Reader because it works with both the Tag Junior books as well as the Tag books, plus it can hold more books. I was hesitant to make the purchase at first between the price and the other reviews about the lengthy set up process. I did some shopping around and found the price on these Tag Readers is about the same everywhere you look, even online compared to local stores. The difference was only a couple dollars from place to place. Even the books are about the same everywhere you look. As far as the setup, I don’t think it could be any easier or straight forward, From start to finish, it took about 10 minutes to load the software on my computer, update the software on the pen and it was ready to go. To upload a book that has been purchased, the transfer takes less than a minute. Again, it was easy and straight forward.( Maybe if you were in the middle of a birthday party, you might find it a hassle to to open your computer and follow the directions to set up) I like that its easy enough for my 2 year old to use and he can point to different objects and words on the page for music, sounds and reading aloud. The books are pricy but I think they will be a good thing to ask for for Christmas and Birthdays in the future. I’d love to see more books as presents vs toys anyways.

A couple of years ago, I’d have said, “wow, the good news is the incredible selection of books.” Now with the economy the way it is, I feel more like:”Oh noes, look at all the books I need to buy!”
The TAG itself works, it does what it says, and it does teach and hold the kids’ attention. They’re so focused on the fun of it, they don’t realize that they’re learning (shhh, don’t tell them!)
The thing I like is that the books you can buy for it aren’t the usual factory-churned out children’s books with a good licensing deal. Yes, there are Toy Story 3 and Madagascar books available, (and yes, I’m going to order them!) but there’s also “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” which I have memorized after reading to 6 kids, and “Green Eggs and Ham” (also memorized) and “The Cat in the Hat” and other classics. I love the available titles, and that’s the bad news. I just spent way too much getting more books.
Books aren’t all they have, either, they have “I Spy” and geography cards, and activity books to keep them interested.
We’ve had no technical problems, and it was easy to figure out, even though I’m a doofus when it comes to instructions.
We’re very satisfied with it, but be warned it will require future investments in the books to fully utilize it.