Leapfrog's new Tag Reading System officially went on sale this past weekend, and based on the few days' experience I and mine have had with the gadget, it's looking as though this one could be a monster hit.
If you're familiar with LeapFrog's popular LeapPad or FLY Fusion Pentop Computer, you're halfway to understanding how to use Tag -- and given the intended audience (pre-readers ages 4-8), the learning curve here is short even when compared to LeapPad (with the older-kid-oriented FLY, it doesn't even compare). Outside of the included USB cable and PC program, the latter of which is used for keeping track of your budding reader's progress and downloading additional content, the technology is contained inside the pen. Simply point the infrared tip at words or icons in the accompanying books -- more on those in a second -- and Tag brings them to life.
My middle child, who just turned 5 and is itching to read as well as his 7-year-old brother does, tested Tag on two books in the system's library: Ozzie and Mack, which comes with the basic system, and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Tour de Bikini Bottom, which is among the 20-plus Tag-compatible books sold separately. (For those not into cartoon-themed books, there are several kids' classics -- from The Little Engine That Could to Olivia and beyond -- available, as well.) After a few minutes of mild impatience during which I installed the PC program and downloaded the audio content for SpongeBob, my son was able to start using the Tag pen, and though I attempted to cover the ins and outs of the system before handing it over, it didn't take long for him to figure it out on his own.
Though Tag's audio doesn't come close to the pristine, stereo-quality sound portrayed in the online demo, it's also nothing to sneeze at: As my son moved the pen across the pages in either book, the words came to life in surprisingly crisp detail regardless of whether he was playing whole sections, listening to the entire book, or moving one word at a time through the page (by far one of Tag's best features). Depending on how fast he was moving the pen, or how close to the center of a longer word he applied the pen, there was some mild garbling in which the words sometimes ran together (sort of akin to the sound you get when you rapidly mouse-click a piece of Flash audio), but for the most part, Tag came across like a steady, patient reading instructor working one word at a time through each paragraph.
My son isn't reading yet -- it's only been a few days! -- but as he and I have been going through the books together, I get the feeling that he'll be better prepared to start ahead of schedule with Tag's help. The fact that he can spend hours poring over a SpongeBob story when we normally cut off his TV time after an episode doesn't hurt, either.
Available pretty much everywhere you'd expect, Tag is $49.99 for the starter system, and $13.99 for additional books -- and if you buy it through LeapFrog's online store, you can also make a pledge to trade up your used LeapPad, Little Touch or My First LeapPad to receive a free book, T. Rex's Mighty Roar. (Offer ends June 30.)
