A Review of the LeapFrog Tag Junior Book Pal
About.com Rating
The Leapfrog Tag Junior book pal is the little sister of the popular Tag Reader system. Designed for kids ages 2-4, the Tag Junior has a cute and chunky shape that looks like a small alien. Just like the original Tag Reader, this Junior Tag “reads” using an infrared camera that can recognize the dot pattern in specially printed books. Kids can interact with most objects on the page by just touching them with the pen.
It's fun to watch their amazement when their Tag Junior produces songs, sound effects and other surprises in addition to the story text.
Each Tag Junior comes with an original book called If I Were. The story is just OK, but each page of the book has pictures that create animal sounds or sing songs when touched with the Tag Junior. It's a wonderful introduction to what the Tag Junior can do.
The Tag Junior requires the use of special books which must be downloaded to the pen using the proprietary Tag Connect software. Having used the Tag Connect for other LeapFrog products, I usually find it to be a bit finicky, but I had no problems installing it and connecting the Tag Junior. You’ll also have the opportunity to customize the Tag with your child’s first name or nickname. This is a nice addition, especially if you have multiple Tags in your house, and everyone (adults and children included) will be impressed when the Tag greets your child by name.
The setup process isn't difficult, but will take a few minutes, so you may want to complete it before giving the Tag Junior as a gift. Trust me when I say that young children don't understand how long it takes to install a piece of software. I should also note that the Tag Junior holds roughly 5 books at a time so plan ahead when taking the Tag on road trips or to appointments.
Ease of Use
The LeapFrog Tag Junior book pal is well-designed for young children. It’s easy to turn on and off and the sound has just a few volume levels that kids can adjust with the touch of a button. The shape is just right for toddler and preschool hands and they will quickly master the technique of placing the bottom onto the book to get results. Unlike the Tag Reader for older children, the Tag Junior doesn’t read individual words. If the Tag Junior is placed on a paragraph, it reads the whole thing. This is more appropriate for the literacy level and the fine motor control in this age group.
I always complain about this, but the battery cover on the Tag Junior caused me quite a few problems. Once the cover was off (required for accessing the USB port to download books as well as for replacing batteries), it was extremely difficult to get back on. This is yet another reason for you to download the books onto the Tag Junior before giving it as a gift.
Educational Value
I am a big fan of the original Leapfrog Tag Reader. Kids could have an entire passage read, or go word by word. The ability to see a word as it’s being read is a great help in building literacy. The Tag Junior doesn’t build the same types of skills that most parents look for when they think of learning to read. Since it only reads paragraphs, it’s not going to help kids as much with letter recognition or sounds. That said, toddlers and early preschoolers are still building vocabularies and other building blocks of literacy. The Tag Junior is great for helping them attach meaning to words, as well as develop an early love for reading. I think that younger kids will especially appreciate having control over how the books are read. They can go fast or slow, skip pages or even read backwards. I know my two year old love that aspect.
Like other gadgets and toys in the Leapfrog family, the Tag Junior makes use of Leapfrog Connect. Parents can connect the pen to a computer to see what skills their child has been exploring. Each book has a set of skills that kids can explore including, colors, numbers, sounds and rhyming and Leapfrog Connect can show you all of the skills in one spot. It should be noted, however, that you can only assign one profile (child) to the Tag Juior at a time. Families with multiple children may want to keep that in mind.
Bottom Line
The Leapfrog Tag Junior is a nice addition to the bookshelf of any toddler or preschooler. There's no replacement for having a parent or trusted adult read to a child, but the Tag Junior lends some independence for younger kids who want to "read" on their own. With a variety of books available, including some familiar favorites, it a great way to add depth to stories as well. If you buy this as a gift, make sure to pick up a few extra books to increase the fun.
The Leapfrog Tag Junior book pal is the little sister of the popular Tag Reader system. Designed for kids ages 2-4, the Tag Junior has a cute and chunky shape that looks like a small alien. Just like the original Tag Reader, this Junior Tag “reads” using an infrared camera that can recognize the dot pattern in specially printed books. Kids can interact with most objects on the page by just touching them with the pen.
It's fun to watch their amazement when their Tag Junior produces songs, sound effects and other surprises in addition to the story text.
Pros
- Chunky shapes for little hands
- Board books are sturdy
Cons
- Only holds 5 books
- Battery/USB cover is finicky
- Books are pricey
Getting Started
Each Tag Junior comes with an original book called If I Were. The story is just OK, but each page of the book has pictures that create animal sounds or sing songs when touched with the Tag Junior. It's a wonderful introduction to what the Tag Junior can do.
The Tag Junior requires the use of special books which must be downloaded to the pen using the proprietary Tag Connect software. Having used the Tag Connect for other LeapFrog products, I usually find it to be a bit finicky, but I had no problems installing it and connecting the Tag Junior. You’ll also have the opportunity to customize the Tag with your child’s first name or nickname. This is a nice addition, especially if you have multiple Tags in your house, and everyone (adults and children included) will be impressed when the Tag greets your child by name.
The setup process isn't difficult, but will take a few minutes, so you may want to complete it before giving the Tag Junior as a gift. Trust me when I say that young children don't understand how long it takes to install a piece of software. I should also note that the Tag Junior holds roughly 5 books at a time so plan ahead when taking the Tag on road trips or to appointments.
Ease of Use
The LeapFrog Tag Junior book pal is well-designed for young children. It’s easy to turn on and off and the sound has just a few volume levels that kids can adjust with the touch of a button. The shape is just right for toddler and preschool hands and they will quickly master the technique of placing the bottom onto the book to get results. Unlike the Tag Reader for older children, the Tag Junior doesn’t read individual words. If the Tag Junior is placed on a paragraph, it reads the whole thing. This is more appropriate for the literacy level and the fine motor control in this age group.
I always complain about this, but the battery cover on the Tag Junior caused me quite a few problems. Once the cover was off (required for accessing the USB port to download books as well as for replacing batteries), it was extremely difficult to get back on. This is yet another reason for you to download the books onto the Tag Junior before giving it as a gift.
Educational Value
I am a big fan of the original Leapfrog Tag Reader. Kids could have an entire passage read, or go word by word. The ability to see a word as it’s being read is a great help in building literacy. The Tag Junior doesn’t build the same types of skills that most parents look for when they think of learning to read. Since it only reads paragraphs, it’s not going to help kids as much with letter recognition or sounds. That said, toddlers and early preschoolers are still building vocabularies and other building blocks of literacy. The Tag Junior is great for helping them attach meaning to words, as well as develop an early love for reading. I think that younger kids will especially appreciate having control over how the books are read. They can go fast or slow, skip pages or even read backwards. I know my two year old love that aspect.
Like other gadgets and toys in the Leapfrog family, the Tag Junior makes use of Leapfrog Connect. Parents can connect the pen to a computer to see what skills their child has been exploring. Each book has a set of skills that kids can explore including, colors, numbers, sounds and rhyming and Leapfrog Connect can show you all of the skills in one spot. It should be noted, however, that you can only assign one profile (child) to the Tag Juior at a time. Families with multiple children may want to keep that in mind.
Bottom Line
The Leapfrog Tag Junior is a nice addition to the bookshelf of any toddler or preschooler. There's no replacement for having a parent or trusted adult read to a child, but the Tag Junior lends some independence for younger kids who want to "read" on their own. With a variety of books available, including some familiar favorites, it a great way to add depth to stories as well. If you buy this as a gift, make sure to pick up a few extra books to increase the fun.