LeapFrog’s New Tag Jr. is Perfect for Younger Readers

Finally Captain Computer has his own LeapFrog Tag device that is just for him- Tag Jr! Call it the second child syndrome but he always clamors for the things that his older sister has.

Ever since Tag arrived in our home a year ago, he has always wanted his own. He loves sitting by Little Miss Techie as she reads with her Tag and often requests The Little Engine that Could, a book that is near and dear to his 3 year old heart being a huge fan of all things that go. Little Miss Techie has always cautiously shared her Tag, hoping that her little brother would be gentle and wouldn’t break it.

While Tag has held up to being shared, Captain Computer was thrilled to get his hands on the just released Tag Jr. ($34.99). Tag Jr. is the chunkier, more durable version of Tag. It is specifically designed for the small hands of toddlers and preschoolers and does not have any delicate parts that can be easily broken.

Unlike the original Tag that is shaped like an oversized pen, Tag Jr. looks a little like a snowman. It has a head with 2 eyes on the top and a bulbous body that contains the volume control and little holes for the sound. Because of the snowman-like design, Tag Jr. doesn’t require fine motor skills to operate it since small hands can either grip the top or bulbous bottom. Tag Jr. also stands nicely due to the flat surface that is designed to travel over the pages of the board books it works with.

Speaking of the board book library… I love that the Tag Jr. library includes titles from Scholastic (How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?), Dr. Seuss’s Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?, David Smells by popular author David Shannon, and Eric Carle’s classic Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? There are also books with Dora, Curious George, Winnie the Pooh, and The Backyardigans to entice young readers into sitting down with a book that features their favorite characters. Each book is $10.99.

The books that are part of the Tag Jr. library work on skills such as the concepts of print, colors, first words, listening and reading comprehension, listening and speaking, matching, vocabulary, social play, social skills, animals, rhyming, subject knowledge, etc. Just like the Tag, Tag Jr. can be connected to LeapFrog’s Learning Path to determine the length of your child’s play, skills being learned, and even favorite characters and pages. So far there are 10 books that are part of the Tag Jr. board book library and we look forward to the addition of more classics and favorites in the months to come.

We currently have 3 of the 10 board books available and Captain Computer never seems to get tired of reading with his snowman-shaped pal. He loves it when Tag Jr. and greets him by name when he turns it on and off. The fact that Tag Jr. knows his name is incredibly motivating and becomes more like a friend than an electronic tool to read books.

Setting up Tag Jr. is just as easy as setting up any other LeapFrog device. Download the LeapFrog Connect software and then connect Tag Jr. via a USB cable to add book titles, update the Learning Path, or connect additional devices to your child’s name. Be sure to click on the personalization button on the list of links on the left to have it set up to greet your child. Personalization is easy…Just type in your child’s name and select a name to greet your child that can be heard every time Tag Jr. is turned on and off. If your child’s name isn’t part of the list, you can send it to LeapFrog for further consideration and select a nickname.

If you already own a Tag and are thinking of purchasing a Tag Jr. for use by a younger child, an upcoming software update in July will allow Tag Jr. books to be used with the Tag! You can read details on the LeapFrog Tag Jr. forum.

Some other differences that I noticed between the original Tag for older kids and Tag Jr. for the younger set is that the USB connection hides beneath the battery door and away from small fingers. Tag Jr. lacks a headphone jack which, while convenient for plane trips and long car rides, helps to protect small ears from being damaged due to listening at loud volumes for excessive periods of time.

LeapFrog products are always a hit in our house and we’ve found something new to love with the addition of Tag Jr. to the LeapFrog family.

In fact, Captain Computer loves Tag Jr. so much that now Little Miss Techie wants to use it! Captain Computer reluctantly agrees, handing over his little snowman buddy to her with warnings to take care of it!

Tag Jr. comes in green or purple and is currently available for $34.99 from Toys-R-Us and Target stores and Leapfrog.com. Visit LeapFrog’s site to take a short and fun quiz about reading to get $5 off Tag Jr. you purchase it online. Tag Jr. will also available for purchase at WalMart beginning in August. Tag Jr. books are $10.99 each.

Excerpts of this post can be found on LeapFrog Teacher Tagvocates. I was given Tag Jr. and 2 books to provide a teacher-parent perspective for their Teacher Tagvocates blog. I am also a Tag Ambassador and will be sharing the Tag & Tag Jr love with families, daycares, schools, and libraries by providing them with kits containing both devices and a library of books.