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Motherhood, Giveaways and Product Reviews

Learning To Read With LeapFrog! (Updated With Giveaway!)

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This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Randall C.  Congrats!

I started reading to my son when he was an infant.  I honestly don’t remember how many weeks old he was, but I do remember that I waited until the pain of the c section and the haze of sleeplessness lifted.  “Read and start early.”  That is the advice I was given. When wiser, seasoned parents gave me this advice, I dared not stray from it.  However, I remember questioning myself numerous times as I sat reading to my infant.  Had I really gone over the deep end?  Was my infant really getting anything out of my reading to him? He just turned two and not only is his speech highly developed (particularly for a boy), he loves to sit with me while I read to him.  One of the things we love to do is take turns filling in words to the books we read over and over again.  I realize that right now he’s reciting these words from memory.  But one day…he’ll actually be able to read them.

Last Christmas, LeapFrog’s Tag Reading System was one of the THE hottest toys on the market.  I remember buying one for my best friend’s little girls.  I wanted to buy a system for my son but he was (and still is) too young for it.  So…I was super excited when I learned the company was coming out with a version for younger tots called the Tag Junior.  Designed for children aged 2 to 4, the reading system literally “brings stories to life.”  My son loves books.  I attribute that to the countless hours we’ve spent reading together.

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lfWhen this came, we wasted no time previewing it.  I was as excited as he was, particularly because I had a glimpse of the Tag system we purchased for my best friend’s little girls. The “frog,” as my son calls it, is perfectly sized and shaped for a toddler’s hands.  He figured out how to turn it on and off in minutes.  The premise behind the technology is that the Tag reader has a small infrared camera that “reads” words and pictures printed on the special dot-patterned pages of the Tag Junior board books.  All my son has to do is “stamp” it on the pages of the book and he hears text read out loud, sound effects, and songs.

The system came with one book (If I Were) and the company also sent us Curious George: Color Fun (which is my son’s favorite).  It’s super easy to set up and simply requires downloading each book’s audio (the system is PC and Mac-compatible).  The device can hold up to 5 audio books at a time.  Apparently we can set the “frog” up to greet my son by name, but we haven’t attempted to figure that out yet!

There are 8 books in the Tag Junior series and each one teaches toddlers something different (i.e. colors, senses, alphabet, counting, etc.).  It’s not often I rave about a product so highly.  But we were very impressed.  I particularly like the fact that my son can explore on his own or we can do this as a shared activity together.  Each book has numerous activities…more so than you think and my son doesn’t get “bored” with it.  I like that the system incorporates familiar characters like Pooh, Dora, and Curious George (we’ve already purchased 2 more books).  I really hope LeapFrog continues to come out with new books because I can see my little boy playing and discovering books for a very long time.

The Tag Junior retails for $34.99 and you can purchase additional books for $10.99.  Amazon.com always has great deals and I highly recommend checking the site out if you’re interested in purchasing the system.

Win It! One of you will win a Tag Reader with books and one of you will win a Tag Junior with books.  Just leave a comment with which you’d like if you won and a book you’d like from the site.  Comments will close on September 1, 2009 at 10 PM PST. One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

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Caryn Bailey
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203 Responses to Learning To Read With LeapFrog! (Updated With Giveaway!)

  39. I’d love the Tag reader for my daughter! She’d love the Activity Storybook Ni Hao, Kai-lan: Kai-lan’s Super Sleepover!
    thanks!
    mainlandmama at gmail dot com

    Reply

  42. Your video was delightful! Please enter me in your drawing for the Tag Reader with books. One of our favorites would be the New! Tag Activity Storybook
    Giraffes Can’t Dance!” Many thanks for this chance. It would be put to good
    use…..Cindi

    Reply

  44. i would love to win the leap frog tag reader for my 5 yo dd. I would choose the NEW! Tag™ Activity Storybook Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell’s True Talent book. thanks! clallen at ntin dot net

    Reply

  55. I would love to win the Tag Junior for my daughter with the 123 Dora Book!
    Thanks for this giveaway!

    luvtosave at gmail.com

    Reply

  56. email subscriber luvtosave at gmail.com
    (would love to grab your back to school banner but I don’t see the code)

    Reply

  68. I would choose the LeapFrog Tag Reading System and the Activity Storybook Up: Up with Adventure book. I love Leapfrog products, they are the best.

    Reply

  69. Our son, Zane, loves looking at the Tag Reader and books every time we see them at the store. I would say we would like the Tag Reader along with the Tag™ Activity Storybook Scooby-Doo! Shiny Spooky Knights. Zane loves Scooby-Doo!

    Reply

  70. i’d want the tag reader and would pick “walter the farting dog goes on a cruise” because with the word “fart” in the title, oh my, its bound to become a favorite of children in this household

    Reply

  71. I would choose the Tag Reader along with the book, Activity Storybook Giraffes Can’t Dance. Leapfrog makes the most wonderful products.
    Thanks so much.

    Reply

  75. I can use both systems, but if I had to pick one it would be the Junior system. I would add the I Spy book. My family loves I Spy.

    Reply

  87. I would like the Tag™ Reading System Pink and the book Ariel the Little Mermaid .This is a great learning tool that my granddaughter .

    Reply

  89. 3 year old Tristan needs the Tag Junior with the vocabulary book because he is behind his 2 year old sister in his speech.

    Reply

  90. leapfrog has came a long way since my son was little and now 16 yrs later I have a daughter and think I will start her on the tag JR

    Reply

  92. I have grandkids from age 11 down to 2 months, so it is a tough decision. Finally, I have decided on the Tag Reader. I hope I win it, so that I just have to buy one other system!

    Reply

  96. I would choos the Tag Reader and the Activity Storybook The Amazing Spider Man.
    lgrieser(at)sbcglobal(dot(net

    Reply

  98. I would love to have the Tag Reader for my daughter with the Tinker Bell’s True Talent book.
    Thank you so much for the chance to win.

    Reply

  109. My daughter already has the ABC Animal Orchestra book, so the 1-2-3 Dora! book would be a great addition.

    Reply

  116. You know, I would love Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do you See? But I know my son would love Curious George Color Fun even more (he’s George’s number one fan), so I would choose the latter. Thank you!

    Reply

  130. we’d want the tag reader and the book NEW! Tag™ Activity Storybook Giraffes Can’t Dance

    thanks for sponsoring this.

    2kidsblogger(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  132. I’d like the Tag reader with the Tag™ Activity Storybook SpongeBob SquarePants™ The Tour de Bikini Bottom. Thanks!

    Reply

  139. I’d like the Tag system for my 5-year-old headed off to school this year. I’m so anxious for her to learn to read!

    Reply

  154. I would love to get this one for my son…Tag™ Junior Book: Pooh Loves To… he loves everything pooh… and still havent grown out of it

    Reply

  165. I’d like to win the LeapFrog’s Tag Reading System; and, the Tag™ Activity Storybook Giraffes Can’t Dance would be my choice of books!

    Reply

  168. I would love to have the tag reader. And I would love to get the Book Series: Long Vowels, Silent E and Y. This seems to be my daughters trouble spot in reading.

    Reply

  169. I would like the Tag Juniour for my 2 1/2 year old toddler (Aubry). I homeschool my 10 year old and this would be something that the toddler could play with at the table as we school. Aubry has 2 bookshelves and books are his favorite toys. So this would only fuel his love for books. I would like the ABC animal orchestra book, because Aubry knows his alphabet and recognized about 5 letters when he sees them, So this would help me him with his letter recognition.

    Reply

  170. I subscribed to your feed as a second entry for the Tag, or tag jr leap frog. Thanks for the chance to win. ;0)

    Reply

  171. I also, entered Mandy Mommy’s Kilzs sweepstakes to qualify for a third chance to win the Leap frog tag or tag jr….thanks again.

    Reply

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