If you’ve been reading Confessions, you already know I don’t buy a lot of toys for my sons. I like toys, I honestly do, but there are few things I’d spend my money on (and before you think I’m truly awful or that my boys are playing with corncob dolls like Little House on the Prairie rejects, be aware that generous family members do buy them toys, some of which I like, some of which I grimace at while the boys play with them).
If I’m going to part with cash, in short, the item has to have longevity, creativity, and that all-important but possibly hard to grasp attribute: distraction-plus-learning. One of the best examples I’ve seen of a toy that offers kids learning fun and keeps them happily occupied in cars or happily away from each other (“Stop it!” “No, you stop it!”) are the LeapFrog toys.
How’d you like to have, for your very own, a LeapFrog Tag Reading System?
the LeapFrog Tag Reader
I’ve teamed up with a 9 other parenting blogs to give away these systems. The whole shebang — it comes loaded with The Cat in the Hat, and who doesn’t love that?, plus two bonus books — amounts to a $78 value.
The Tag system is a smart “pen” that you and/or your child runs over specially configured books. The pen “reads” the book aloud, and plays games related to the text.
Now, I’m not saying, “let’s all get one of these and then wash our hands of having to read to the little guys,” because reading is, as the old public-service commercials of my youth intoned, fundamental. (Anyone remember RIF?). But I am saying that, let’s face it, sometimes you need to plop the child down with a toy that you don’t mind him or her playing with while you do something else. That is, don’t throw out your hard copy of The Cat in the Hat (even though, if you’re anything like me and my husband, you don’t need the book anymore, because you can recite it by heart).
Here’s a review of the system by one of my fellow bloggers, Sarah of Parenting by Trial and Error.
Here’s all you have to do to have a chance to win:
Leave me a comment here about how you feel about reading to your child, versus having a device that reads to your child. I love things like this. We have a LeapFrog Math Desk, and I can tell you, it does not stop me from helping my son with adding and subtracting, but it does make me feel good to know that when he’s playing it’s not mindless. Well, not that any play is mindless, but you get my point.
Anyway, leave a comment for a chance to win (winners will be chosen randomly by random.org). You can also increase your shot by visiting the other blogs I’ve joined forces with, and leave comments on their LeapFrog contest posts. Here’s the list:
The contest ends September 23, 2009. Good luck — and as always, happy reading!
–Denise
Love your blog! Reading IS Fundamental – yes, I remember RIF – does that make me old? I say, when it comes to reading, give kids every advantage. Personally, I read to my kids EVERYDAY and they see me read, too. A “toy” like this, gives beginning readers support (i.e. confidence) to try to read inependently. The toy can’t replace the parent but helps tremedously, in the pursuit of reading. Hmm… leapfrog math desk…must check that out. Did I mention that I love your blog?
I enjoy reading to my children especially at night before bed but I think the Leapfrog tag would be nice for children to do on their own too.
Reading to my child before bedtime fosters a special connection between he and I. He looks forward to it everynight at exactly 8:30. The smile he makes when I make funny faces during the story is worth it enough!
I love devices like this. This allows my children to learn while I’m not available to help. The kids find it fun and also learn to be independent. They love to show off what they’ve learned.
My four year old daughter and I read books together every night before bed and she loves playing with her leap pad notebook she got for Christmas. The tag reader seems like the next step up for her, I think she would love it.
I loved reading your post! It’s hard to imagine a time when parents weren’t really encouraged to get involved with their kid’s classroom and their learning.
I think that our kids would love to use this on trips and at times when we have quite time. I do believe that reading to your kids is very important but the leapfrog can help build confidence in there reading.
reading rocks!
this looks like a great learning tool:)
I would love to win this for my son!!! and itll make reading a lot easier for me
ANything that helps my little one read is a great thing to me…
My daughter needs this …
We always have so much fun reading but this is a great tool that children can use by themselves as well
i love reading to my daughter. she will pick books and “read” them to me by making up stories to go along with the pictures. i think the leapfrog system would be great for helping to teach her to read on her own.
Reading time is one of my favorite things to do with my daughter, that’s our bonding time. The leapfrog is good to have so she can learn to read on her own.
I think that there are different purposes to reading to your child and allowing the pen to read to your child. The first is to promote togetherness and let him get the idea that you enjoy reading too. The second is to allow him to explore reading on his own. I think that they are equally important.
reading with your child is very important it provides quality time and togetherness but when time is limited for that these reading programs come in so handy so you know your child is learning even when you need to be doing other things
This is a great tool to help them learn to read. Parents still need to help, but this helps them think that their more independent and can learn without the parents help all the time.
Reading to your child lets them listen to you and ask questions about things. With this tool it lets them be independent and “read” on their own while repeating what the tool tells them. I think both are great ideas in helping your child learn how to read.
Would love to give one of these to my best friend for her children!
reading to them is fun and them by themselves with leapfrog make it fun for them to learn
I prefer reading to my kids-but, when I can’t, reading devices like Leapfrog are a good substitute. Still, personal contact with your child is best if you use the devices with your kids.
A Leapfrog Tag Reader would be good for giving Tristan a headstart on reading.
I like to read to my son but toys like this are great for when I’m too busy such as cooking dinner.
I like both. I love to read to my kids and they love it too. They also love being able to use something like this for fun.
We read every night. Leapfrog is a great thing to have when they want to read by teir selves. Thanks for the chance.
I think this would be great to help them learn to read.
I love to read to kids, and they are getting better at reading books to me every day. I have seen the TAG and it is really neat, it really can help kids learn to read. They get to use it independently from Mom or Dad so it gives them a bit more freedom and self confidence. I am a huge Leapfrog fan and I think this is just another great product in their line of great products.
I read every day to my grandchildren and they love it. The interactive reading system is great when I just don’t have the time. It is fun and educational.
This looks great, we love reading
Reading is HUGE in our house! Fortunately, we don’t ever have to “make” our kids read. They love it and excel at it. All of our children read above grade level (brag, brag! lol). We love reading books together and they love reading on their own. I think products such as this are great because they enhance the reading/learning process. I think it helps give them a little independance to learn things on their own.
ljatwood at gmail dot com
Reading to your child is essential to creating good comprehension and imagination skills. Do it everyday. Have never seen this system in person but it sounds like a great educational toy.
tvollowitz at aol dot com
Honestly I prefer reading to my kids (which we do every night) but I must say that my son would probably love the Leapfrog reader because he is so technology oriented — so if it would get him to reading more that would be fine!
I love reading to my children but there have been times I have just been too tired so then I would have one of the older ones read to the younger ones so the little one gets read to and the older one get practice reading out loud. This would be helpful
well hubby and I take turns reading to my sons every night,however I think this is great in teaching them how to read on their own!
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
I have seen children’s faces when they use this system. Their eyes light up and they wake up with excitement. I work with children at church and would love to use a device like this one. thank you!
i like reading to them myself but whatever work best . mverno@roadrunner.com
I am a grandma and love to read to my grandchildren and I think that the Leapfrog Tag system would be a wonderful addition to have at story time.
OK, thanks everyone! As it’s the end of the day (or at least, the end of my East Coast day), I’m calling “time” on the LeapFrog giveaway. I will announce the (randomly chosen) winner either tomorrow afternoon (the 24th) or Friday. Thanks to everyone for weighing in, and keep reading,
Denise
My daughter has been wanting one. It would a wonderful thing to give her. Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
I’m a homeschool mom of three. My oldest is 15 and with the exception of grades 1-3 she has always homeschooled. My 9 year old daughter has never gone to a traditional public school. Both of them are independent learners and have done really well. Now, to my 5 year old son — he is a whole new can of worms! He doesn’t sit still and he HATES reading lessons. I’m trying to find ways to incorporate reading in a fun way — perhaps the LeapFrog tag reader would help??
I think both are important!
Reading to kids is great. But sometimes it is great if the kids can read a book by themselves! Thanks for the chance to win!
It is a great learning tool
I enjoy reading to my children and I wouldn’t mind if they were being read to, just as long as they are looking at the book that is being read.
I’m so excited by the new reading tools they keep coming up with! Reading has always been such an important part of our daily routine because it really is the key to getting everywhere in life!
This would be a great unit for my nephew who is incredibly curious and asking to learn to read.
My 6 yr old is learning to read and she reads to me about every night and this is something to help her along with her problem words i thiink with also reading one on one and this used together could be very helpful
I think that both are probably beneficial in their own ways!
Reading to your children is one of the best things you can do with them, but I can see using the Tag system when you are a bit busy with something or you want your wee kidlet to be a bit more independant and learn things on their own!
Its ALL good!!
Thanks
nancyrobster@gmail.com
(in Canada)
I love reading with my kids…we try to do it every day and they love it too. I think these kind of toys are great because they encourage learning in a fun way!
Reading to my children is such an important experience for us. It not only allows us to spend undivided attention with each other, but it stirs the imagination. Dreams spring from reading, inspiring us to become more than we are. I read a book a day as a child and went on to read my mother’s books as an adolescent. Reading helped me stand out among my peers, earned me the opportunity to help my teachers with bulletin boards and classroom exercises. By the time I reached eight grad it allowed me to take high school courses in world history and english. It made me a better student and a more informed person…that is what I want for my children. That is why I read.