Bestest Christmas Gift Guide – The Tag Reading System
Oh how we love love LOVE the Tag reading system!
Right from the very early days, when it was in an enormous plastic folder that was bulky and horridious to carry around, we have owned at least one – thankfully they have got smaller and cleverer over the years!
The latest pen (in classic green and also purple – which thankfully isn’t pink, though it is called that) holds up to 10 books at any one time – toppety top choice for long car trips and visiting relatives over Christmas!
The principle is simple – when the pen is run over the words, the story is read aloud to the children. By watching the words at the same time as hearing the story, children subconsciously pick up the basics of reading. It’s exactly the same principle as my daughters Reception teacher telling us parents to read to our children whilst running a finger along under the words.
But far more fun than the stories are the ‘extras’ hidden in each page – the sounds and descriptions and games you can find whilst running the pen over the pictures.
With the Tag pen, your child who can’t read yet will sit happily for an hour or more poring over books. Bedtime calm down is easier – just a book and a pen and they’re quiet and content (and LEARNING!).
Over time, of course, your child will only use the pen on the tricky words, until eventually they are reading the stories themselves. It’s a classic toy for a reason – it’s well-built, holds infinite play value, and really genuinely works.
The range of books is excellent – old classics like Paddington, Thomas and Cat In A Hat sit alongside contemporary titles like Disney’s Tangled and Pixar’s Cars, and there are more than 30 titles to choose from (See all Tag books on Amazon!). There’s even Interactive World Map book available to help with geography and world knowledge.
