| ="body"> | | | | manipulate and blend them. You can't do that if you |
| What is Leapfrog Tag? | | | | are working with 'whole' words from the beginning - |
| The basic Leapfrog tag system consists of the Tag | | | | children need to understand from the beginning that |
| pen and a small inbuilt speaker. The tag pen is used to | | | | words are just create from sounds - and that the |
| read and play along with Tag-compatible books. The | | | | written code is directly linked with our spoken language. |
| system comes with an introductory reader (Ozzie & | | | | Imagine if a child is asked to learn the whole word 'nip' |
| Mack) but they also offer a range of classic children's | | | | - and then you ask them to spell the word 'pin' They |
| stories, as well as licensed books such as Spongebob, | | | | cant do it if they learn it as a whole word - because |
| Kung Fu Panda and others. The idea is that as the | | | | they don't understand how it is made up. If however |
| child taps on words or key areas the Tag pen will talk | | | | they learn the sounds 'p' and 'i' and 'n' then they can |
| - reading out the words in the book, or playing simple | | | | also spell the work 'nip' because they would just |
| games through it. | | | | manipulate the sounds they already know! |
| Can Leapfrog Tag Help Children Learn to Read? | | | | Free Ways to Teach Your Child to Read, Write and |
| Within this product- and many others- parents assume | | | | Spell |
| that by clicking on a word the child will hear it and learn | | | | Using Leapfrog Tag and other electronic games is fun |
| to link what she or he sees with this word- and will be | | | | for children of course- however they are likely to |
| reading! That these products will magically bring books | | | | confuse children about what reading and spelling is at a |
| to life. That's not how children learn to read at all. | | | | basic level - they will think of the squiggly lines - the |
| While this is a fun and quirky toy anything that focuses | | | | word - as a whole - instead of looking at the parts of |
| on 'whole words' - rather than learning how the word | | | | the word. They will think that reading is more to do |
| was 'put together' - will not result in your child acquiring | | | | with memory and using the visual clues on the paper |
| the skills required in order to read and spell with | | | | to guess the word. |
| confidence. We know this from worldwide clinical | | | | When teaching reading and spelling we need to really |
| studies and research into early literacy development. | | | | focus on the words we speak - and how they are |
| Browse through any studies - or read government | | | | spoken - the sounds used in the words. For example |
| reports - and you will realize that in order for ALL | | | | that the word 'show' is spoken using 2 sounds - we |
| children to learn to read and spell - and to prevent | | | | say 'sh' followed by 'ow'. When children can 'hear' the |
| reading failure - they need to be taught specific skills. | | | | sounds it's just a case of learning how to put those |
| Children won't learn to read and spell on their own - or | | | | sounds on paper. So start with single sounds - and |
| just by sharing books and stories with them - they | | | | words that can be created using single sounds. You |
| need to actually understand certain concepts- i.e. how | | | | might start with the sounds 's, a, n, i, p and t' - which |
| the English 'code' works. | | | | are the first sounds taught in Jolly Phonics (a |
| Children who fail more often than not have poor | | | | synthetics phonics program) - these sounds are |
| 'phonemic awareness'. This means the ability to | | | | chosen because you can create so many words from |
| distinguish and manipulate the individual sounds of | | | | those sounds. The children can learn to 'spell' words |
| English language. Unfortunately many teachers still do | | | | using those sounds- by learning to hear the sounds in |
| not choose to take a preventative approach or offer | | | | words- and also how to 'read' them- by recognising |
| systematic, direct phonics instruction until a child has | | | | the individual sounds on the paper and reading them |
| been failing. Any parent who wants to prevent | | | | (sounding them out) from left to right. |
| difficulties therefore should focus on anything that will | | | | Teaching children to read and spell is actually very |
| help their child to learn the sounds in words. You might | | | | easy if you work your way through the confusion (that |
| also be interested to know that research undertaken | | | | usually comes with a price tag) and simply arm |
| over the last decade or so has shown that the brains | | | | yourself with information. This product could have been |
| of children who are failing actually change when taught | | | | really great- if it focused on the individual sounds in the |
| using a direct, synthetic phonics approach - to more | | | | words rather than the whole words. So there is |
| closely resemble the brains of children with great | | | | definitely scope for future development - and I |
| literacy skills. So we now know that as long as they | | | | appreciate that the intentions of the product developer |
| are given the opportunity to learn using a good phonics | | | | are good. We all want children to learn to read and |
| program all children can succeed. Why wait until they | | | | spell with confidence - however we have to use |
| are failing however? A preventative approach seems | | | | methods and resources based on sound literacy |
| far fairer to the children - and will prevent associated | | | | research. |
| issues such as poor self-esteem and escalating poor | | | | When you understand the skills children need you can |
| behaviour. If parents and teachers knew that some US | | | | introduce and reinforce these concepts yourself - at |
| prisons are actually predicting future prison intake by | | | | home, in the car, while shopping - and it can be fun, and |
| looking at Year 3 and 4 reading scores there might be | | | | FREE! OK maybe not completely free- you do need |
| a shift in thinking - and in what opportunities we offer | | | | to make the cards to show what the sounds look like |
| our children. So creating something that will help children | | | | (letters are really just pictures of sounds) and can |
| is great - Leapfrog Tag doesn't currently offer them | | | | make a range of games using card and a pen. But |
| that opportunity. In addition, not only do we welcome | | | | we're talking a couple of dollars rather than hundreds if |
| quality resources, the children also need a real person | | | | not thousands! It's something you can start as early as |
| there guiding and instructing them. It's actually very | | | | when children are speaking. If they are able to make |
| different to the teaching of concepts relating to maths | | | | the sounds in words then they are able to learn the |
| or science. Literacy research shows this need for | | | | pictures used to represent those sounds. |
| direct instruction in phonics. | | | | A free clip on YouTube that gives a quick FREE |
| What Are The Skills Children Need In Order To Read | | | | overview of what parents can do themselves can be |
| and Spell? | | | | seen here: It doesn't link to any products - or anything |
| Although there a a range of skills- including the ability to | | | | for sale - just free advice for parents - and this is a |
| actual understand what they are reading, these are | | | | free chat forum for parents which is managed by |
| some essential skills. Children should learn that: | | | | literacy specialists who moderate it without charge just |
| 1/ Words are made up of sounds e.g. cat has 3 | | | | to be a part of raising standards of literacy - au/group |
| sounds - i.e. c+a+t and shout has 3 sounds i.e. sh+ou+t | | | | parents-aboard/ |
| 2/ Sounds are blended together in our speech to form | | | | If you do buy games with a purpose of helping your |
| words - and are represented on paper from left to | | | | child to read and spell then make sure they actually |
| right using pictures/ symbols that represent these | | | | introduce and reinforce the skills we know are required, |
| sounds. | | | | following years of clinical studies and research into this |
| 3/ Sometimes 2 sounds make another e.g. 's' is a | | | | field. Bottom line- anyone can teach a child to read, |
| sound, 'h' is a sound and 'sh' is another, different sound. | | | | write and spell! You don't need fancy electronic games |
| 4/ Sometimes a sound (on paper) can be read as | | | | and equipment and can often speed up the process |
| having two or more sounds in speech - e.g. 'ow' could | | | | by avoiding them- when they aren't in line with the |
| have 2 meanings- e.g. as in cow or as in bow | | | | numerous government reports and recommendations |
| Might sound complicated but it's actually not. What we | | | | that are easily accessible to parents and teachers |
| are trying to do is teach children the sounds in words, | | | | online. |
| how to represent them on paper (letters) - and how to | | | | |