Hi! I’m Leticia Barr.  I am a tech savvy mom of 2 children, ages 3 and almost 6, and am a technology magnet coordinator for an elementary school near Washington, D.C.  I grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley and feel that technology has always been in my blood.  As a constant user of technology both at home and work, I consider it a crisis when my internet connection goes down or if I leave my iPhone at home!

I am very excited about my new role within the LeapFrog Community.  In the past, I have served as a Teacher Tagvocate, writing about the educational benefits of Tag Readers.  Now I’m shifting my focus and will be using my background as a teacher and technology consultant to write about technology issues. Topics like age appropriate technology for children, kid-friendly website design, the right ages for a child to begin using a computer, and why our kids clamor for the tech tools that we use in our everyday lives are just some of the many technology related issues that we are having to deal with as parents in this very wired world. 

These days everyone is plugged in, whether it is through a smartphone or our constant computer usage.  Our children pick up on the importance of technology in our lives and I hope to provide some guidance about how to tackle important technology related issues before they arise in your home.

If these technology topics spark your interest or if you have questions about your kids and technology, let me know!  I want to hear what tech issues you are confronted with in your home that I can help with!

Reading is like a puzzle.  There are many distinct components that need to come together in order for a child to reach reading fluency.  Letter recognition, understanding the sounds that letters make, building a sight word vocabulary, and having children recognize words within the context of text are integral parts of becoming a fluent reader.  I’ve always thought that it is important to integrate both phonics and whole language into a child’s reading curriculum to provide a balanced literacy approach because there is no one-size-fits-all approach when teaching kids to read.

Our two children (ages 3 and 5 ½) have always loved reading classic stories like Olivia, Click Clack Moo, and others by Dr. Seuss with their Tag but I’m happy to see that LeapFrog has added the Learn to Read Phonics Book Series to their book collection.  The classics have always been instrumental in providing my daughter with the opportunity to increase her sight word vocabulary and fluency but couldn’t assisted her in the decoding process when she was a beginning reader. 

The new Learn to Read Phonics Book Series helps children deconstruct words so they can sound them out.  There are currently 2 six book sets for sale- Short Vowels and Long Vowels, Silent E and Y- which are designed to introduce long and short vowels, phonics skills, word recognition, and reading basics.

The Learn to Read Phonics Book Series is a nice addition to a beginning reader’s Tag library because it provides a way for students to develop decoding skills.  When used in conjunction with existing Tag stories that provide more experience with reading words, beginning readers can learn to use a variety of different strategies to learn to read. 

In one of my previous posts for LeapFrog Teacher Tagvocates, I wrote about how Tags are the new listening center.  Tags could replace the old styling listening centers in classrooms where children sat around a tape or CD player and used headphones to listen to a story together.  While there is value in listening to text being read, Tag provides the auditory stimulation and a more interactive reading experience for emerging readers.  The interactive nature of the stories and the new phonics based books provide young students with the opportunity to work independently and engage with text that could assist them in their decoding skills while motivated to use the new technology.

So many kids struggle with reading because the strategies that they are taught don’t fit their learning style.  Since there are so many pieces to the reading puzzle, learning to read can be a daunting task for many young children. LeapFrog has recognized that whole language needs to be balanced with the new phonics based Tag books.  They have found a way to keep the content interesting so children will be motivated to learn to read and then maintain their fluency by reading new titles featuring their favorite characters.

The Tag and Learn to Read Phonics Book Series were given to "Leticia-Tech Savvy Mama" by LeapFrog in exchange for her honest feedback. The opinions expressed in this blog are her own.

With grandparents who live in California, Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer are no strangers to cross-country plane flights. I always carry on an arsenal of goodies that aren’t part of our normal rotation of toys so they will have something novel to play with but no matter what I pack, they always reach for their Leapfrog Tags.

Now ages 5 ½ and 3, both children carry their own in flight entertainment that consists of a notebook, pencil pouch filled with an assortment of markers, crayons, and stickers, and Tag. Tag fits nicely into the smallest zippered pocket in their backpacks and 2-3 books is enough for each to have without weighing them down as we make our way through the airport terminals. Little Miss Techie decided to bring Miss Spider’s Tea Party, Fancy Nancy at the Museum, and Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type. Captain Computer packed The Little Engine that Could, Chicka Chika Boom Boom, and the National Geographic Land Animal Activity Cards.

Once in the air, I discovered that the kids were happy reading the books both with and without Tag. Captain Computer pulled out his favorite The Little Engine That Could and asked his sister to read it to him before pulling out a pair of ShareBuds headphones to read the story together using Tag. By loading the same set of books that we were traveling with on both kids’ Tags, our kids were able to share books easily.

Tag’s headphone jack to allow children to interact with their favorite stories without disturbing others. While I understand the concern about young kids using headphones and damaging their ears, Leapfrog’s built in volume control ensures that the audio never gets to levels that could damage a child’s hearing. I’ve found that the headphones are essential on plane flights not only to keep from bothering other passengers, but also to enable our kids to hear despite the background noise.

Our travels with Tag prove that it is a great tool for learning wherever you go. We’ve found that Tag and our set of books have held up to many trips and will probably go on many more!

-- Edited by: LeapFrog Paul The Tag Junior Book Pal and board books were given to "Leticia-Tech Savvy Mama" by LeapFrog in exchange for her honest feedback. The opinions expressed in this blog are her own.

Call it the second child syndrome, but poor "Captain Computer" clamors for the things that his 5 ½ year old sister has. Ever since Tag arrived in our home a year ago, he has always wanted his own. He loves sitting by his sister 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 since he is 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 Junior Tag Junior 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 Junior 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 Junior doesn’t require fine motor skills to operate it since small hands can either grip the top or bulbous bottom. Tag Junior 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 Junior 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.

The books that are part of the Tag Junior 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 Junior 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.

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

Some other differences that I noticed between the original Tag for older kids and Tag Junior for the younger set is that the USB connection hides beneath the battery door and away from small fingers. Tag Junior 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 Junior to the LeapFrog family. In fact, Captain Computer loves Tag Junior 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! --

Edited by: LeapFrog Paul The Tag Junior Book Pal and board books were given to "Leticia-Tech Savvy Mama" by LeapFrog in exchange for her honest feedback. The opinions expressed in this blog are her own.

This fall Little Miss Techie will head to kindergarten. My husband and I have already made the rounds as curious parents, touring the school and the classrooms. Our daughter’s future kindergarten classroom looks a lot like my former first grade room. I observed reading instruction that reminded me of my mornings teaching my students how to read using a balanced literacy approach. While the teacher met with reading groups to conduct small group lessons, other students were engaged in center activities where reading concepts were being reinforced. Independent work involved retelling stories, using rhyming families to assist with spelling, searching the word wall to assist with journal writing, interacting with print through the computer, and listening to stories at the listening center.

Ah, the listening center. I had to chuckle quietly to myself when I saw a pair of students sitting in front of a big box-like device sharing a book while they listened to the story through headphones half the size of their heads. As a teacher, I hated the listening center. Rotating the books, making sure that the tapes and books were together in their little bags, detangling the headphones at the end of each day, and ensuring the tapes weren’t becoming unraveled was a management nightmare!

Not only was the management of the listening center horrendous but as I think about Little Miss Techie’s experiences with new technology like LeapFrog’s Tag, that clunky tape machine is such a passive way for students to interact with text. Why should students sit and listen, sharing a book, when each child could have a Tag in their hands?

Tag would enable children to select a book and work independently at their own pace in the classroom. Fluent readers could use Tag to assist them with difficult words on an as-needed basis while beginning readers could use Tag to help them make the connection between the written and spoken word to assist them in building their sight word vocabulary. A child’s ability to interact with the text would provide teachers with invaluable information about the student’s mastery of reading skills. Much like a running record assesses a students’ progress towards reading fluency, connecting Tag to the computer would enable the teacher to utilize information from The Learning Path to inform instruction. Since Tags are portable, they could easily go home with students as part of their homework.

Teachers who realize the classroom value of using Tag with their students will have to invest the time to write grants or appeal to their PTAs for funds to purchase classroom sets.

This fall our daughter will enter her kindergarten classroom and be greeted by a wealth of new experiences, including the old school listening center. Tags have endless possibilities in a classroom but unfortunately with the budget shortfalls that many districts face, the reality of our public school investing in the Tag School Reading System is about as likely as new shiny playground equipment or more time in art, music, and physical education. So unfortunately the listening center is staying put.

Perhaps our daughter’s kindergarten teacher will be a technology innovator who will realize the classroom value of using Tag with students. If not, I’m glad our child has her own Tag to use at home. Tag has given her a head start in reading and allowed her to become a fluent reader even before setting foot into her kindergarten classroom. I just wonder what our daughter will think of that listening center!

-- Edited by Leticia-Tech Savvy Mama at 05/03/2009 5:20 PM PDT [Edited by: jsines] The Tag Reading System was given to Leticia-Tech Savvy Mama by LeapFrog in exchange for her honest feedback. The opinions expressed in this blog are her own.

We don’t watch a lot of TV in our house and when we do, the shows that my kids watch are usually from PBS and educational in nature. I’ve always shied away from Disney movies because of the gender stereotypes, negative portrayal of female body image, and other underlying messages that I’ve wanted to keep from my kids.

But like most 5 year olds, Little Miss Techie loves princesses. She loves the dresses, the idea of castles, the stories, and the pure fantasy of the princess world. It goes without saying that it is hard to shelter her from the princesses.

Today we were out shopping and Little Miss Techie spied a shelf of TAG books. “Look Mommy, more books for my TAG!” she exclaimed, picking up the Disney Princess: Adventures Under the Sea book. “Can we get this? I’d really like to read it.”

And so I gave in.

Why?

As a teacher I know that it is important to expose children to different kinds of stories that will expose them to a myriad of characters who confront different situations in the plots. I also know that drawing on a child’s interests motivates them to read. Just as I would give a reluctant reader who rattles off baseball and football facts about their favorite team a non-fiction book about sports or a biography of a favorite player, I am willing to give my daughter a Disney Princess story.

Maybe I’m a pushover but I will never say no to any book as long as it motivates my child to read. And while Little Miss Techie enjoys the TAG Classics like stories from the Dr. Seuss collection and favorites like Olivia, Miss Spider’s Tea Party, and Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type, from the sounds of her using her TAG, it seems like she is enjoying her new Disney Princess: Adventures Under the Sea story just as much.

-- Edited by Leticia-Tech Savvy Mama at 01/31/2009 11:46 AM PST -- Edited by Leticia-Tech Savvy Mama at 01/31/2009 11:46 AM PST

Our daughter, who goes by the alias Little Miss Techie, has had her TAG for 6 months and unlike some toys that are an instant hit right out of the box and forgotten about a few weeks later, her interest in TAG is still going strong. Her TAG arrived when she was 4 ½ and on the verge of moving from an emergent reader to a fluent reader. As an emergent reader, she alternated between having TAG read the text and using it to help her identify unfamiliar words. Both strategies assisted her in building her sight word vocabulary.

I think one of the reasons why Little Miss Techie enjoys using TAG so much is because it makes reading interactive. She gets to engage with the text in her favorite stories by pointing TAG at words and pictures and is charge of her own learning. Little Miss Techie decides whether she wants to read the book, play the games embedded in the stories, and when she is ready to select another title from her vast collection.

As a parent, I love the benefit of being able to connect to The Learning Path. The Learning Path provides a summary of Little Miss Techie’s learning and plenty of evidence that TAG is a learning tool. It enables me to exactly what Little Miss Techie has been doing with her TAG.

There are 3 different sections of the Learning Path- At a Glance, The Path, and Play Details. At a Glance summarizes the things that she has been doing with the 5 books currently on her TAG. The Path portion of the site is a set of stepping stones based on skill sets appropriate for her age. The stones allow me to see what skills she’s actively engaged in when she uses her TAG. It also lets me know what skills Little Miss Techie has explored and if she’s working on skills above her grade level. Finally, Play Details is an inside look at her play. It lists the skills appropriate for Little Miss Techie’s grade level, how she has performed on the questions she’s answered in the books, and tracks the amount of time she’s spent reading the book and engaging in the different activities.

Little Miss Techie is a big fan of the classics collection that includes books by Dr. Seuss and favorites such as Miss Spider’s Tea Party, Olivia, and The Little Engine that Could. I love the classics because so many of those titles are ones that she grew up reading well before we welcomed TAG into our home.

Besides the classics, there the TAG library includes other titles that are sure to motivate even the most reluctant reader. Activity storybooks feature popular characters from Cars, the Disney Princesses, SpongeBob, and Dora and Diego. There are also activity card sets. Little Miss Techie just got a set of the Land Animal National Geographic Kids Activity Cards and has enjoyed learning different facts about animals.