I tested the Tag Pen with Zackery, age 7. The pen was easy for him to hold, and he understood how to turn on the pen and use it easily. There was only one instruction that didn't seem clear: When he selected to read the story in the book, the Tag Pen instructed him to "press this button." Both Zackery and I were confused, because the pen didn't specify which button to press. I let him figure it out for himself, and it took him a few seconds to find the right button on the pen.

Zackery read all of "Ozzie and Mack" with the help of the Tag. He enjoyed the story and laughed aloud at the funny parts. At the end of the story, Zackery wasn't sure how to start the game; it took him a few seconds to realize he had to select the button with the stars on it at the bottom of the page. He was excited to play, though, and said they looked like fun. Once the game started, he caught on to the instructions very easily. There were four games at the end of the book, and he played each game for about 3 minutes.

Zackery really seemed to enjoy playing with the Tag Pen. There were a couple steps he was unsure of when he first tried it out, but he was able to figure them out quickly. Zackery said if there were other books to use the Tag with, he would play more. And Zackery said he would "bring it [the Tag] to school for show-and-tell." The more he plays, the more he will learn!

I then tested the Tag Pen with Dominic, age 4 and in preschool. He caught on to the instructions quickly, but had the same problems Zackery did with the instructions. Dominic doesn't know how to read yet, so at certain points while listening to the story, he seemed distracted. He played two games at the end of the story for about 2 minutes each before he got bored. He didn't have the reading or spelling skills to answer the questions correctly.

Dominic spent only about 10 minutes with the Tag. About an hour later, he wanted to play again, but that time, he lasted just 5 minutes. Although Dominic wanted to play with the Tag, I think he needs to know a bit more about reading to use it to its full potential.

Judging from my tests with these two boys, it seems the Tag is great for kids Zackery's age, but the skills needed to use the Tag are a little too advanced for kids Dominic's age. I would recommend the LeapFrog Tag Pen for ages 5 to 8. The Tag is made to improve children's reading skills, but not to teach them how to read. If you have kids in grades kindergarten to third grade, the Tag would be a great way for them to sharpen their reading skills and even improve their school work.