On long car journeys, on train journeys, or simply cozily at home on the sofa – the Tiptoi interactive learning system is popular with children and parents. We explain the many functions offered by the hearing pen.
The Tiptoi is a reading or listening pen. If you tap the stylus on a picture or text in a book provided for this purpose, suitable sounds, speech or music will sound. Stories, games and toys are thus brought to life. To do this, you need to download the corresponding audio files from the Internet in advance. For the old generation of the hearing pen (for 3 years and older), you have to connect the pen to a computer to do this. With the new version of the hearing pen (for ages 2 and up), this all works via the charging station with WLAN connection; it is completely independent of the parental computer.
The levels of experience in the books or puzzles are divided into four categories:
The reading pen can be used not only in combination with books, but also with games, a globe or puzzles. It is recommended for children from 2 years. Products for different age groups are offered.
The earlier devices (since 2018) for children over the age of three have an integrated microphone so that children can record their own sounds and speech. The newer device (from 2022) for children from the age of two has no microphone and therefore no recording function.
The multiple uses of the listening pen offer an interactive and engaging way to learn. This encourages the children to become active and to foster their curiosity. By playing with Tiptoi books and toys, children can improve their cognitive skills and develop their language, math and social skills.
Also, the listening pen allows children to discover the world around them in a new way. You can immerse yourself in a variety of topics and learn more about history, science, or geography. For example, not only is it explained what the hoot of an owl sounds like, but you can also listen to it. Even several times. The operation of the pen is simple and its use is adapted to the motor skills of a child aged from about 2 years.
The products designed specifically for children over 2 years are usually simpler. They have larger and more colorful images, as well as less text and more complex interactive features. They aim to stimulate the senses and curiosity of younger children and develop their fine motor skills.
The products for ages 4 and up are usually more complex and sophisticated in terms of interactive features and learning materials. They are often designed with more text and more challenging content to give children a deeper understanding of topics such as history, science, or math.
According to Ravensburger, Tiptoi inspires and motivates to play and learn! It is an innovative learning and creative system with which children discover the world through play. Its child-friendly design and high-quality content, as well as the wide range of possible uses, are particularly highlighted here.
With the Create recording function, the provider promises to promote your child’s language skills and self-confidence.
The listening pen is only compatible with the corresponding Ravensburger products. The cost of the pen and matching books should therefore not be underestimated. The pen alone already costs about 39 euros. However, you can choose from a variety of products in different price ranges, which are also always a nice gift idea.
With the older version of the pen (for ages 3 and up), audio content can only be loaded onto the device using Tiptoi Manager, a computer program from Ravensburger. Computers and Internet access are therefore a prerequisite. The recording function cannot be used with all Tiptoi products, but only with Create products.
For more on what to consider when using family read aloud pens, check out our general post on this.
Read-aloud pens bring a whole new reading experience to your child as they enhance classic books with audio. We have already explained here how these work exactly and which ones are available on the market. But you can not only be read to, you can even play audio pens yourself and bring your very own stories to life with audios.
To create your own audio content and integrate it into the desired book, there are special recording stickers. These stickers store the content that you have recorded using the stylus. They can be individually recorded with sounds, stories or even music. Playback works with the listening pen by swiping the tip of the pen across the corresponding sticker. The stickers can be stuck on objects or paper and can be erased and revisited at any time. Either the sounds are recorded directly via the pen or they are loaded onto the pen via USB. For this purpose, e.g. the AnyBook or the Bookii can be used.
You can use the recording function to set picture books to music together with your child, for example. Does your daughter or son have a favorite picture book? Then come up with dialogues and sounds together and record them with the listening pen. If you stick the associated stickers to the corresponding places in the book, the next read-aloud will be a special experience. Or record questions that play at certain points, such as “Where is the dog?”.
Bring old familiar games like memory to life with the stickers and the pens. The duck receives a sticker on a card that can be used to play the quack with the listening pen. For example, your child can learn animal sounds.
The special stickers can also be used in language learning as concept stickers by sticking them on objects for vocabulary learning.
I’m sure you can think of more creative ideas on how to use the listening pen!
They want to help children learn to read or enhance the classic book with audio files: read-aloud pens. The digital listening pens bring a new reading experience for children and promise great learning effects. But how do the interactive pens work?
You can’t write with them, even though they look like a big pen. Such read-aloud, listening, or digital pens expand content from specially made books, puzzles, or games by tapping the pen tip on the symbols or codes they contain. The pen then plays the audio behind it – this can be animal sounds, music, sentences read aloud or prompts. Usually it is additional information and not the content that is already in the book anyway. The sound files can be downloaded from the Internet and loaded onto the pen.
It is exciting for children to experience information from a book in different ways. For example, not only explaining what an owl’s hoot sounds like, but also providing an audio example of it, enhances their learning experience. Children are better able to connect information through different sensory channels. In addition, it is a good feeling for children when they can trigger things themselves – even if you just don’t have time to read together with him. Such a pen can increase reading motivation through a playful approach and help with language development. Listening pens are suitable for children from about 3 to 10 years, depending on the model.
Despite these advantages, such pens are not a full substitute for reading aloud. Although a listening pen can help with understanding and learning a book, that should be your job as a parent, not any pen’s. Because with you, your child can ask questions and learn more than what is stored on a listening pen. In addition to the positive effects for learning, moments like reading together are also an important emotional experience for you and your child. A listening pen can be a good addition.
There are a number of different listening pens on the market. We present some of them in individual articles:
You can also find out here how to use listening pens to set your child’s favorite book to music.
