There are two ways we come to know what your child enjoys. The first is what you and your child tell us, which we keep whether or not learning is on. The second is what we learn from their reading, which only happens if you switch it on.
Things your child tells us
Your child can tell us what they like from "Things I like" on their home screen. Pip also asks what they like in its welcome the first time they sign in. Those answers help with suggestions too, though they are not shown on the card below.
- Ages 2 to 5 tap pictures, with no words under them.
- Ages 5 to 7 tap pictures with words under them.
- Ages 7 to 9 and 9 to 12 can also type something in their own words.
Anything your child types is checked in the same way as everything else they write, and something that is not suitable is not saved. See What your child can type or say.
What you see, and what you can add
On your child's Progress page (go to Readers, choose your child, then "Progress"), the card "What ... likes" has two lists:
- What ... chose, the things your child picked or typed.
- What you added, the things you added yourself.
To add something:
- Type it under "Add something", for example "dinosaurs" or a show they love. Keep it to a few words; the box takes up to 60 characters.
- Press "Add".
Each thing on either list has two buttons:
- Not this means "do not build books from this". It stays on the list, crossed out, and we stop using it, whoever added it.
- Remove takes it off the list, as if it had never been said.
Each list holds up to 20 things. When one is full, remove something to make room.
Only the things on these lists that we recognize affect suggestions. For a show, a film or a game we know, we use what kind of story it is, never its name or its characters. Something we do not recognize stays on the list where you can see it, but it does not change the suggestions.
How likes shape the book maker
When your child opens the book maker, we mark a few of the choices as suggestions, and what they like is one of the things we draw on. Your child still picks whatever they want, including none of the suggestions. The book maker describes the steps.
A thing your child said counts for more than a thing you added, because they are the one reading. Both count for less as the months go by. If learning is on, what your child actually reads counts for more again: a child who says they love dinosaurs but puts down two dinosaur books will be offered fewer of them, while "dinosaurs" stays on their list.
Anything on your "Never include" list is never suggested, whatever is on these lists. See Topics to leave out of stories.
Learning what they enjoy
On your child's Safety page, the card "Learning what they enjoy" has one switch, "Learn what they enjoy". It is off unless you turn it on.
While it is on, we keep track of which books your child finishes, re-reads, keeps as a favourite or stops partway through, how quickly they turn the pages, which words they tap for help, how a page they read aloud went, a short summary of what they enjoy, and an estimate of the level that suits them. It never leaves TaleTykes and is never used for advertising.
The card may also say that what your child enjoyed counts towards the first suggestions offered to brand-new readers of the same age. When it says so, that happens without their name and only alongside at least nineteen other readers of that age, and turning learning off takes them out of that count by the next morning.
What we learn appears on the Progress page as "What they seem to enjoy", with a "Do not use this" button beside each item. When learning is off, that card says so and points you to the switch.
Turning learning off
- On the Safety page, turn off "Learn what they enjoy" and press "Save".
- Confirm with "Turn it off and delete".
Everything learned about what your child enjoys is deleted, including the summary and the estimate of the level that suits them, and this cannot be undone. Their books, stickers and reading history stay as they are, and so do the likes on the "What ... likes" card, which you and your child can still change.
When a reader turns thirteen, learning stops for good and only the things they picked or said themselves steer their suggestions. See When your child turns thirteen.
If something on these lists looks wrong, you can change it yourself, or ask us from Help in your dashboard.