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Tap to start for Pre-K and K

The youngest readers press one button, Start reading, with no pictures to remember. Only Pre-K and K children are offered it.

Updated November 3, 2026 · 1 min read · For families

Tap to start is the simplest sign-in. Your child taps their picture and presses Start reading. It is offered only to Sprout children, in Pre-K – K.

What your child sees

  1. The screen Who is reading? shows the children in your family who have granted consent.
  2. Your child taps their picture.
  3. The screen says "Ready to read?" Your child presses Start reading.

Turn it on

  1. Open Children from the menu, then Sign-in and devices on your child's card.
  2. Under How {name} signs in, choose Tap their picture.
  3. Press Let {name} start with a tap.

If your child is in Pre-K or K, pictures are available too. Choose them if you want something that is harder for a sibling to use.

Why only Pre-K and K

Tap to start has nothing to remember. Older bands are offered pictures or words instead.

Common questions

My child is in first grade. Can they tap to start?

No. Grade 1 is in the Sapling band, which uses pictures.

Can a sibling start as my younger child?

On a shared device, yes, because tap to start has no secret. Use pictures if that is a worry.

How does my child leave?

They press Not me, which signs them out. A grown-up can also use the grown-up check.

My child doesn't see their picture.

The child needs granted consent and the browser must be trusted. See Give consent and Child not on Who is reading.

Related: Choose a sign-in method. More questions? Contact us.

Did this answer your question?

Related articles

Choose how your child signs inPick pictures, a tap or three words for each child. The choices depend on their band, and you can change the method later.How picture passwords workYour child taps 3 different pictures in order from a grid of 9. It checks by itself, with no typing and no button.The grown-up checkBefore a grown-up page opens on a device where a child is signed in, you hold a button and type a number. Here is how it works.Bands and gradesA child's grade sets their band: Sprout, Sapling, Grove or Summit. The band changes tap size, text size and sign-in options.

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