Technology tricks to help kids think reading is fun
More than a quarter of American adults did
not read a single book in the last year. That stunning statistic from a recent
report from the Pew
Research Center made me sad.
I am an admitted bibliophile. At all times, I
have one or two audiobooks downloaded on my phone to listen to in the car,
three or four print books on my nightstand, and more e-books on my phone for
when I have a few quick moments to read.
I’m not expecting others to be as obsessive
as I am about the written word, but I would hope all of us could at least read
one book in an entire year.
While adults aren’t required to read as most
children are in school, it made me wonder if parents are simply raising kids
who are uninterested in reading, and allowing them to become non-reading
adults. If that is the case, what can moms and dads do to inspire a love of
reading in their children?
Get techie —
While the majority of people prefer to read print books, the biggest age group
reading electronic books are — unsurprisingly — millennials. So, it would be
logical to think even younger readers may also be drawn to e-books. Take
advantage of the apps most public libraries use that allow readers to download
books and audiobooks on their phones and tablets.
My local library — as well 30,000 others
around the country — uses the Overdrive
app. Depending on the limitations of each library, users can have
several books and audiobooks downloaded at the same time, with others on hold
to wait for their availability. You need an active library account, but the app
automatically returns books on their due date, so no late fees, ever. My kids
have loved listening to audiobooks as they fall asleep, or listening as a family
on road trips. Hint: the Harry Potter audiobook series is fantastic.
Give them an incentive —
The main reason my kids agreed to listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks is that
is was a prerequisite for our trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida. Sure, we
could have just watched the movies and headed on our merry way, but our amazing
theme park experience was much richer because of the details we absorbed
listening to the books in their entirety.
The incentive doesn’t have to be as grand as
a trip to Orlando. One easy way to nudge your kids into more literature is to
read books before they show up in theaters. Check the lists of upcoming movies based on books and make a plan. It’s great to
have all your kids read the same book, if possible. Then, it turns into a
friendly competition with each child pushing the others to read, instead of
parents having to nag.
Use apps — Tons
of reading apps are just waiting for kids of all ages to try them out. For
younger readers, try MeeGenius,
which has more than 700 interactive e-books for $5 per month. Kids can read
along with the narration while the words are highlighted, or read it by
themselves. Disney
Storytime is similar, but parents purchase credits — there are three
free titles — and then kids choose which books to buy individually. It will
likely end up being more expensive with many of the same features, but kids can
also record themselves reading the book. And don’t forget about that pre-loaded
iBooks app on your Apple
device. It has lots of free titles for when kids are desperate for something to
read, but are out of money.
For older children who can read but need a
fun way to brush up on grammar skills, it’s Mad Libs to the rescue. We
all loved this word game as kids, and now the free app comes with dozens of
stories just waiting for your children to fill in the crazy nouns, adjectives
and adverbs.
Buy them a gift —
Sometimes the simplest thing can give kids just enough motivation to keep
turning the page. The Mark My
Time digital bookmark is around $10 and keeps track of reading time
for kids. They push a button to start a timer that goes off when their required
reading time is up. The bookmark can also add up all their reading time over
months until it hits 100 hours in case a child is shooting for a bigger goal.
Research has shown us time and time again that reading
benefits children in everything from language skills to emotional stability.
Use these tricks and tips to give your children — and yourself — an extra
incentive to dive into a good book today.
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan & Co
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