I’ve written in the past about how I’m not much of an e-reader myself. However, when it comes to keeping kids engaged in reading, I’ll try just about anything!
E-readers have come a long way in the last few years, and for kids who are more comfortable with using technology than most adults, the idea of an e-reader specifically designed for young people isn’t a half bad idea. Here are some of my top reasons for handing your child an e-reader if they’ve been reluctant to reading paper books so far.
E-readers feel exciting for a kid. Let’s face it—kids these days want an iPad more than they want a new toy. New technology, especially technology they see their parents using, can feel like an exciting experience in a way that picking up a regular paperback book doesn’t always. Plus, e-readers can have fun, colorful designs and cases that your child can pick for themselves!
E-readers can have parental controls. If you want to be more in sync with your child’s reading experience, an e-reader like the Amazon Kindle for kids might be the perfect solution. They’re built with parental controls that allow you design their experience, choose books for them, and make sure they’re at a reading level that’s appropriate for their age.
E-readers can gamify the reading experience. App features like streaks, leveling up, and achievements are powerful tools in building any kind of habit. With an e-reader, you can help your child develop a reading habit with features like daily reading goals, and seeing stats such as progress made in the book, total time spent reading per book, and how many words your young reader looked up. This extra encouragement is perfect for the reluctant reader in your life!
E-readers can offer assistance in the reading experience. Kids who don’t love reading often feel that way because reading might be more difficult for them. With an e-reader, they’re able to look up definitions of words they don’t understand without ever having to leave the page, which is a great incentive for them to keep going.
Would you ever consider buying an e-reader for your child? Let me know in the comments below!