This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
On weekends and breaks I admit my kids are glued to their screens, they're watching videos and playing apps. Getting kids to read when they love their screens isn't always easy. There's a balance of limiting screen time while encouraging them to read is a lot easier with the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet.
How I am getting kids to read with the Fire Kids Edition.
With three kids with different reading levels and goals, my strategy varies a lot, but with the Fire Kids Edition tablet paired with the Amazon FreeTime AND the help of the Parent Dashboard, we have something for everyone to become successful readers.
How many minutes a day should children read?
The more kids read, the quicker they become readers. The general recommendation for school age children is 15 or 20 minutes reading each day, in addition to any reading at school. That may seem like a lot, but once it becomes a habit, it will be easy for them!
How do you get your child interested in reading?
Make time for reading each day. the Fire Kids Edition allows you to set daily reading goals. Avoid frustration and be sure your child is reading books that are appropriate for his or her reading level, which isn't the same as their grade level. Having books they love makes it easy for them to make their reading goals.
This may be an unpopular opinion. but I think playing some games and apps count as reading. The Fire Kids Edition has fun apps like Geography Drive USA, Disney Buddies: ABCs and Hello Kitty Educational Games for Kids all which help kids with reading and learning something new! There are thousands of age appropriate apps to choose from.
Make time to read aloud.
Reading aloud is a great way to engage your children in reading. It's a way to way to build vocabulary, attention skills, and comprehension.
Taking turns reading with your child is a great way to determine your child's reading comprehension too.
Does your child just want to listen? They can also listen to select audio books on their Fire Kids Edition. Perfect for car rides!
Give your child a variety of age appropriate reading material.
Picking the right books is essential to making reading fun. Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, providing access to over 20,000 books. In addition to the books, there are educational apps, and games that are age-appropriate and hand-curated by the Amazon FreeTime team.
There are also over 1,000 age-appropriate, Spanish language books, videos, educational apps, games, and Audible books.
Create cozy reading spots.
Reading isn't just at their desk. Make sure that your child has an area where they can cuddle up with their favorite stuffy, a blanket and of course, their Fire Kids Edition. Whatever you need to do to give your kid a great place to reading place - a bed tent, a blanket in front of a fire place - find a place where your child feels the most comfortable - that is their reading spot.
Consider the importance of a book series.
The introduction of a book series can really get your child excited about reading. They will fall in love with characters and stories and be eager to find out what happens next. With the Fire Kids Edition, it's easy to jump into the next book in their favorite series.
How do you set reading goals for kids?
In our house, I will admit that I resort to bribes for a lot of things. Making beds, potty training, outside chores. All bribes. The Fire Kids Edition allows me to continue this bribe trend in a way, with the Parent Dashboard.
The Parent Dashboard allows things like setting time limits, adjusting age filters, enabling/disabling web browser access, and allowing in-app purchasing. Want to give your child a reward? Let them stay up an extra 30 minutes past bedtime, provided their time is spent reading. It's easy to adjust time limits from the Parent Dashboard, right on your smart phone or on their Fire Kids Edition.
I love how easy it is to use. Plus the Parent Dashboard lets me review the digital content my kids are using in FreeTime, determine how to manage time limits and educational goals, and even remotely adjust my children’s FreeTime settings.
Why the Fire Kids Edition
I've sung praises before about the Fire Kids Edition, how it comes kid-proof case and a two-year worry-free guarantee—if your kids break it, simply return it and Amazon will send a replacement for free, no questions asked. Yes, I've breathed many sighs of relief.
Becky Willis
I always loved reading to my kids. I wish we had Kindle reading apps when they were younger. Now my grandchildren are able to read on the Kindle and like your kids they love it.