TV and Movies: Are they harmful for our kiddies?

The recent movie Frozen was such a success that almost all kids know the song “Let It Go” and “Do You Want to Build A Snowman.” Don’t think that because the lead characters were girls, only girls can relate to the movies because the truth is, ALL kids loved it, even my nephews sing those songs while in the shower. But have you ever wondered what benefits ours kiddies get when they watch such movies or TV shows? There are many common and negative beliefs about children’s prolonged TV exposure such as it makes them lazy, seeing violence and it hampers intelligence. Despite these misconceptions and negative feedback surrounding TV and movies, our kiddies actually benefit from them in a lot of different forms depending on what they see and how often they watch it.

Children love cartoons. The color vibrancy attracts their visual senses and the audio makes them excited. But what really makes them enjoy cartoons are the funny and likable characters. One good example is Dora the Explorer. She has a sweet voice, a friendly personality, a charming look and a likable character that even parents adore. This is why children enjoy watching such TV shows because they tend to look up to these characters and wanting to be like them. Another fun cartoon character is Diego. You’d find him in the TV show called Go, Diego, Go! He’s Dora’s cousin and his series originated from a spin-off of Dora the Explorer. He’s a young Latino-American who dwells on rescuing animals and saving the environment. Kiddies who love animals surely enjoy this show as they get to see tons of different breeds from the animal kingdom, teaching how to nurture them and why it is important to care for these beautiful creatures. Another personal favorite that I have is the Backyardigans. It is pre-school TV series about five animal children who see their backyard as an adventure place where magic happens. They all have different personalities that your kiddies will surely love. Their imaginations are fun, exciting and always creative and you will always see them fascinated in different adventures. As our kids watch these animated shows, what they don’t know is that we use these things “learning for children” method.

Like the TV shows mentioned above, there are certain movies or television programs that can teach our kiddies social skills such as sharing, manners and etiquettes. They can learn how to interact with others positively and politely, greet others or even argue to express themselves. These films can also teach kids about morals, values and life lessons. Although it is vital to teach our children these important things, it has become an effective learning tools 4 kids to know the basics.

 

Educational movies or TV shows enhance kiddies’ learning experience and for some who have difficulty to be motivated in school may have an easier grasp when watching such animated programs. Because there’s a wide variety of TV shows today that air regularly, children develop interest and learn what will inspire them to do more. They can discover many interesting subjects like art, animals, sports, science, history and hobbies which they will eventually nurture away from TV. Learning for children is never easy but as long as you keep them interested on what they are seeing or doing, then there’s a bigger chance for them to find it irresistible.

Older kids on the other hand may watch international channels, historical TV programs, documentary shows and movies based on real events to teach them about cultures and other parts of the world. These types of visuals can lead them interested to knowing more about the government, fashion, art, religion, music, society and education. And for those parents who are having a hard time answering deeper questions and issues can use education videos to explain the topic. This may be a bold move or a sensitive approach but it opens opportunities for an honest opinion and discussion and is considered great learning tools 4 kids who always ask questions as they mature.

Let us not forget that our focus is to let our kiddies have a fun way of learning and TV shows and movies are great ways to provide them with entertainment, relieve stress, offer relaxation and it’s also a great quality time for the family to enjoy as they get to bond while watching and talking about the shows afterward. Watching movies and TV shows are made easier today as you can easily download them through your computers, cellphones, tablets and other multimedia devices. Now you can watch their favorite TV shows, anywhere and anytime with just a few clicks from your gadgets. For more informative tools and tips about good parenting, CLICK HERE.

Choosing the Right Toys for Your Kids

It is never easy being a parent and perhaps one of the hardest tasks of being one is actually choosing what toys you should bring home to your kiddies. There are plenty of toys in the market today and for first time parents, this sometimes become a problem because they simply have no clue on what to give their kids. Some of these high-tech toys could be quite expensive, but the main focus is that whenever we buy something for our children, what’s should be in our minds is: “fun learning for kids.”

 

As technology progresses every day, we parents should know how to incorporate that in a good sense. Some would say that technology only puts gap amongst family members as they are more interested in playing with their mobile phones, their computer or other electronic gadgets, yes, this could be true in some cases but that is where we need know to know how we can use these innovations to bring us closer. Kids today learn faster compared to the previous generation as technology laid more resources for us. Creating an experience of fun learning for kids is not that hard and it is actually very exciting as it involves a lot of interaction between you and your kiddie. Choosing the right toys for your kids doesn’t need to be painful as all you need to do is buy learning games for kids that they can truly have fun with.

One good example is the development of tablets available in the market today. This great find is made specifically for growing kiddies to help them develop their cerebral and motor skills. Growing children are more attracted to bright colors as the rods and cones in their eyes are not yet fully developed and with the help of these interactive tools with inviting colors and vibrancy, children will surely want to get their hands on there. These tablets have educational apps that have engaging colors that will truly captivate their eyes and their minds. And with its touch screen feature, their motor skills are improved as it is created to be an interactive tool where they can touch and hear what they are seeing using their hands. Some of these also offer tons of great applications for you to choose from, so buying learning games for kids is going to be a breeze.

 

As a parent, I have a very busy schedule but I make sure that I have plenty of time for my kiddie and bonding with him is probably the most rewarding part of my day. Although I have work and other obligations, I make sure that I have the necessary tools to keep him happy, motivated and always learning. One effectively tool I found is researching on great learning apps for toddlers, preschoolers and older kiddies. Using my KiddieTAB, I found a number of great apps that I installed for my kids to enjoy like “ABC for Kids All Alphabet.” This application teaches our kids to memorize the alphabet and with real sounds and human pronunciations, it is almost as if they are learning inside the classroom. Another app that I personally like is iStoryBooks. It has a number of great selections from children’s books, bedtime stories, folk stories to classic storybooks. All stories have beautiful display of images and sometimes accompanied by enjoyable sound effects. So of your kid loves reading storybooks and seeing colorful images, then this one’s perfect for you. Educational Games for Kids is another informative app that will teach your children using different symbol, colorful images and sound recognition. With more than 4,000 users and 3,000 positive reviews, you can be sure that your kid will have a lot of fun with this app.

The applications I mentioned are just some of the best you can find on Google Playstore and with the fast development of today’s technology, you can be sure that you will be seeing more of these educational apps for your kiddies.

 

Although there are children who enjoy physical activities, it is very unlikely for them to get tired of playing with these fun gadgets as they always create new and exciting games and apps where they can learn, interact and develop their mental skills. Most of these apps contain vibrant and colorful images and videos that will surely get them hooked. Getting such devices is probably one of the best things you can do as a good parent for your children. This fun learning for kids will not only develop and enhance your kiddies’ progress, but it will also deliver a great way to bond with them.

There are many other ways on how you can help yourself be a great parent to your kiddie. Get tips, suggestions and valuable knowledge on how you can raise your kids in the digital age by CLICKING HERE.

Why Storybooks Are Important to Children

Have you ever wondered why your parents would always read you storybooks before we go to sleep when you were young? When I was little I always get excited about fairytale stories my mom would tell me before hitting the sack. Well, besides hearing great stories that really tickle my imagination, it actually makes our brain work by stimulating senses thinking these things are actually true and based on real events. Our imaginations start rolling and this helps us develop our neurons in response to what we perceive. So if you think reading story books for children is just a way to make them fall asleep, then you are mistaken. Story telling serves greater purpose in our children’s daily lives and it might sound simple for us parents, but this actually teaches them a lot in their early childhood education.

When kiddies become hooked to what they’ve heard, they tend to ask questions, they wonder, their brain functionality becomes more aggressive and these stories are encoded in their minds generating neurological pathways that develop their neurons. The development of synapses in children’s brain activity occurs at a tremendous rate during their early years in reaction to a young child’s experience in their environment. This is why reading story books for children is a good way to keep their minds from grasping information and to enhance the development of their neurological system. The early years of childhood is the most important stage of learning as the mind is susceptible to taking in all information based on their environment and their experiences. Kiddies learning to read is a process and there’s no general age on when they will be able to read a whole book or a single phrase. There are many factors leading to it such as their environment, who they interact with and the things they experience around them.

Fairytale stories are always the way to go when ready for your kiddie as they go on adventures and the magical experience is a rollercoaster ride. They are easily amazed with dwarves, princesses, fairies and other non-earthly creatures that live in the fantasy world. A good way to know if your kiddies enjoyed their bedtime stories is when they keep asking you to read them over and over again and eventually, they would want to learn to read these books to themselves. Now this is where the process of kids learning to read occur. Good thing they are readily available E-books today that have a huge amount of collections of good storybooks and you can easily read them using your handy tablets and other modern devices where you can install them or download them.

Kids learning to read is a great milestone in your child’s mental development. Encouraging them and giving good reinforcement is necessary to stimulate mental functions and creates brain connections. Through repetition, these connections build into networks that allow them to think and learn. There are many other benefits children get from this activity such as building listening skills wherein it increases a child’s attention span and develops the ability to concentrate. Kiddies also benefit from it by helping them express themselves in a manner of being creative while using their imaginations. When reading to your children regularly, it also helps them master language development whether it may be written or spoken. Together with this, the formulation of neurons develops and fosters a child’s natural curiosity expanding their horizons, introducing emotions, behavioral changes and exposing them to new situations. And perhaps the best part of reading books with lots of images to your kids is when they learn to appreciate illustrations and arts with their visuals. They learn more when they grasp information using their senses and it may take some time, little by little, but you can be sure that you are using a fun and exciting method.

If you want to know more and get these valuable information on children’s development, make sure to CLICK HERE to get FREE updates.

image source: corbisimages

Nurturing an Artist in Your Kiddie

We parents simply can’t get enough of dreaming for our kiddies. I sometimes look at my child asleep, wondering whether he’ll be an astronaut or scientist until I stop and smile at the wildness of my imaginations. While I know it isn’t for me to decide, I want to make sure that I do my part well as a parent for now. As much as I can, I want to support my child and do my best to mold him into the person fit for his dream. I’ll start by nurturing the artist in my kiddie.

I believe all hobby, interest, and profession are rooted in the love of the arts. Success in anything requires creativity, right? A recent study in addition, has confirmed that art makes people smart after observing significant improvement among some student participants they brought to a museum. The students have showed impressive measures of tolerance, historical empathy, and sustained interest in culture even after finishing the essays required of them.

If you want to nurture an artist in your kiddie and contribute to their colorful future, follow these tips:

Develop imaginations by asking questions

Ask your kiddie some questions that start with “what if” and “I wonder”, such as “What if I pull the other end of this rope while it’s tied to the shelf?” and “I wonder what color we’ll produce with blue and yellow?” Experts say these questions push kiddies to use imagination as they think of a creative but at the same time (somehow) logical answer. It also sparks their interest in problem solving, teaches them to explore alternatives, and consider options.

You can ask these questions after bringing your kiddie to a museum or anywhere related to art. While standing in front of a painting ask, “I wonder what the artist was thinking when he made this” or “What if you can replace the sun as the subject, what would you choose?”

Provide encouraging materials

What your kiddies need mostly are tools for experimentation and exploration. Don’t throw away materials your children may use like cardboard box, which is great for play, performance, and imagination. After this when your kiddie starts showing you what they made out of the box, don’t forget to value their effort, ask them to explain the artwork, and compliment.

Other than cardboard boxes and other art materials, you can also give your child a kiddie tablet especially designed to cater to their age. There are many devices available in the market, but choose one preloaded with apps that let kiddies doodle and easily draw, erase, and color images. In this way, you help nurture an artist in your child who can also keep up with the modern technologies today. 

Encourage positive values

Nurturing an artist in your kiddie is the also one of the best times to teach them about positive values. Surely, you want your child to grow into a disciplined artist, right? Encourage hard work, perseverance, as you help your kiddie get up from a downfall. Help them learn from mistakes by asking “What didn’t work?‘, inspire them never to give up, continue taking risks, and just work on improving in their craft. 

Know when to let them be

Your role is to provide support, but this doesn’t include deciding every hour of your kiddie’s schedule. Don’t crowd their daily task list with organized activities out of wanting to nurture their creativity, as this is improper and unnatural. Give your kiddie time to be alone, freedom to daydream, and to study life on their own – along your boundaries, of course. 

We all want to have a little musician, dancer, actor, filmmaker, or artist like Pablo Picasso, but we can only get as far as providing parental support and experimental tools. We can never decide how it’s exactly going to be for our kiddies. Just allow it to happen, parents! Follow the tips mentioned above to awake the artist in your child, and give them freedom to be whoever they dream to be.

Get valuable information, tips, and strategies on raising children in the digital age. Click here for FREE UPDATE.

Productive But Fun Things to Do With Kiddies This Summer

With every summer comes every parent’s desire to make it memorable for the whole family. This year, why not introduce your kiddie to some productive yet fun activities that will also contribute to their development? Other than learning something new, these activities would also help nurture children’s creativity as they discover they can actually produce objects out of wild imaginations. Wow!

Here’s a list of things to do this summer during downtimes:

Make musical instruments

You’ll be needing some art materials for this. Ask your kiddie what musical instruments they would want to play among guitars, bass, piano, or drums. Let them make musical instruments out of cardboard, old toys, and even things you find at home such as spoons, bottles, and plastic containers. Have some of their friends come for a summer evening concert.

This activity not only enhances imagination and creativity, but also develops love for music. If you really want to push your kiddie to such inclination, start now because according to studies, “Toddlers have slightly better attention spans than infants, and have unlimited energy.”

Collage for the clay pots

This is a fun activity especially for girls. Go through old magazines, gift bags, or wrapping papers to cut out some nice pictures. Stick these into a collage in a clay pot for the garden. You can even make money with your kiddie if you have lots of clay pots on stock as you sell them in a yard sale.

Of course you want your kiddie to have a taste and sense of style! This activity opens an eye for design in children as they see what colors work with such pattern and theme. Might as well awaken a potential entrepreneur in your kiddie as they earn money with these artsy clay pots!

Plant some veggies

Yeah it may be hot to stay so long under the summer sun but what does sunscreen lotion do? Spread some to yours and kiddie’s tiny little body and go out to the backyard. Plant some veggies that easily grow such as tomatoes, cucumber, or peas. A large pot will do in the absence of a backyard. Ask your kiddie to take charge in watering the seeds until they grow into veggies ready for eating or even selling.

This third activity helps your kiddie become responsible as they actively tend to the planted veggies. More importantly, it is also exciting being able to watch it from the beginning up to the time the veggies become full grown. What an amazing way to teach your kiddie about growth and life!

The impact and joy this summer would leave your family depends on the activities you plan beforehand. Gather up the materials and start conceptualizing for these productive yet truly delighting activities!

Get valuable information, tips, and strategies on raising children in the digital age. Click here for FREE UPDATES.

 

Three Kiddie Tablet Features That’ll Make It Worth Your Money (and Trust!)

So you finally decide on giving your 21st century kid his portion of innovation – you want to buy a kiddie tablet. How do you choose one?

Pediatricians recommend giving kids their own tablet at age 5-6 or during the early elementary years. This is when they can start visiting websites on their own, and understand that technology is not for mere entertainment, but more importantly for educational purposes. In choosing a kiddie tablet, here are the three most important features you should look for:

Parental Lock

This should be on top of your list when choosing a tablet for your kid. Look for one that has a foolproof parental guidance system. The best device should have a dual mode feature that allows you to set a locked environment with apps you can personally pick for your child. Great if it will sort suitable for 5/6 year olds apps you’ve downloaded automatically to the ‘Kiddie mode’. This parental lock feature should enable you to block your kiddie’s access to the web and only open educational apps.

Educational Apps

A good kiddie tablet must have pre-loaded applications and games carefully designed to help children develop cognitive skills. At the same time, these apps and other programs should be entertaining enough to promote engagement. They should come from trusted and reliable sources, must convey positive messages, and be written in a positive or neutral langu
age. For more info on choosing appropriate apps and media for children, click here.

Pre-set Timer

When you decide on giving your child his own device, a major problem you may face is limiting the time of usage. You, however, can skip this through the pre-set timer feature. Set a pre-determined time your kiddie can use the device everyday, so they don’t go overboard and lose time for study and sleep.

Buying a tablet for your child is a big deal. Other than the money involved, there are a lot of other concerns such as preparedness and security. If you choose incorrectly, your kiddie might develop bad habits they might continue to their elementary years. But if you get just the right device for your little one, it could help them become the next world renowned artist or society hero!

Get valuable information, tips, and strategies on raising children in the digital age. Click here for FREE UPDATES.

3 Fun Tips To Help Your Elementary Review for Exams

Reviewing for exams is probably the last thing your kiddie would want to do especially in this age of technology and digital distractions. I know, because when it was my time, I used to reason out “Oh mom, it’s all about stocked knowledge, you know.” But kidding aside, how can you motivate your kiddie to review and memorize, really? Definitely, it would be challenging especially if they’re too young to realize the importance of getting high grades (for us parents).

Good for you if your kid is naturally studious. If not, here are unusual tips to help you motivate them to prepare for that exam, as efficiently and fun as possible!

Let your kiddie pretend to be the teacher

Elementary kiddies like to pretend and make believe. Use this to your advantage and ask your child to act as the teacher and discuss to you the coverage of their exam. You, however, should be an attentive student by asking questions during your review sessions. In this way, your kiddie remembers the things you two discuss about while enjoying the activity as a simple pretend.

For the materials and to make sure that your child takes the activity seriously, you will need a whiteboard, marker, and books as references. Make it more fun and efficient by using kiddie tablets with apps that allow you to doodle and draw, even use video and sound effects. Bet your kiddie wouldn’t get enough of this review session!

Have an active study session

This time, use your kiddie’s favorite outdoor activity to initiate a review. You’d spend the day with them doing their favorite activity but in return, they would have to answer questions included in the upcoming test. Come up with a study guide to keep things organized and ensure that you cover everything they have to keep in mind. There also has to be a penalty for every wrong answer, of course!

This is an effective way to review, especially for kinesthetic learners who remember things more when they move. They study while you workout those unwanted fats. What a great way to multitask!

Go for ‘mini reviews’ instead of long ones

Having mini reviews is definitely better and going to be more productive than asking your kiddie to sit down for a long time. Kiddies have ants in their pants! Conduct these more effective reviews 2-3 times a day instead of having a one-stop study session with your little student.

Make a review sheet that includes a vocabulary list and divide it into equal parts depending on the number of days before your kiddie’s exam. Take this out during downtimes such as during traffic or right after family dinner. You might even want to use dessert for more motivation!

All it takes are time, patience, dedication, and a little creativity to help your kiddie ace that exam. Instead of fearing today’s distractions such as technology and play, why not use them to make review sessions more effective and even memorable for children?

Get valuable information, tips, and strategies on raising kiddies in the digital age. Click here for FREE UPDATES.

Get Your Kiddie Into Photography This Summer 2014

The sun is high, temperature starts to get humid, and each day it becomes clear you really need a break from all the work. Summer is here! You’ve probably began writing your list of places to visit and things to try for your whole family. Why not have your kiddies educated in photography this 2014? Might as well assign them to capture memories of your latest escapades, yeah?

Trust me, parents, no kiddie would say no to having their first, very own camera and taught about the basics of photography. If you believe your child is of age to handle a costly capturing device, here’s how to get started with teaching your kiddie to get snappy:

Choosing a camera for your kiddie

Let’s start with the device. Would you need a digital, SLR, or Point and Shoot? There are many pros and cons to consider for each type of camera. Cheapest of these three is the Point and Shoot, which you can also bring anywhere since it features automatic focus. On the other hand, it may frustrate your aspiring photographer as it produces lousy photos without offering manual settings for those neat effects.

A digital camera is a better option than the point and shoot. Other than letting users see the photos right away, it also allows faster uploading to PC with no printing costs. Getting one for your kiddie, however, may require you to shell out more cash if you want a unit that produces high resolution photos.

SLRs are the most expensive of the three types. These manual cameras, however, are what I believe, the real deal. Consider buying for your kiddie an investment, for you to really mold them into becoming a skilled and renowned photographer at a young age. SLR lets its users create the exact look they want. You just have to teach your kiddie how to take good care of the device for it to last until it becomes vintage, though.

Getting Started

It all begins with composing a shot. After getting your kiddie a camera, let them take shots of everything and anything. Tell your child to shoot from different angles until it becomes clear what looks best. Have them look into texture and get as creative as they can be. Slowly, introduce your kiddie about light exposure until they can figure out what kind of lighting works best for different subjects on their own.

Developing Your Kiddie’s Masterpiece

Have your kiddie’s greatest shots developed in a photo lab or printed if taken with a digital camera. This lets them see the fruits of their labor and get them to love photography even more. Guide them to not feel discouraged if most of the photos aren’t perfect and remind that practice makes perfect. You never stop learning with photography, you just get better!

Here are more tips from the pros you have to share with your kiddies:

• Use pets with different behaviors as subjects.
• Be sure first with what you’re looking at before you click.
• Avoid having your subjects in the center.
• Use natural light.
• Frame the horizon so it’s not in the middle of the picture.
• Try something new from time to time.
• Note that the best pictures have interesting elements that fill the whole photo.
• Take pictures that are meaningful to you.

Whatever camera type you choose, I suggest you buy a protector case to make it last long (especially in the hands of little children). Enjoy summer and take as much snaps as you can with your kiddies, parents! 

Get valuable information, tips, and strategies on raising children in the digital age. Click here for FREE UPDATE.

About Communication Skills, Language Development, Technology & Autism

If I were to boast of my specialties, I’d say I’m forever thankful to my parents for raising me into a woman with great communication skills. This special talent has helped me a lot in different areas of life and has taken me to wondrous places. Being able to express myself well and get my point across in dealings always helped me have what I want – it kept me happy.

This is why I want my child to be as good as I, or even better, when it comes to communicating with others. You too, right? Fortunately, there are now many smart devices available in the Philippine market proven to help kiddies develop good communications skills, even those with autism. These modern tools can serve as great aid for kiddies’ social development along with positive interactions.

Interactions Kiddies Need

According to Nicole Gardner-Neblett and Kathleen Cranley Gallagher, researchers at the UNC’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, “The interactions children have with adults influence early brain growth and learning, giving early childhood educators a crucial opportunity to provide children with interactions that can support language and communication.”

With this, you should understand the importance of your kiddie’s interactions with early childhood educators. Unless you homeschool your child, make sure that the school where you enroll them at teaches how to express oneself through gestures and facial expressions. Your kiddies need to learn how to understand others, most importantly.

Kathleen Gallagher added, “When teachers provide children with higher levels of language stimulation during the first years of life, children in turn have better language skills.”When teachers ask children questions, respond to their vocalizations, and engage in other positive talk, children learn and use more words.”

Keep these in mind before you choose a school for your little one. Take time to know the teachers and check their syllabus. In a polite way, ask how they facilitate interactions, if they prioritize language and social development, and some of the educational tools they use.

Autism and Smart Devices

Language development is different when it comes to kiddies with special needs. Expressing oneself and engaging with others might be difficult for most autistic children. Fortunately, a recent Canadian research suggested that smart technologies such as touch devices may serve as therapeutic tools for these kiddies.

According to Rhonda McEwen, assistant professor of Communication Culture and Information Technology at the University of Toronto Mississauga in Ontario, “Using the touch devices, the study participants demonstrated knowledge gathered throughout their education that could not be elicited via traditional assessment means that rely on verbal communication.”

The professor added how the use of smart devices resulted to peer-to-peer social interaction among participants. Parents of autistic kiddies attested to how much their children enjoy using these technologies. Autism experts, on the other hand, acclaimed the effort to unlock technology’s potential.

As parents, we all want success for our kiddies. We want them to reach places and achieve their most impossible goals in life, through excellent communications skills. This is why we should be responsible in doing our part as their first teachers and in choosing a good institution for their primary education. Especially for parents of kiddies with more delicate needs, we have to make the most of what technology offers today. There are many kiddie tablets sold in the market that serve as effectively educational and engaging aids for learning, for children of all ages.

Get valuable information, tips, and strategies on raising children in the digital age. Click here for FREE UPDATE.

How to Foster Love for Reading in Your Kiddie

I came across a quote that says, “A child who reads will be an adult who thinks.” I smiled for a moment and pondered on its reality in my life. After a moment, I found myself thanking my mom for doing her best in influencing me to read when I was very young.

Pushing your kiddie to read may be a little difficult today than it was before. There are a lot of distractions your kiddie may find difficult to ignore other than the call of cartoons and outdoor activities. While these two are also essential to your child’s development, you must make them understand the importance of having a heart for reading before anything else.

What child experts say about reading and development

According to Julie Wells, president of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA),
“Books continue to form the cornerstone of childhood education and development. Nothing can fire up a child’s vivid imagination more than reading a book, or having one read to them, because it is their imagination that is creating the images from the words they’re reading.”

She also explained the academic and social benefits that come with enjoying reading, which have been well documented. “It is the absolute joy kiddies can find in reading that is so important,” she added.

How many books are required

But how many books should your kiddie read in a year? In 2013, UK Education Secretary, Michael Gove answered it precisely saying that children should be reading 50 books a year by the age of 11. Child development experts in Australia, on the other hand, suggested that parents read 5 books a day to kiddies or at least 10 minutes daily.

Children’s author, Mem Fox, also gave away an opinion that parents should read 1,000 stories to kiddies aloud before they learn to read by themselves. According to the woman behind the book, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud To Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever (Mariner Books), reading aloud and talking about what we’ve read sharpens kiddie’s mind. They also learn how to concentrate, solve problems logically, and express themselves more effectively.

What you need to do

To nurture a love for reading in your kiddie, set aside a regular reading time at home. Turn off the TV and other distractions, and make it a habit. Bring your

kiddie to the local library and let them know what the librarians can do for them. Another tip is to talk to your kiddies about books. Ask about what they like in the stories they’ve read to know about their interests and preferences. Most importantly, be a model good reading habits.

Materials that could help

Now that you live in a highly technological world, you have more options than bringing your kiddie to the library. At a very young age, you can encourage your child to read by letting them have their own educational toy. Kiddie tablets available in the market today are effective aids for learning, as they promote fun studying and engagement. For best results, choose a device with an ‘educational ladder’ feature that adjusts to the user’s age and level of knowledge.

Make sure that the device contains applications aligned with the developmental milestones of kiddies. Most of the ‘educational ladder feature’ caters to students in kinder to primary school. A great way for children to learn at their own pace with an interactive touch screen technology!

Perks of having a reader child

There is no doubt how reading gives kiddies an edge. Compared to other children, those who read will have a better understanding of how things work. This will be noticeable to educators, as they would not find difficulty explaining even complex matters to these kiddies. They are also the one more likely to excel in class.

As we’ve said in the intro, kiddies who read will be adults who think. I agree to this, as I remember my younger years associating situations with things I’ve read to solve a problem. Just be careful parents when choosing a book for your kiddies, be careful with what you feed their mind.

Get valuable information, tips, and strategies on raising children in the digital age. Click here for FREE UPDATES.