Have you ever read to your child on a Kindle or other e-book reading device? Or will you let them start reading on it at a certain age? While there are clearly strong opinions by traditional book lovers and those who appreciate new technology, we're curious what you think about it when it comes to your kids?
Personally, we're old-fashioned. We love the feel of a page turning. We love examining the cover and flaps of a book before we even get started. But... we haven't yet used an e reader so we can't really say with certainty that it wouldn't grow on us.
Since our daughter's books are all illustrated, we'll definitely be continuing to read her real books. We only purchase our absolute favorites, and take out new books from the library just about every week. The tactile experience of turning pages, carrying the books from one place to another, or picking out her favorite from a basket or shelf, is an experience we would never take from her. At her age (21 months), this is the way she is falling in love with books and reading.
When she's older, we'd probably feel comfortable with the idea of her using an e-reading device for school textbooks so she doesn't have to carry them all back and forth.
For parents of younger children, the best use we can think of would probably be for the parent, while sitting in the car with a napping child.
What do you think? Do e readers have a place in your family reading?
• Kindle Your Kids? from the Huffington Post.
• Kindles and Toddlers (Don't Mix)
(Image: E-reader-usa.com).
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I was wondering about this - would a Kindle make it easier to read aloud to your newborn/baby while nursing, since you only need one hand?? If so, I'm considering getting one for baby #2 - it will let me read to my older child and the younger one during all those feedings. Anyone have any experience??
I LOVE my Kindle. I can read it one handed, download books in a second and, which is most important to me, I save trees by not buying books. Yes, I know that I can get books from the library, but the books I may want are out/not there/long wait list.
As for my kids books, no way would I use an electronic reader for them (they are 4 and 2). They love looking through the books, carrying them around, loving them. Maybe when they are older, but right now I will continue to purchase regular books for them. I also wouldn't trust them with the device- my 2 year old has already broken my Kindle once (thank you Amazon for great warranty!), I wouldn't trust either child with a e reader.
i am a traditional book person. my husband, on the other hand, reads bedtime stories to our kids from his iPad. although i was bothered by that at first, it's his thing that he does with the kids. our kids will just have to grow up knowing that dad is a techie.
My husband and I were just discussing this conundrum yesterday. Bibliophiles ourselves, we've been painstakingly clearing out our books--around 500 or so, which were relegated to the garage to make room for a nursery--in preparation for a yard sale. As both educators and parents, we question what affect digital readers will have on the developing literacy of our children. Will our own daughter view mommy and daddy as readers, or will she think of our Kindles as just another screen we use to distract ourselves? Interestingly enough, studies have shown that simply having a wealth of books in the home—whether they’re read or not--increases a child’s literacy level (book osmosis, anyone?). So, are we doing our LO a disservice? Does this change how print awareness, the earliest form of reading--front to back, left to right, top to bottom, etc.—is both taught and learned? Or is this simply the natural progression of technology to which new generations will seamlessly adapt?
An opinion piece:
http://www.slate.com/id/2214243/
Although we love reading our traditional books 90% of the time, there's nothing like "Dr. Seuss's ABCs" or "The Cat in the Hat" on autoplay on the iPad. They are the original text and illustrations, just with an automatic reading feature and page-flipping. So when Mommy and Daddy get that last 10 minutes of sleep, my 22-month old sits in bed with us and fires up the iPad. Plus they have some cool interactive stuff so he can touch the letters or pictures and the voice says the words.
Its funny I just posted a picture of my two year old using my Kindle yesterday. We read tons of books everyday. His interest in the Kindle has very little to do with literature and more to do with the graphic when its off and of course all the buttons. He understands it is a "book" and will ask me to read it to him but lets be real; for anyone under five reading is as much looking as it is listening. Nothing could trump the value of a picture book. Except maybe an ipad. If I could just get my hands on one of those....
http://petitgris.typepad.com/petit-gris/2010/06/one-week-to-go.html
I'm in the old-fashioned camp. I do have an ipod (4 years old), a computer (10 years old that my husband keeps updated), and a cell phone (plane jane flip phone) but I feel like the kids and I already spend too much time with those.
We have 2 kids and live in an 800 square foot place...eliminating the books and getting a kindle would probably save lots of room. But one of my #1 priorities for children (and myself) is books - real books, to peruse, flop in bed with, dream over, and to get sticky with honey while eating toast. We have 12 big bookshelves - so an average of 3 per room. I do edit the collection every once and a while, but I agree that education through osmosis - at least when it comes to books - is a sweet reality.
So...while I'll never say never...I think it's at least safe to say it'll be a LONG TIME before I read books to myself on a kindle, much less the kiddos. That said, I don't judge anyone who does, don't worry ;-)
Old-fashioned here too!
I love the kids library! We have amassed quite the collection, and I love seeing their shelves filled with books. We have a policy in our family where we only give the kids books, which is great. The kids love to sit and read, and my oldest has started reading books to her siblings which is just about the cutest thing. I think the whole experience of books is important for kids... the pages, the illustration, the tactical experience. Not to mention learning to respect something, and not treat it roughly.
I have a nook, that I read classics (Alice in Wonderland, Ann of Green Gables, etc) on with my six-year-old. She is able to read on her own, but loves still curling up to read with me and using mom's nook to read chapter books makes her feel so grown up! I can see as she gets older getting her more and more books on it she can read on her own (she is almost ready for Junie B. Jones)- just to cut down on the clutter!
However, between her and my two-year-old, they have three bookcases full of traditional stories!
In our home there is a place for both!
Julia5 - yes, reading *anything* while nursing is easier on the Kindle. That's when I really started using ours -- the one-handed feature is awesome, so is the ability to search for, purchase, and download a new book without disturbing the baby sleeping on your shoulder.
As a librarian I'm around books all day, and I think e-readers are genius. As a mom I've already decided that the old Kindle might be useful for my son once he starts reading juvenile fiction to himself. The ability to make text larger, turn pages with a click, and carry a lightweight device instead of a heavy text will probably make e-readers as attractive to him as they are to me.