eReaders or Real Books for Preschoolers?

I asked Katie, Mommy with Selective Memory, if she would take a picture of Little Munchkin using the iPad. Munchkin loves to wear pretty dresses and was happy to oblige. But Katie told me she did not stay with the iPad very long after the picture was taken.

Technology is a wonderful tool and I LOVE my Kindle - but I believe creating a love of reading with beginning readers is best done on the lap of a parent with a real book, conversation and interaction. A parent’s voice is soothing to a young child and can be full of expression. Sharing books together forms a comforting bond as a child turns pages, touches the illustrations, and actively participates in the reading process.

Young children learn using their five senses and movement. They will engage in a book more if they are interacting with a book that has flaps, movable gadgets and interesting textures. Reading is more than learning letters sounds and putting the sounds together to form words. Reading is a magical adventure. Communication with a parent or teacher enhances the experience and adds to comprehension, language development, and vocabulary. Questions can be asked and answered.

 

CONS OF eREADERS

• Research concludes that children who are exposed to too much electronic reading have a lower vocabulary and delayed language development
  E-reading tends to be more of a solitaire experience and may even become a babysitter
•  Comprehension is lower perhaps because children are distracted by the lighting, ways to move around the book, and options for playing games. Deep focusing is inhibited.
• Young children need large print and interesting illustrations.
• Heat can destroy an eReader if left in a hot car and they need to be re-charged  
•  Going to the library and picking out books cannot be experienced by using an eReader. Owning a collection of books that are re-read numerous times creates a feeling of ownership and comfort
• The lights and movement on eReaders can be stimulating and keep children awake after bedtime. 

PROS OF eREADERS

• May be more engaging to reluctant readers and children with special needs
• Can supplement reading skills through repetition
• Saves on book expenses and trees (I love garage sale books)
• Easily available on long car rides or doctor appointments when child needs more to do
• May give parents a much needed and deserved break!
• For recommended FREE ebooks, see No Twiddle Twaddle

photo by Glittering Muffins

Children crave and need a parent’s nearness for bonding, creating a love of reading, and comprehension of what was read - whether using a flat screen or a paper book. As with everything in life, finding a healthy balance is desirable.

Resources:
Why the Real World is Better for Children than an iPad, Psychology Today
Sesame's Best Practice Guide for Children's App Development
Parents Urged to Limit TV for Youngest, The New York Times

Would you like inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Mommy with Selective Memory and I can help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Or you might like a glimpse into Kindergarten - for parents and teachers. Both bestsellers are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Does your child prefer real books or eReaders?

Kindergarten Lunchboxes Need Kids Jokes

Of course your child needs a nutritious lunch - but have you thought about putting jokes in the lunchbox? If your kindergartner isn't reading yet, it will be fun for the children to try and figure out the joke - maybe a cafeteria worker will help. Print the words big and draw some clues for words. Telling and remembering jokes is good for children. It helps them sequence, relate to others, and stimulates their thinking. Laughter releases stress and connects people. Usually, a letter a week is studied in kindergarten. Here are jokes for each letter.

JOKES BY LETTERS

• Aa - What do you call an Ant in outerspace? An ant-ronaut.
• Bb - What do Texas ghosts wear? BOOts!
• Cc - What do Cows listen to? Moo-sic.
• Dd - Why did the chicken join the band? Because he had Drumsticks.
• Ee - Why did the chicken cross the road? For some Egg-citement.
• Ff - What day do chickens hate the most? Fry-day.
• Gg - What do you call a bug that jumps over cups? A Glasshopper.
• Hh - Why do Hens lay eggs? Because if they dropped them, they'd break.
• Ii - How do you keep from getting Icy feet? Don't go around brrrrr-foot.
• Jj - What fish make the best sandwich? A peanut butter and jellyfish.
• Kk - What do kittens like to eat? Mice cream.
• Ll - What do sea monsters eat for Lunch? Fish and ships.
• Mm - Why didn't the Mummy cross the road? He was gutless.
• No - Why did the horse cross the road? To visit his Naaaa-bor.
• Oo - Why kind of ice cream do Oreo cows make? Chocolate and vanilla swirl.
• Pp - What do you get when a Pig and chicken bump into each other? Ham and eggs.
• Qq - Why don't ducks tell jokes when they fly? Because they would Quack up!
• Rr - What are Raisons? Sunburt grapes.
• Ss - Why did the Slimy Smelly SSSSSnake Slither by the Stop Sign to crosssss the Street? To See hissssss Skinny Stinkin Sister.
• Tt - What do you get when you cross an elephant with a fish? Swimming Trunks.
• Uu - What do you call a sad Unicorn? A blue corn.
• Vv - What do you call a cute Volcano? Lava-ble.
• Ww - What do you call a Worm in a fur coat? A catterpillar.
• Xx - What is the difference between a foX and an oX? The letter f.
• Yy - What happened when the cat ate a ball of Yarn? It had mittens.
• Zz - What's black and white and red all over? A sunburned Zebra.

Laughter is the Best Medicine.

Kid Joke Sites:

Squiggy's Playhouse Jokes, Knock-Knocks & Riddles

Kids Jokes on Yahoo!

Duckster’s Kids Jokes

Kids Jokes.co.uk

AHA Kids Jokes

Peonies and Poppyseeds Lunch Jokes Printable

Is your child having difficulty adjusting to school? An "I Love You" note might help or a pocket heart. Kids love Knock-Knock jokes. Even if they don't get the joke - they will laugh which releases stress and takes their mind off being anxious.  On one side of the napkin write a Knock-Knock joke with the answer on the other side. They will eventually be able to read these words if you use them often enough. You might want to have a Joke Jar at home to read on a rainy day. Here are some tips for being a Perfect Kindergarten Parent.

Knock-Knock

Who's There?

c a t 
Cat who?
c a t in the h a t

I know sending your child to school can give you mixed emotions. Sure you are sometimes jumping for joy that you have some "alone" time - but then you may feel guilty or sad and lonely. Maybe this quote will help.

from Spiritually Speaking

For a glimpse into Kindergarten, see my book Kindergarten: Tattle-Tales, Tools, Tactics, Triumphs and Tasty Treats for Teachers and Parents. Would you like inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Let us help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn -both are bestsellers make great gifts for parents and teachers. Also available on Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Ebooks only $3.99.

Learn how, and why, Katie and I wrote
The Happy Mommy Handbook.

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Questions Parents Ask about Reading

Today, I am guest posting at Smiling like Sunshine. Just click to find out "What Parents Ask about Reading" @ Smiling Like Sunshine. 

I would also like to thank you for purchasing my books. Kindergarten: Tattle-Tales, Tools, Tactics, Triumphs and Tasty Treats for Teachers and Parents has been a No. 1 bestseller in PreK & K on Amazon Kindle and The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn has been a No. 1 bestseller in Motherhood in print on Amazon. I am truly amazed and humbled by this and hope that I'm helping children learn through play.

 

Caught Being Good

Do you want to raise a responsible well-behaved child? You can - by helping them develop good character traits. I still have parents thank me for giving them the idea to use a marble jar as a reward system. Our kindergarten classroom's jar was filled as the class received compliments from staff, parents, high school helpers, substitutes, i.e. anyone 16 or over.  It took about a month for the class to fill the jar. When it was full, my husband and daughter made cupcakes to celebrate. The children were so proud that they had earned those cupcakes, even though they only cost a few dollars to make. Other class rewards could be to let them vote on a short movie, take a long walk or play a new game outside, and extend center or recess time.

For preschoolers, or at home, use a smaller jar so that it can be filled in about a week's time. The children can also learn math as you count the marbles. They will have a visual hands-on reward system. Let them help decide the reward. Sometimes spending special one-on-one time is much more beneficial than spending money. I was humbled when my daughter's kinder teacher told me that her favorite thing to do was to play dollhouse with me - no money or transportation was necessary, just some playful one-on-one time expanding our imaginations and relaxing in pretend play.

BUILDING GOOD CHARACTER
Children need to learn good character traits in order to gain respect and trust from those around them. Then they will gain a sense of pride in their abilities boosting self- confidence. You can encourage character growth in your child by using, recognizing, requiring, and emphasizing the right attitudes, words, and actions. This is best done by example. Communicate realistic age-appropriate expectations and hold your child accountable to teach responsibility.

The following is quoted from  PlayDrMom's Readathon post: "Positive reinforcement works … and also helps foster independence, life skills, and self-esteem.  It focuses more on mutual respect than power-differentials. Punishing (such as time-outs and taking away privileges) works too and it is sometimes needed, but if positive behaviors are reinforced regularly there will be less of a need for the punishments … and in turn less power struggles.... Implementing positive behavior strategies in daily family life can not only help eliminate problematic behaviors, but can give children a sense of control and help decrease parental stress.  Verbal praise, simply talking about progress made, and showing the pride you have in your children can go a long way in helping your child’s character development. "  To read the full article, click Promoting Positive Parenting.

To read my series on Discipline, click Prevent Inappropriate Behavior

 

Sisters displaying good character traits while reading: Sharing, caring, good example

  The truth of the matter is that you always know
the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”
~ H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Am. General

For a glimpse into Kindergarten see my book. Would you like inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Mommy with Selective Memory and I can help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both have been number 1 bestsellers on Amazon and are helpful gifts for parents and teachers. Also available on Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

What ideas would you like to add?

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