My 10-year old does not like to read. She's never liked it, she's very much a TV person like her father. She's supposed to read 20 minutes a day and I can't get her to do it! I've tried all kinds of books, all different levels and subjects. We go to the library together and she will pick out books and then not want to read them. She has trouble reading and her vocabulary is uncommonly small so we've been working hard on that. I know part of the problem is she is not good at reading, and she hates doing anything she's not good at. I also know that the only way to get good at something is to practice!
Lately she's been eyeballing the e-readers and she says she wants one. She claims that if she had an e-reader she' be more likely to read. One of the things she likes about it (she's used my iPad2 to read) is that if there is a word you don't know, you just touch it and the definition pops up. Part of her problem is there are so many words she doesn't know and she doesn't want to stop reading to define them all the time. But if you don't know what the words mean then you'll get lost in the story. She likes reading on my iPad using the Kindle app because it's easy to define a word and then move on.
I just don't want her using my expensive iPad2 all the time.
She really wants the Kindle fire. She's been wanting an iPad and of course they are too expensive! The Kindle Fire would do most of the things she wants the iPad to do for a fraction of the price.
What's your experience been with e-readers? Do they encourage reading? You can rent e-books from our library as well. I just don't want to spend a lot of money and all she uses the Kindle Fire for is Angry Birds!
Thanks Moms! I love the idea of having her "earn" the Kindle by reading her 20 minutes a day! I can even make a chart for her so she can track her progress.
I'm also going to nix the Kindle Fire. I don't want her on the internet (she has an iTouch and we have the Internet turned off) and she needs the e-reader to READ, not play games. A Nook or a similar e-reader is much cheaper and will serve the same purpose!
Thanks moms!
Meh....I would doubt that it would "fire" her passion for reading.
My son only like to read when it's a topic he's "into" at the time.
Could you use a reward system for the 20 mins per day of reading to EARN a Kindle Fire after a few months of proving she WILL read for 20 mins per day? Maybe you could give her an IOU voucher redeemable in March or April IF she has been doing her daily reading?
I'm not sure an e-reader would help. We have an IPad and my daughter uses it for games. She doesn't like reading from it. I sort of like it but am not enthralled. I'd encourage you to read to her in addition to her 20 minutes a day. Face the same way so she can see the book. When she reads on her own have her read at the level (or as near as possible). Tell her to let you know if she has trouble with a passage so you can help her. It's going to be hard to find stuff she likes that she's able to read with only a slight challenge. Do you know what her reading level is? When you read to her read books that are 2 to 3 grades above her.
My daughter is 9 years old and reads very well but still likes me to read to her. I'm reading the James Herriot books to her. While she could read them some of the vocabulary slips one or both of us up because he is from England. When we find a word we don't know try to infer what the meaning is and then look it up in the dictionary to be sure. Find something that interests her, and idea might be something that's based on a favorite Movie or show.
Ask your school if they have help for reading or resources that can help you help her. The sooner she's up to grade level the more she will enjoy as there will be more age appropriate reading material for her.
All the Best! Hope this helps, sorry I strayed from the Kindle, I'd worry as you do that she uses it for Angry Birds only.... Take my advice with a grain of salt because I am just now getting into reading online (1 book in my vast experience ;-) I did like that I could change the font size for my aging eyes..... OH, make sure her eyes are okay if you haven't.
What if instead of the Kindle fire you gave her the regular Kindle - only reading and the definition still comes up?
Both of my boys (7 and 13) are avid readers, and we have 2 Kindles in the house. They said they would love reading with the Kindles, but they both read books instead. My oldest plays games on the Kindle once in awhile, but he reads books. My husband and I love the Kindle. I would save money and try to find other ways to engage her in reading. She would likely just play games on the Kindle Fire.
My daughter has a great reading ability and a large vocabulary. She homeschools, is 11, and does a lot of research and writing for homeschool. She loves to write stories, but hates to read. I gave her my sony when I got my recent touch screen tablet computer. She has only read about 1/2 of one book on the sony. It's tough going getting her to do it.
I wouldn't get it if you are going to be very disappointed. I have 4 daughters, 3 of them grown, all able to meet the requirements of school and college...but JUST what they need, not above and beyond usually.
I think the desire for your child to read more has to come from her, not you, if she is going to use the Kindle solely for reading.
I do not have an eReader, so I will let others answer that aspect of the question. However, I do wonder if the access to definitions is going to be as helpful as is hoped. I say this because often the definitions themselves may contain unfamiliar words or concepts which could further frustrate her. ( I know that when I have to hit the dictionary, I sometimes find myself looking up a few other definitions, just so I'm certain I'm clearly understanding the meaning-- and I'm a well-read adult.)
There's also the temptation that, when reading gets to hard, to use the Kindle for other purposes. If you are fine with that, maybe? I'd also be looking at reviews from Consumer Reports and other consumer advocacy sources to find out how "kid-proof" the product is. Can it stand being dropped? Will she be responsible with it and not take it to school where it could be damaged or stolen?
If it were me, I'd encourage reading the old-fashioned way: read aloud together. Does she have The Chronicles of Narnia or something else which is written with more sophisticated language? This is a great read-aloud series. "Anne of Avonlea" is also another which offers rich language and a relatable, interesting story. There might also be some vocabulary-rich 'word of the day' calendars which would be more appropriate for kids. You could practice using a new word each day, from a list of words she wants to become more familiar with, too. A kid-friendly dictionary (not a picture dictionary, either) would be helpful.
The special ingredient in most of these suggestions, by the way, is you. A Kindle is a neat gadget, for sure, but children will acquire language through repetition, and re-reading stories will reveal some vocabulary words through context. I wonder if a child's desire for novelty will outweigh the desire for mastery and if the instant access for new material will reduce the potential for long-term learning of vocabulary.
These are just thoughts (this is something I think about a lot). My guess is that once the novelty wears off (like so many of my grown up friends and their Wii Fit, ;) ) you may be challenged with this same situation in the future.
Best wishes, whatever you choose.
oh-- and @Stitch-- I've just started reading the children's treasury of James Herriot this morning to my little guy. (He's four.) He loves it! Great pick.:)
I think a ten year old will use it for surfing the web and video games. I have a Nook and we love it. We use it with our kids too. But unless we are reading to them, my kids have no interest in doing anything but playing Angry Birds. In all honesty, it sounds like she is trying to convince you to buy her a Kindle by telling you what you want to hear. If you want to get her a KIndle, by all means do it. But don't do it solely based on the fact that she tells you it will make her read more, you'll be upset and disappointed.
My son has a Tag reading system and it does exactly what you are talking about. If he doesn't know a word he presses it with the pen and the pen tells him the word. There is also a sound it out option. He can also have the entire book read to him. I would look into that and see if there are books available for older children.
Just curious.... if she has problems reading, have you discussed it with her teachers or counselors? She may very well be dyslexic..... it isn't just about "reversing letters"... there are a lot of other aspects to dyslexia that she can't express to you.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002379/
"True dyslexia is much broader than simply confusing or transposing letters, for example mistaking ”b” and “d."."
Surprisingly, a lot of kids aren't diagnosed until later, when school gets to be much more focused on reading skills.
E-readers could be helpful, but once you buy one for her there still is the problem with reading, especially if she is a struggling reader. Finding books for an e-reader will be like finding a printed book-reading level/age appropriate, interest,etc. I'm still "neutral" on the e-reader. One suggestion-try books on tape/cd. My son is a struggling reader. We would loan the cd and printed book so then he could follow along. He seemed to understand the book better when he could hear it as well.
I wouldn't do it, personally. Most likely she wants one because it's trendy & her friends might have/be getting one. If someone doesn't like to read, a fancy gadget is going to change that. Instead, she may just want to use it for games & whatnot. It's my experience so far (DD is only 5.5) that electronic learning type devices are a general waste of money & that the old school method works a lot better, and is cheaper.
Does she have a learning disability that's undiagnosed, possibly? It sounds like she would like to read if the comprehension part would come into play.
I LOVE my e-reader, but I read a lot prior to getting it. I think that she will end up playing lots of Angry Birds on it....
I'd get the REGULAR Kindle... because it will not allow her to surf the web without supervision.
The e-reader may be a good incentive to get her to read - she is of the digital age. I prefer actual books, but I can absolutely see the boon of having 50 books in one lightweight pacakge!
