Introduction
For decades educators have seen a link between the development of children and their reading skills. It’s hardly surprising then that the Kindle can help encourage children to read, thusaidingtheirdevelopment.Inthisarticle we look at what the Kindle is and how it encourages children to read.
- Is it true that a Kindle can encourage children to read?
What is a Kindle?
A Kindle is an e-reader which is available to buy through online retailer, Amazon. It enables users to browse e-books, buy and download them and then read them – all from the same device. Originally launched in 2007, the Kindle is now in its fourth generation and enables users to not only access e-books but also newspapers, magazinesand
digital media such as blogs and e-articles too.
- A Kindle allows you to browse, buy, download and read a wide range of material
How does it encourage children to read?
There are a number of ways in which a Kindle can encourage children to read, these include:
- Free books – there are a number of websites that offer hundreds of e-books which are completely free of charge to download. This means that children don’t have to rely on their parents to buy them books or take them tothelibrary to access a variety of books. It also enables them to save their pocket money for other uses.
- Aids to understanding – as well as being able to browse, download and read e-books from the Kindle, children also have access to a range of other tools to help them understand the material they are reading. The latest generation of Kindle features a built-in dictionary to allow children to check the meaning of words they are unsure of whilst free internet access can allow them to explore themes and topics further thanks to the likes of Google and Wikipedia too. When children reach a new key stage, there will be often be a variety of new Kindle resources available to them.
- More variety – there are thousands of e-books as well as comics, magazines, blogs and digital media available through a Kindle so there is virtually unlimited choice when it comes to what a child can read.
- Technology – in today’s society, children are interested in technology, whether it’s gaming consoles or mobile phones so to allow them to read ‘virtually’ through a Kindle is seen as a cool thing to do. Their peers are unlikely to make fun of them for having a Kindle and may actually encourage them to use it so they can share common interests when it comes to reading.
- Convenience – one of the main advantages of the Kindle over a traditional paper book is that it is compact and lightweight so can be taken anywhere. The Kindle is easily slipped into a child’s bag so can be read anywhere. This also allows the child to ‘dip’ in and out of books when they have time to spare such as waiting for the school bus or between other activities. The Kindle will ‘remember’ what page you are on and automatically take you back to the section of text you were reading last time you used it, making it easier to read whilst on the go.
Conclusion
With a team of developers working on new features for the Kindle all the time, the uses and benefits of the Kindle are likely to continue to rise for both children and adults in the immediate future.
