Reading is fundamental!
It’s a quote that I’ve heard many times over throughout my lifetime and one that I agree with immensely. At a very early age, my kids were taught to read because it not only helped with their verbal and language skills but their listening skills as well.
This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central, and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
March is National Reading Month and is a way to motivate and encourage everyone to read daily. While I believe that every month should be National Reading Month and that you should read all year round, we all know that it’s not going to happen. However, it’s never too early to help your children develop reading skills that will last a lifetime. Having a month set aside, especially for reading will help get you and your kids into the habit of reading, for at least a month, if nothing else.
I’ve personally written many posts on why it’s important to teach your kids to read, and even how to motivate them to read. One of Madison’s goals this year was to read more books, and today, I’m going to share easy ways you can celebrate National Reading Month with your family while creating a love of reading.
1. Take Your Child to a Bookstore or Library
If you’re looking to purchase a new book for your little one to add to their reading collection then going to a bookstore is a great idea. However, if you’d prefer to borrow a new book, then the library is also a great suggestion. Personally, I like adding new additions to Madison’s collection. However, as a family that travels regularly, it’s not always feasible for me to purchase numerous books, because then it just becomes too heavy to put in her travel backpack. That’s why we currently own a Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet. We take it with us everywhere and have even given it as gifts. Not only does it keep her occupied on our trips, whether we’re traveling by air, land, or sea, but she can have thousands of books or games thanks to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which I’ll tell you more about shortly. Just keep on “reading.”
2. Place Books Everywhere Around the House.
Keep books accessible around your home and within reach of little hands. Whether that may be on the coffee table, breakfast nook where they congregate for breakfast early in the morning, in the bathroom or even in the couch. Seeing books everywhere will more than likely motivate your child, or even yourself to pick up a book and read. A good idea for kids is to get books that you know they’ll be interested in, books with captivating covers and stories.
3. Read at Least 15-20 Minutes Daily
Reading together can not only be fun, but it’s a great way to get social with your kids as well. While you can have older kids read for more extended periods of time, if they enjoy it, you can get together with the younger kids and read together as a family. Each can take a turn reading a chapter a day for longer chapter books, or just read one page at a time, making it a lot more fun than reading alone.
When it comes to Madison’s reading, my favorite feature on her Fire Kids Edition tablet is using my Parent Dashboard and setting up the parental controls. One fun thing about this is that I can not only use it via her Fire Kids Edition tablet but also on my computer if she’s already using it. I’m able to set limits, such as no games before reading for at least 15 minutes, and the shutdown mode, which I’ve enabled. So there’s no device usage before 8 am and after 8 pm during the week. However, there are different limits for the weekend. These controls can be adjusted at any time I desire.
4. Have a Reading Challenge
Kids enjoy challenges, especially when there’s a reward at the end. Start a reading challenge in your own home, and the person who reads the most books gets a special treat at the end. While this is a competition and will get them started, however, I suggest giving each one who did the challenge something small while the winner gets the big prize. The little ones can enjoy picture books, while the older kids can read more challenging books.
5. Start a Family Book Club
We’re a family who enjoys reading, and our book collection is extensive. As a matter of fact, Madison enjoys receiving new books in the mail monthly. Not only does she get to read a book at night before bed, but they’re great for discussion as well. A family book club is a great way to discuss the books that the kids are reading showing that they have a much better understanding of the books they’ve read. The Fire Kids Edition tablet offers a “family book club” approach which provides sample questions and summaries based on the books they’ve viewed within Amazon FreeTime. You can also use it for videos, Audible books, educational apps, and even websites.
One of the easiest ways I’ve found for us to read is by having the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet, and with Amazon FreeTime Unlimited we have access to thousands of books at our disposal. It comes free with the purchase of a new Fire Kids Edition tablet, but you don’t need to own one to access the subscription. Once you’ve subscribed, it’s available for use on compatible devices such as Echo devices, and it’s also available for download on iOS and Android. However, the content experience will vary based on the device you’re using.
The Fire Kids Edition tablet has been an invaluable device for my family. Not only does it keep Madison occupied during our travels, but even while at home. I don’t know what I’d do without it!
