Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Parenting Pointers: Encouraging Reading in a Digital Age

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

I just had a chance to review BORN READING: Bringing Up Bookworms in a Digital Age—From Picture Books to eBooks and Everything in Between by Jason Boog, former publishing editor at MediaBistro—and proud dad to his own little bookworm, Olive. The book is written to provide information for parents on encouraging lifelong reading and to read interactively. Studies have shown that interactive reading—a method that creates dialogue while reading with a young child—can raise the child’s IQ by more than six points

Reading is a hot topic. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a policy statement recommending “that pediatric providers advise parents of young children that reading aloud and talking about pictures and words in age-appropriate books can strengthen language skills, literacy development and parent-child relationships.” (Read Jason's interview about that here.) Plus, the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the Reading Rainbow app raised well over $6 million!

The book is really helpful. It includes smart strategies for interactive reading in the digital age, including making informed decisions about using apps and eBooks; storytelling lessons to help parents be more dramatic and engaging; and book recommendations for young children that match their interests and abilities.

There are also some great tips in every chapter, some of which I'll share with you know. 
  • Read together.
  • Ask lots of questions.
  • Be dramatic.
  • Discuss your own feelings about the book.
  • Help your child make predictions.
  • Compare the story to the real world.
  • Encourage children to retell the stories.
Check out the book to learn more and start your kids on a great foundation for lifelong reading!

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