Adopting Digital Books with your Littles Ones

 

Digital Books: Are You There Yet?

When it comes to reading books I still enjoy a hard paper copy in my hand.  But when comparing paper books and digital books I can’t say enough about the latter.  Digital books are not simply a substitute for paper books.   Digital books redefine the reading and learning experience of any reader.  Let me share with you why I believe digital books are much more powerful than a paper book.

When reading a digital/ebook you are able to interact with the content to a much better quality of interaction.  You can select a new word/vocab to hear how it is pronounced and what it means so you can continue enjoying the content with a better comprehension, less distraction and quicker.  Most ebooks or digital books allow for audio and I have loved listening to the author read their book while I am driving or getting some chores done.  Access to digital books provides more opportunities for reading and selecting books of the same author, genre or topic.  You are no longer only restricted to a smaller selection of books available in your region but depending on where and how you are accessing digital books you can access the latest published books for more reasonable prices and while being mindful to the environment.  

Now let’s talk about the benefits of e-books for your little ones.  The kids get to experience and access quality books of various topics.  It teaches them how to select and read relevant content.  It enables them to listen and read text that may be above their independent reading level with the read to me option,  The text highlight feature helps kids track the reading, build vocabulary and practice fluency.   Many digital/e-books provide live links to relevant and related content to expand more on the topic or provide videos and interactive images.  And Wait if they’re looking for a specific word or concept within the book, that search feature is unbeatable.  It takes the reader to the exact sentence, line and page where the keyword is located within the book.  Forget about damage worries, the digital book is available with the latest updated info live anytime online and often offline as well.  Did I stress enough about accessibility, and no I am not talking about getting your hands on the book but rather accessing the content for visually impaired or hearing impaired readers along with the options to zoom in, highlight, define and read aloud content.  

Ok so where can you find digital/ebooks?  Well it depends on the age group.  I will focus today on access to digital books and ebooks for your little ones.  I am going to list access to FREE resources for your kids.  

If I may first recommend my favorite platform and app Khan Academy kids.  Once you sign up as a parent and create your child’s account, you are giving them access to thousands of digital books that are not only vetted for age appropriateness but of various interests as well.  

Getepic! You can access one free book per day or either pay for the family subscription or your child may already have free access through school.  Getepic provides free access to books to all educators with an educator verified email.   

Another site that I have used for more than a decade to access free digital books for kids is Starfall. This page provides access to quality books that support beginner readers through their journey to learning how to read.  

Abcya is another free site where you can access free digital and audio books for your kids.  

Keep in mind if you are in the States and Canada your local library provides free access to many digital books, online learning sites and so much more.  Ask your local librarian about your free access to digital books using your library card.  

I would love to hear about your experience with digital/e-books which are different from audio books.  I love the latter as well and will share more about how’ve put audiobooks to use in more detail in another post.