E-books add variety and interest, making them great for read-aloud times with our child.
Reading aloud to children is a vital activity for building vocabulary, a love of reading, and an understanding of what reading “sounds like.” Also, reading aloud to children is the most important activity to build their eventual success in reading. Did you know that reading a book aloud is two times richer in vocabulary than watching a typical TV show?
Also, children’s listening abilities develop ahead of their ability to read, so it is important to continue to read aloud to children even when they start to read on their own. These skills do not level out until children are in approximately eighth grade, so continue the habit beyond the early years.
Dr. Seuss Treasury
Oceanhouse Media has created a treasury of Dr. Seuss books. Here you will find the e-book versions of many of the classic Dr. Seuss books your child may already know and love, such as Hop on Pop, Horton Hears a Who!, Green Eggs and Ham, and The Cat in the Hat. Check out the rest of the books and read a new title with your child. The e-books include interactive and engaging features such as reading aloud to your child, highlighting the words, and looking for fun hidden treasures by tapping the scenes. The app is subscription-based, which gives your family access to 55 digital Dr. Seuss books.
Dragon Brush
Dragon Brush is so beautifully designed that parents and children will love interacting with this e-book. The background music is soft and calming, and the illustrations are beautiful. The narration is provided by a male voice. There are hidden interactive features on each page and special inkpots hidden in the story that unlock artistic features in the special painting area of the app. The story is about a young artist, Bing-Wen in China, who was poor and lacked the tools to create art that he loved. He helps a lady whose giant cart has overturned, and she gives him a paintbrush. He discovers that the paint brush is magic and everything he draws comes to life. The end of the story has Bin-Wang cleverly using his paintbrush to solve problems. The story is based on a traditional Chinese folktale and has a moral that you can discuss with your children at the end. Dragon Brush costs $2.99 and is appropriate for children ages 3-6.
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a delightful story that the whole family will enjoy. Mr. Morris Lessmore ends up in a magical world of books. He falls in love with each of these books and shares little tidbits with the reader through quotes and games. Kids get to immerse themselves in language and letters with mini-games and thoughtful interactivity. This is a wonderful app for sparking a love of reading. We highly recommend it for talking about the variety of books and purposes for reading with your child.
New Year, New Apps