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Many parents are alarmed at the amount of time their kids spend mashing buttons on their X-Box or Playstation controllers.   They worry that, instead of being enriched and ennobled by the wonders of literature, their developing brains are being turned into ooze by these hypnotic machines.

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It may come as a small surprise, but all three of us at MJM Books enjoy a video game now and then.  In fact, World of Warcraft has given us a place where, despite our geographic separation, we can all “hang out” together… killing bandits and ogres.

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So what are we as publishers to think?  Aren’t video games the enemy of higher thought?  A place were we go to spend mindless and fruitless hours?  Shouldn’t kids be reading instead?

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It may surprise you that the choice isn’t either/or.   In fact, our books are based on the same principle as many video games: immersive, interactive adventure.  Video games (and our customizable kids’ books) place you directly in the story, making you the protagonist.  Often, the games involve an epic story that… wait for it… you read over the course many hours of playing.   The examples of this are everywhere from Zelda to Paper Mario to World of Warcraft.

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Even if there isn’t an epic story to read, there are often many on-screen instructions to be read during the course of a game (which buttons to press to move around or instructions about the goal of the game), and even more still if you pick up a game guide (a magazine that tells you how to access all the hidden secrets in the game).

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Some games have more emphasis on story and incorporate more reading than others so if you’re worried about junior’s lack of reading, consider the middle road and get him a game that will secretly and seamlessly fuse reading and zombie evading.

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You’re lucky, games nowadays focus more on story than ever before.  Remember “Pong”?  No story whatsoever.  Interestingly, this may be changing…  I just discovered a new version of Tetris that is First Person…  Instead of explaining, I will simply direct you to this awesome site.

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Game on!

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We’ve pointed out different public domain children’s book sites like Project Guggenheim and the Rosetta Project before, but those might have been too dated and retro-awesome for some modern mommies, daddies and kiddies.

Over at ChildrensLibrary.org they have full color scans of hundreds of kid’s book titles that are a little more current than my favorite from the 19^th century, The Children’s Friend!

As you can see from the image above featuring a lovely dung beetle, the buttons at the top make flipping through (and even enlarging) the books easy, though it will never be the same as having a REAL book in your hands.  For the price, though, who can complain!

Another great reason to check this site out is the international translations.  A book written in both English and Spanish could be great study tool or presentation topic for your high schooler!

  NOM!

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by Sue Sciubba

Reading to your child is the number one way to help them achieve success academically because reading impacts all other subject areas. As a mother of three, I can tell you I wish I had implemented more reading into my children’s schedules. I feel it is critically important to reserve reading as a top priority, hence, my humble advice of what really worked for me and some real-life suggestions for what you can do right now. Here are a few strategies I used when my children were younger.

First, never buy greeting cards for children on their birthdays or for any other occasion. For the same amount of money you’d spend on a card that will get thrown away in a matter of days, you can easily buy a children’s book that will be treasured for a lifetime. I prefer those books with hard, blank inside covers because I loved to let my children color and create by drawing on them. Now, I have keepsake writing and drawing samples from my children at different ages. I always had them write their names to the best of their abilities and date the “artwork” when they were finished with their treasure. Believe me, you will cherish these books when they grow up. Tell them as they are creating, “See, you could write or illustrate books when you grow up, because you just did a wonderful job with this one!” Letting them create inside the cover of a real book is a very effective method to motivate young readers.

Next, when you go on family trips, always bring along a selection of books that everyone can read together and enjoy. For example, I still remember the weekend trip my husband and I took our three kids to Payson, Arizona. We read “Holes”, by Louis Sachar. The book was too advanced for our youngest, but by helping her along by summarizing each chapter, the whole family really enjoyed the book. It’s a good idea to let the older children read aloud and summarize. Be sure to include everyone, even the youngest, in the literary conversation. That way, everyone will be engaged and feel they are contributing to the family read-aloud.

Another way to make time for reading is to always have a “book bag” in every vehicle. Let each child create their own book bag.  Most craft stores have canvas bags you can decorate with fabric paints and rhinestones. When children feel a sense of ownership, they are always more enthusiastic about the project.  So, when your children get tired of waiting for the doctor or watching a siblings soccer match, they can read independently or you can read with them. When you are stuck in traffic, have your child read to you (whether they can read fluently or not). If they are not fluent, let them tell you the story from the pictures. As they do, ask them what they think might happen in the story, or how the characters feel.

Make “Word Worms”!  Take one word from a book of their choice and start rhyming words aloud with them… cat, sat, hat, and mat.  Make those words into “Word Worms” (using the paper and colored pencils you have placed in their book bags) and display them in easy to see places for quick review in your home and car. To make a word worm, draw the shape of a worm and then fill in its tummy space with all the words that rhyme with the base word you found in the book.  For example: lunch, munch, crunch, and bunch. Be sure to include eyes and a smiling face on your finished worm. This will help your children increase their vocabularies with ease and fun. They will love creating their Word-Worms!

Remember, the clock is ticking; father time is not your friend.  In the blink of an eye, I went from reading “Tuffy and Teddy go to School” to my son Anthony (now 21 years old), to having him assist me by proof reading my college papers!  I didn’t know until I was in college (after I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I “grew up”), that reading was so important to your child.  Reading is the base of all knowledge and all subjects point back to reading. So (and here is my final tip), find a good book, a quiet room, a comfy chair, and spend some time reading with your precious child .  It is something they will never forget. Reading will give them a head start in becoming life-long learners.  You’ll not regret it!

About the author:

In May, 2010, Sue will graduate from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Elementary Education.  After traveling all over the United States and raising three children with her husband of 25 years, she returned to school to become an Elementary School Teacher.

Can’t convince your little one that reading is worth their time?  I’d be willing to bet that they still think comics are cool and don’t even realize that when reading them, they are in fact READING.  I won’t “nerd out” on you and tell you that comics deserve every bit as much literary criticism as novels (you must admire my self control) and simply state that the pictures provide a very effective “carrot” for your reluctant reader.

Bitstrips is a site that allows users to make their own comic strips with customizable characters.  Customization… what a good idea, right?  Now, they’ve rolled out a kiddie version for schools called, well, Bitstrips for Schools. 

Bitstrips for Schools from Bitstrips on Vimeo.

By making their own comics, kids are empowered, and yes, tricked, into creating literature.

I must brag that I have been a Bitstripper since just after the site’s launch and have even had a comic featured on the “front page”.  You’ll see my lovely wife in a cameo in the second panel.

It’s all been fun and games up until now.  It’s been battles between Dinosaurs and Princesses, Fort Building, and Chore Shirking.  Well, that is about to be supplemented with “useful” information.  I know, I know, it will be a tough adjustment, but we must all grow up sometime!

Every so often, we are going to sprinkle in an informative and well-researched article that will be a part of our library of “Literacy Resources”.  We figured, “Why link to external sites when we already know everything there is to know about everything?”

Importantly, we’ll also be able to write a few articles about why Personalized Children’s Books are a bajillion times better than normal ones… Reason one, they’re customizable.  Reason two, they’re awesome… um…  I’m sure we’ll think of more reasons.

We have our work cut out for us, creating an original article to replace each of the links on our Resources page, so we are asking for YOUR HELP!  If you’d like to be a guest blogger on our site, contact us.  We also know there are thousands of Elementary Education majors out there with relevant thesis papers just gathering dust.  Send ‘em over and we’ll give you the attention you deserve! 

My wife’s 128 page thesis, “The Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation with Resistance Exercise and Amino Acid Supplementation in Aging Women”.  Sadly, I don’t think it will be relevant.

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