We all know our kids text, but 80% of us do too, according to The Nielsen Company. Nielsen doesn’t say why, but most parents know…. our kids “hear” us better when we text them! Here’s some more interesting cellphone data from Nielsen:
To adults, cell phones are a communications device. To children, they are a lifeline. Consider that the average 13-17 year old sends more than 2,000 text messages per month. Compared with the total mobile Internet population, teens are much bigger consumers of social media, music, games, videos/movies and technology/science.
Phone owners are getting younger: Last year kids typically got their first phone at age 10.1; by the beginning of this year 2009, the phone ownership age “was down to 9.7.” Same for borrowing: In 2008, the average age when kids started to borrow a cell phone was 8.6 years”; now it’s 8.
How they use phones: 66% of tween phone owners took photos with their phones in the past year; half played pre-installed games; 40% activated the speakerphone feature; 28% filmed a video clip; 24% listened to tunes. We’ve already seen this reported, but “the average 13-17 year old sends more than 2,000 text messages per month.”
Younger phone owners: more than half of 8-year-old owners “used their cell to send text messages in the last 12 months. “That figure soared to 81% for 12-year-old mobile users,” with “the vast majority” (90%) of those texts going to friends and family.”
Parental controls: More than half of cellphone users’ parents don’t use parental controls. Among the minority who do, “20% limit the number of calls, texts or instant messages, followed by download limits (17%), talk time or voice minute allocations (16%), mobile website access limits (15%), locator services and restricted in/outgoing number access (13% each), time of day restrictions (11%), and alerts to unauthorized texts, IMs or callers (6% each); 60% of parents “forbid downloads onto their children’s phone for financial and security reasons.”
Kids use technology to communicate in many areas of their lives. By allowing safe access to mobiles and other forms of communication we are preparing them for lives where technology is inherent.
Children’s Book Week is celebrated in the UK on 5 - 11 October 2009. This year’s theme is words and pictures – focusing on books which spark the imagination by combining superb illustrations with magical language. Award winning digital children’s book publisher, Ebooks4Kidz Ltd, joins in the celebrations by offering customers up to 75% off their normal retail prices.
The founder of Ebooks4Kidz Ltd, Jeanette McLeod, said “Our passion is to spark children’s imaginations and love of reading by bringing our books to life. It fits so well with what Children’s Book Week is trying to achieve. So we decided to celebrate Children’s Book Week by offering customers substantial discounts on many of the interactive digital children’s books we have available. That way our products are even more accessible to parents who want their kids to develop their literacy skills and love of reading books. Our passion is to spark children’s imaginations with our animated illustrations and to bring the stories to life with automatic page turning. Kids love the ability to listen to the story being read aloud, following along with the narrator as the words highlight. For emerging independent readers they can have complete control to read the books themselves and click on any unfamiliar words to hear them spoken. Our passion is to get children reading more by combining their love of technology with great stories and fantastic illustrations. For less than the price of a cup of coffee children can be truly inspired by words and pictures as they both come to life.”
Independent children’s ebook publisher Ebooks4Kidz Ltd is offering up to 75% off a selection of their children’s digital books available on their website http://www.wizz-e.com.
An attention grabbing headline taken from the conclusions in a recent report produced for US Department of Education. The analysis found that, on average, students doing some or all of the course online would rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student scoring in the 50th percentile. That is a modest but statistically meaningful difference.
The study looked at online versus traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008. Some of it was in K-12 yet there were too few studies to warrant statistical significance. However, Picciano and Seaman (2009) estimated that more than a million K–12 students took online courses in school year 2007–2008 and interest in hybrid approaches that blend in-class and online activities is increasing.
Yet although online learning appeared to be well researched as an effective option for undergraduates, graduate students and professionals in a wide range of academic and professional studies, the number of K–12 studies is too small to warrant much confidence in the mean effect estimate for this learner group.
It strikes me as an interesting paradox when demand is increasing that the research which would support the increased use is not available. Online or digital learning can be a great resource to engage learners using a different medium. However, until the research catches up we would be wise to ensure that online learning activities should be an enhancement to more traditional forms of education rather than a replacement.
eReaders are the new gadget that is a must have! You might be aware of the Kindle, Sony and even some others, but ever get tired of reading from the same black and white, boring reader? Well, this reader ‘ain’t your parents reader.
The New COOL-er comes in jewel tone beauty and resembles somewhat of a iPod Nano-ish flare!
What does this have to do with kids, ebooks and online reading?
Everything!!
I dont know many kids that would like a simple white Kindle that looks like the one thier mom and dad have BUT, if they can get a pink one or one the color of their favorite football team, then it makes it personal.
Just like the iPod brought kids to music, the ereader can bring kids to online books. So by providing them with the tools to get the wide range of online knowledge through ebooks they have more options, just like the iPod and Internet brought music and knowledge to life, ebooks bring reading to life, and that is magic!
This week I have been talking with some young people about what reading is to them and what they like to read about. They had some very fun and very funny things to say.
Catherine, age 4
“I like to read books that are pink and have sparkles that have princesses and girls in them with a prince who loves pink princesses.”
Hank, age 6
“Books are fun only when my mom makes voices and my dad does the actions of the people inside the books.”
Jackson, age 3
“I just like books, they are fun when they are colorful.”
Ryan, age 7
“Books are good. My teachers makes us read for 20 minutes everyday but if I like to book I will read longer. My favorite book is Captain Underpants.”
I love hearing kids talk about books. You get such a wide description of their experiences. Ask your kids, or cousins, nieces or nephews what they like to read and what they do to prepare to read. Do they like quiet, alone time, bedtime, long books, pictures, or do they like to make up stories? Let them show you how they read. Then come share!
Sitting with my 5 year old this morning for our daily coffee and conversations, we were enjoying Between The Lions (PBSkids.org) and as he was listening to the book being read and watching the character come to life from a 2 dimensional image on a book cover to real moving, talking, dancing person; I thought that’s an ebook! Meaning, mothers watch stories being read on show like this and Reading Rainbow, Blues Clues, Sesame Street, and Word World; but it is not perceived as an ebook, its perceived as a story on TV which somehow makes it different.
Putting the two together the same animation and sound that is being played for our pre-schoolers and young children on TV is being focused for ebooks. Mothers I asked about ebooks for their children, were most hesitant about letting a computer do the reading, but they said they allowed their children to watch some of the programs mentioned above for a small amount of time. When asked why most said something along the lines of it was only for a select about of time and in conjunction with the one-on-one reading they did with them.
Ok, so I think we need a new perception of what educational partners are. If we allow our children to watch programs that assist in their learning and then allow then to go to the computer to play the games provided by those television shows to again partner with parents in the name of education, we should be willing to cut out some of the middle man. Ebook sites, especially Wizz-E.com provide education through books with or without sound, games, and only accept books from the best of authors. This way publishers of ebooks can provide the education and entertainment that goes side by side with learning to read.
I am not saying that educational shows are not valuable, but I will take books over TV any day. I know that this morning while conversating with Chandler (5 year old) he gets the most out of Between the Lions when they show stories coming to life and talking to him. When words and music are showing him something, he locks into it. I love PBSkids and the shows they provide, it gives us a block to stand on for reaching the top shelf of books. But, I also love great ebooks that come to life, they give me as a parent another tool to show how fantastic and magical books are.
What do you think? Have you ever looked at books/TV this way?
Ollie Bray, Musselburgh Grammar’s depute headteacher, saw off competition from across the continent to scoop top prize at the Microsoft European Innovative Teachers Forum Awards in Vienna.
Ollie Bray, educator chose to educate his students using the same tools they were using but in a different way. For 2 years he has been teaching subjects with games. Brilliant. Using Guitar Hero, a game that teaches rhythm, math and concentration. Its no news flash that music helps kids better their math skills and increases focus. For schools with no music programs this is a great alternative. Bray says,
This is an investment in children, not in computer games. I was pleased the judges realised the idea was not about learning guitar. It’s not expensive to run and children are already experienced in technology.
When we meet our students and our kids on the level to which they are, we connect and they are more likely to listen to what is being placed in front of them. I mean, what kids wants to sit in a classroom six hours a day and be so disconnected that he only dreams and checkout when the bell rings. Kids need to be understood and know that their ideas and interests are valid. If you can utilize tools that will get into kids heads that is the key to learning.
Most teachers would just use play in schools. This gets teachers using good tools – computer games are very encouraging.
“I only play games that have some educational benefit to them. I was surprised, but absolutely delighted to get this award.
He will now qualify automatically for the Worldwide Innovative Teachers Awards in Brazil, taking place in November 2009.
Get outside that four-walled box, try something new and different and see the response.
After polling several mothers and fathers, asking them how the like to enjoy reading to their children and would they consider using ebooks in conjunction with traditional paper books most were unaware that ebooks had advanced to a child level. Interesting idea, advancing to a child’s level.
I introduced them to Wizz-E.com and asked if they would share a moment with their children reading ebooks and report back their findings.
Here are their words:
I prefer paper books, but as our society is growing more electronically inclined I think it’s great that we’re keeping books in that process. At least the kids are still reading! That’s what’s most important.
I really think anything that gets kids reading is great.
-Vanessa T. Oklahoma
Putting ebooks in the hands of kids is a great way to blend technology that they are bombarded with daily and the excitement of reading. Which I believe todays kids are losing touch with. Meeting kids where they are will always prove more results than trying to force feed them something that they feel is old or out of touch with their lives.
Sarah P. California
We haven’t tried ebooks but I can’t say I find it appealing. I enjoy cuddling up w/ the girls to read in their beds or on the sofa. Putting them in front of the computer screen just doesn’t do it for me. They do some computer at school and a little at home, but there’s nothing like reading together and turning actual pages. Both peanuts are starting to read on their own now and enjoy quiet time in their room with books… it’s lovely. Then again, this is all coming from the least techy person out there. I don’t own a cell phone, have tivo/dvr (nor cable!) or whatever else it’s called. Bluray? What’s that? Twitter - huh? Just old school that way
-Susan J. South Carolina
Like anything else we expose our children too, ebooks should be a relationship between parent and child. Communication is important. The whole idea of ebooks if faster put into the hands of young people to give them a different source for material and education. I love the idea that ebooks could replace DVD’s in cars. Could you imagine giving your child a gift card to download the Titles the have been wanting to read just before a long car trip and then as the trip goes on allow them to read aloud or share the story they chose.
I think that as parents we are quick to give something to our children that will occupy them so we can be more comfortable. The easier the access to that comfort the better. DVD, video games, music they all are quick ways to entertain. But what if we changed the idea of entertainment. If a child is given the access to a book, one that will read a loud if he is not yet reading with sounds and animation - that becomes a game. Then they hooked on a story and they want to read more. Just like if you allow your child the taste of sugar before they experience broccoli most children will forgo the green for the yum.
My long point is this. Give your child the good stuff and they will grave knowledge instead of fillers. They world has enough ridiculous fillers, allow them to experience the magic of a book and the total losing of the time that comes from passion in literature. Ebooks are a great way to do that - like hiding broccoli in pizza.
-Tom H. Texas
In no way do we at Wizz-E.com feel that ebooks should deter moms and dads from page-turning-time with their little ones, but use the technology that is available and of the best authors and animators/illustrators to allow for educational time in a way that uses what kids already experience. I love what Tom said “…like hiding broccoli in pizza.”
Ebook “Pizza!”
§ Download books to your smart phone and use then in waiting rooms, while grocery shopping, running errands, in the dentist chair - since ebooks are much cheaper than paper copies, allow your child to download a new story for each outing.
§ Long car rides instead of hand-held video games
§ To distract while you are cleaning/preparing dinner instead of TV
§ As rewards, “if you finish this book you can download one of your choice”
§ While you are working on your laptop let your child sit next to your and “work” on his reading.
Wizz-E.com is BIG! With the recent launch of Wizz-e’s ebooks kids are reading like never before. NOW, Wizz-E announces the availability of games! Not only games but puzzles!!
Kids can visit the Wizard to read, with the magic of sounds and animation then go and learn through educational games and puzzles.
As they say, But wait there’s more….
More to come more stories, more games, more puzzles!
American kids want their new president to do a few things for them.
Like, bring nine-year-old Lonnie’s dad home from Iraq.
Or find a job for 10-year-old Zachary’s dad in Michigan.
Or make it rain candy for six-year-old Aaron.
These are just a few of the tiny requests coming from 45 hundred or so 5-12 year olds that were being asked of the newly appointed leader. All petitions came to Kid Thingand with the generous assistance of the National Education Association the winning hopes were neatly organized into not just a book, or journal but an E-BOOK!
The young bidders then shipped the book off to a very special address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, you know the White House!!
This little initiative will help launch education, reading and the value of the ebooks. I mean if the President likes them, they have to be super cool!
