“Can I have a tablet for my birthday, please?” Whenever I hear these words, it makes me smile, mostly because I know that tablets and children make for a fun combination!
Actually, I think the saying goes more like this…”If I don’t get a tablet for my birthday, can I have one if I take out the trash for a whole week, clean my room, and turn my homework in on time?!” Can you tell that I’ve had a lot of experience with kids?!! To me, it doesn’t matter if they are reading an actual book that they can hold, or reading a book on their device. The thing that counts is that these kids are reading something every day.
Technology and Reading
In this modern age that we live in, it seems that pretty much everything revolves around technology. This can actually be an extremely positive experience in relation to helping kids learn to read, or in many instances becoming more fluent readers. Many of my tutoring students have a tablet of some kind, and they absolutely love them! I think some of them even sleep with their device! (Of course, I have been known to fall asleep with mine, as well!)
My Gamers and My Readers…
Of course, I have those students who will spend countless hours a day playing games on their tablets. And, no matter how much I beg them to read one of the books that their parents have downloaded for them, they won’t budge.
These are my gamers. These are the kids who will probably one day grow up and invent games for other children to play, provided that they will be able to focus on “creating” new games, as opposed to consistently playing the games they already have!
Then, there are my readers. These are my kiddos who can’t seem to read enough! They are the ones who will read several books a week on their tablets, and still want to read more! I have actually had several children confide in me that they stay up at night and read “under the covers” so their parents won’t know!
These are some of my top readers. It’s no wonder that many of them are reading several years above their grade level. There’s no telling what they will do with their lives. For these kids, the sky is the limit!
Tablets For Children of all Ages
The awesome thing about tablets is that there are devices that are made for children of all ages, even babies and toddlers! It’s a really cool thing to see a toddler “playing” on his/her device, when in all reality, they are actually learning to read the letters of the alphabet, and in many cases, learning the sound that each letter makes! As the child grows, they can advance to a more complex tablet with more features that actually allow them to download kid friendly books, as well as educational apps. and games!
In this post, I would like to share with you some suggestions for tablets that are educational for toddlers, ages 1-3, as well as for children who are between the ages of 3-10.
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First, I would like to introduce you to… Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet
These tablets are designed with toddlers between the ages of 1-3 in mind. They introduce the younger children to letters, words that correspond with each letter, animals, music, and more. The beautiful thing about these devices is that they come equipped with a button on the lower left hand side of the device that allows you, as the parent, to change the level of difficulty as your child progresses. In this way, your child can progress at his/her own pace!
Levels of Development
Since children learn at different rates, the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet comes with 3 different levels of development. You can adjust it to the level of your child’s ability level, or simply start on level 1, and progress from there.
Level 1 is geared for babies and toddlers, ages 1+. At this level, your child will be able to push a button and hear the name of the picture that is associated with that button. For example, they can push the “k” key, and hear the word “keys.” This goes along with each letter of the alphabet. These kiddos will also be rewarded with fun music to sing along with. What toddler doesn’t like to sing along to music, right?! (Especially, at the loudest volume they can conjure up!)
Level 2 is for toddlers, ages 18 mo.+. This level teaches them the names of the letters that correspond to each letter on the tablet. For instance, if they push the “j” button, the tablet will say the letter “j.” This helps them associate the names of the letter with what each letter looks like.
The final stage is level 3, where the child can push a button, and hear the sound that the picture makes. If they push the button with the letter “j,” they will hear the sound a jet makes as it is taking off! This is where their imaginations begin to soar!
I give the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet a 2 thumbs up! I absolutely love this tablet, simply because it is educational for little ones. In addition, it helps to improve their fine motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination as they press the buttons on their device. It’s a very durable 1st tablet, and will more than likely make your toddler think they are “big stuff” since they have a device just like their older siblings! An added bonus is the way this tablet will light up as your child is learning! To your toddler, it might as well be the 4th of July!
In my opinion, it would be well worth researching this tablet in more detail to see if it would be the perfect 1st tablet for your child.
I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions regarding the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet. If you have any questions or things you would like to share, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post, and I will be more than happy to get back with you as soon as possible! And, as always…I wish you and your toddler all the best as they embark on this new adventure of learning!
Tablets Made For Kids 3-10+ Yrs. of Age
In the first part of this post, I talked about a special tablet that was created with toddlers, ages 1-3 in mind: The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet. Now, I would love to introduce you to another tablet that is geared for kiddos who are between the ages of 6-12. Because, as my niece says, “The older kids need a more “mature” tablet to work with, simply because they are almost adults!” (Or, so she thinks!)
Taking my niece’s advice, I would now like to introduce you to the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet. This is an amazing tablet that can be used by kids, ages 3-12. This device is easy enough for a younger child to navigate around on so that it frees up time for you to get some work done, as well!
The Amazon Fire HD Kids Pro Tablet comes with a 10.1 in. touchscreen, 32 GB of internal storage, and up to 13 hours of battery life. It also comes equipped with a child proof case that is extremely durable, and can endure many of the hardships that kiddos seem to put their devices through!
Why I Love the Fire HD Kids Pro Tablet
There are so many things that I love about this tablet! I have been an educator for almost 37 years now. Therefore, I’m always looking for the educational benefit of any product that I purchase or recommend to others.
This tablet is not just a device that children can play games on. It is also a learning tool to help children learn to read better, For me, this is the main bonus! My favorite thing is the awesome parental controls, where you can block your child’s access to cartoons and games until they meet the educational goals that you have set for them! In this way, you know they’ll be putting this device to good use!
Terrific For Children With Learning Disabilities
I have worked with so many mentally challenged kiddos over the years, as well as children with autism and other disabilities. This is the one tablet that I highly recommend for these special ones. It is extremely easy to learn to use, and my kids with disabilities have seemed to thoroughly enjoy working on their tablets!
I love to see their faces light up as they discover something new, or learn how to play a new educational game. To me, there is nothing more special that seeing a child who feels successful. The look of joy that is seen on their faces as they maneuver around on their tablet just melts my heart!
My Review of the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet
There are so many advantages to using this tablet, such as the many books and educational apps. that you can download. It also comes at a great price for the value that you will be getting.
The only disadvantage that I have heard complaints about is that the case is too small for some of the kids. If you purchase this device, you might want to but an extra screen protector!
I would highly recommend checking this device out. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, and I will be more than happy to get back with you! And, as always…Happy reading to you and your child!
Blessings:)
Suzi
Hi Suzi!
This is a great article! As an educator, I have had the pleasure to work with children of various learning styles, and I have seen the benefits of using a tablet with each level. I used to take care of my niece; before she could read, she was able to use my I-Pad. She learned how to count, recognize shapes and colors, and she even could recognize her name before she could actually spell it. She’s older now, but she has a little brother. I will be looking into the Fire Kids Edition for him.
Kathy
Thank you, Kathy, for your nice comment! I totally agree with you when you say that there are benefits of using tablets with each level of development. Many of my tutoring kiddos would rather read something on their tablet than hold a book. I guess it’s just the age we live in! However, I am glad that these kids are reading something everyday, as opposed to reading nothing at all. Thank goodness for tablets! Thank you, again, for your sweet and informative comment:)
Blessings:)
Suzi
This was a great article to read. I like your take on technology and how it can be a positive thing for children. Times change and the way we teach our children just has to change with it. Any way you can make reading fun is a plus in my books (ha, reading joke), and all the power to you for shining a light on that. I also appreciate that you don’t completely bash kids who play games, there are benefits to those games as well. You’re probably right in saying they’ll be the ones to grow up and create games. Awesome read. Thanks.
Thank you so much for your comments, Brittanie:). I love using tablets with my kids:). They love to read books and play educational games on them! And, of course…they do like to play their own games:) I believe that children need work time, as well as playtime:). In fact, we all do! That’s what makes life more interesting:) Again, I really appreciate you taking the time to read my post and comment:). That means a lot!
Blessings:)
Suz
I often hear my father in law state that the electronic devices are making the next generation dumber. I disagree. An electronic device is an electronic device. It is neither good or bad. It is how the kids use these devices that determines whether or not the device is good or bad. If our kids spend time on these devices learning and developing their reading and math skills, then these devices are well worth time our kid spend using them. Our job as a society is to provide the next generation with electronic devices that provide hours of fun educational programs that advance our kid’s reading, math, comprehension, and analyzing skills.
Thanks so much for your comment, David! I totally agree with you in the fact that the value of electronic devices depend on how children use them. They can either be used to learn and motivate kids to want to achieve more, or vice versa. I’m just hoping that more parents will see the benefits of tablets, and how they can actually aid in the educational development of their children! Thank you, again, for your nice comment!
Blessings:)
Suz
Your very welcome.