{"id":639,"date":"2023-12-02T20:46:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T20:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cerealreaders.com\/blog\/?p=639"},"modified":"2024-04-03T02:44:41","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T02:44:41","slug":"help-for-struggling-readers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cerealreaders.com\/blog\/help-for-struggling-readers\/","title":{"rendered":"Help for Struggling Readers: 8 e-Reader Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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For most parents and educators, developing a child\u2019s reading skills<\/strong> and helping them discover the life-changing world of books is a mission close to their hearts. Instilling a love of reading in a reluctant or struggling reader is a challenging task<\/strong>, with the distraction of electronic devices being one more hurdle to overcome.<\/p>\n

So, for children who are struggling readers, encouraging them to read<\/strong> on (yet) another electronic device may seem\u2014at first glance\u2014ill-advised or even self-defeating. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why an E-Reader?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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As someone who has been an avid reader all my life and an e-reader devotee <\/strong>for some 14 years,* it still surprises me that many people disregard e-readers without ever having used one. Books can be read on a smartphone or tablet, they argue, so why add another device to the mix?<\/p>

In fact, e-readers, such as the Kindle Paperwhite<\/a>, offer several distinct advantages<\/strong> for children who are hesitant to pick up a traditional book. As a person passionate about children\u2019s reading development, I want to explain why I\u2019m an advocate of electronic readers for children, especially for struggling or reluctant readers<\/strong>.<\/p>

A dedicated e-reader is not an all-purpose device like a smartphone or tablet, with unfettered access to the online world and unlimited uses. The singular focus<\/strong> of an e-reader<\/strong> is what makes it unique\u2014and also what enables it to<\/strong> help ease the challenges<\/strong> faced by struggling readers.\u00a0<\/p>

I’ve condensed the advantages of e-readers to these 8 key qualities<\/strong>:<\/p>

  1. Purpose-built reading device<\/li>
  2. No LCD or LED screen glare<\/li>
  3. Customization and accessibility features<\/li>
  4. Reading privacy and discretion<\/li>
  5. Built-in dictionary<\/li>
  6. Vocabulary builder<\/li>
  7. More varied content and free book samples<\/li>
  8. Portability and convenience.<\/li><\/ol>

    * Note: As my experience has only been on the Kindle, I will focus my discussion on its features, some of which may not be available in other e-readers. My current e-reader is the Kindle Paperwhite (10th generation, 2018 model).<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    1. Purpose-Built Reading Device<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Reading on a Kindle reader is a very different experience<\/strong> than reading on a tablet (such as an iPad or Amazon Fire), a smartphone, or a computer. In contrast to reading an e-book on a tablet or computer, the Kindle is an e-book device. It has been custom-purpose-built so that it emulates reading a book<\/strong>, and elevates the reading experience.<\/p>

    How?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Kindle\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Firstly, with password-protected parental controls<\/strong> enabled, there\u2019s no access to social media <\/strong>or games, or the internet (access to which is quite limited, regardless). Web access for browsing and purchasing books, Goodreads, or Wikipedia can be selectively blocked using the device\u2019s parental control settings.<\/p>

    For that reason, picking up a Kindle can feel as relaxing to pick up as a physical book.<\/p>

    What\u2019s more, it removes the need to monitor if your child has diverted to a game, social media, or other activity contained on the same device. Remember: it\u2019s a single-focus, single-purpose device<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    2. No LCD or LED Screen Glare<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The Kindle e-reader is not a backlit device<\/strong>. It uses front lighting LEDs and e-ink, which is a type of display technology that imitates the look of ink on a page. Unlike the screens in smart phones and tablets that use backlit LED or LCD lighting, e-ink has a paper-like appearance<\/strong> and is very matte.<\/p>

    It doesn\u2019t glow and it doesn\u2019t produce the same stimulation in the brain as luminous screens. (Apologies, the shadow on the Dark Mode display is mine!)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Kindle with e-ink normal display, mid-level (12) luminosity. Book: \"How to Hug an Elephant<\/a>\" by Henry Winkler (Here's Hank series<\/a>, book #6)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Kindle with e-ink Dark-Mode display, mid-level (12) luminosity. Book: \"How to Hug an Elephant<\/a>\" by Henry Winkler (Here's Hank series<\/a>, book #6)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    It also has incremental ranges of brightness (settings 1-24) for both regular and Dark Mode (inverse screen), which makes it great for a variety of light situations, from bright sunlight to a dimly lit room.<\/p>

    Consequently, it causes much less eye strain<\/strong> and doesn\u2019t reduce the eye\u2019s blink rate. In my experience, if using the lower brightness settings, eye strain is almost non-existent, even when reading for an extended period. The e-ink display uses negligible power so that the battery lasts up to a month without charging.**<\/strong><\/p>

    This means less hassle and downtime for charging and more time for the important task of reading!\u00a0<\/p>

    Truly, to appreciate the restfulness of e-ink, you have to see it. Go take a look!<\/p>

    ** Note: Time between required charging depends on many factors including hours of use and brightness of display, however, I’ve found the biggest single power draw is when wi-fi is on. Since you only need connectivity to look for or download a book (downloading typically takes less than one minute), keeping the Kindle otherwise in airplane mode<\/strong> will ensure weeks of use without recharging.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    3. Customization and Accessibility Features<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Struggling readers often find that printed books can be intimidating<\/strong> due to their length and the amount of text on each page. Even as an avid reader, whenever I pick an old classic off my bookshelf and see the small font crammed in tight lines on the page, I find it discouraging!<\/p>

    Kindle e-readers allow for easy customization of text elements<\/strong>:<\/p>