Are Your Kids Going to Fall Behind this Summer?

Posted on | by KD Novelties
Kids are excited for the summer months, and chances are, you are as well. Barbecues, vacations and family outings are abound during this downtime and that can mean a lot of fun for the entire family. But that may also mean downtime from education and from reading. Since kids are not in school, they may not be prompted to read as much. Whether it is because they are too tempted to play outdoors, or because they don’t want to feel like they are in school, it is still important as a parent to make sure that kids continue to read.
Two months may not seem like a long time, but it absolutely is for kids. Their minds are constantly developing, absorbing information from the world around them and assimilating what they know and experience into usable knowledge. It is vital that kids continue to read over the summer in order to retain and increase their reading level come the following school year. Your kids may want to play outside more, but there are ways to entice kids to read that makes them forget they are even reading.
Reading in the park
The first thing you have to do is make the reading feel less like work. Kids who like to read for recreation have shown to have a significantly higher love of learning. This keenness to read also helps kids understand new concepts they learn in school and as they get older. If your child feels that reading is like “school work” then you can show them how fun reading really is by getting them their very own personalized story. Our personalized books for kids make each child the STAR of their very own story.
Plan family outings that are educational as well as fun. Visit historical landmarks, telling your children what they may find there and what happened. Have them read the historical plaques out loud and ask them what they think happened and why. Visit the museum and do the same. Making a day trip out of it can make learning seem more like fun than work.  Engage your kids in reading and critical thinking skills by asking them fun questions about what they did and learned on vacation.
Reading to them nightly can also be a great help. Have them read along and ask them questions about the story or each chapter before saying good night. This makes the act of reading not only a shared experience, but it seems more fun when they are being read to. Ask them to read parts to you. Asking them to answer questions about the story and about what parts they liked and didn’t like help their listening and reading comprehension skills, keeping it sharp for when school starts again.

Even engaging in arts and crafts activities can help keep kids engaged. A hands-on activity with an end goal in mind helps keep kids’ minds working and thinking. Ask them to write poems or blurbs about what they made and why. You can also have them write stories, whether they are about their vacations, what they did that day, or a story they made up entirely on their own. Writing skills are linked directly with reading and require an active imagination as well. Make learning and reading fun by crafting interactive things for your kids to do. It will not only keep them up to speed for the following school year, but it will also keep their summer days full and fun.

KD Novelties publishes personalized children’s books to make reading fun and create a unique experience for kids.  For more resources about reading for kids visit the KD Novelties blog and subscribe.

Why Personalized Children’s Books?

Posted on | by KD Novelties

SHARE THE LOVE OF READING!

Personalized books, such as those made by KD Novelties, can get kids excited about sharing their books and their enthusiasm for reading.

  
Personalized Reading
Books have quite a bit of competition when it comes to vying for kids’ attention. While there are so many toys and new kinds of technology that can distract kids from sitting down and enjoying a good book, that doesn’t mean that books have lost their power. Books are still a popular pastime for many children and adults, and even the proliferation of e-books has reinvigorated a love of reading both print and digital media for many people. But when someone is passionate or excited about a new book or story, they are likely to want to share it with others. Children are encouraged to share and are often inspired to share new toys and games with friends when something captures their imagination. A book can absolutely have the same power.
Personalized books have been known to grab the attention of children, especially children who are reluctant readers. When they see their picture inserted into the book and read about their fantastic adventures, they grow an interest in books as well as reading. These sorts of books are great gateways to a lifelong love of reading. And if a child is excited about a story that features themselves and their face, they are likely to want to regale their friends with their adventures. Kids influence other kids, friends especially. Encourage them to share their enthusiasm for books or reading, even a personalized book about themselves, with their friends and siblings. Friends may be just as interested and excited to see a book featuring one of their close buddies or their brother or sister, and it may inspire them to read on their own or have a book just like it. 
When kids share books, they are not only sharing an activity, they are building relationships with others and they are building a relationship with reading.

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Why Parents Should Cut Down Screen Time For Kids

Posted on | by KD Novelties
Playing with Tablet

As we add more and more devices to our home, we constantly wonder whether we should be cutting down our kids’ time spent in front of them. According to recent studies, the answer to this question we have all asked ourselves is “yes”. While devices such as television, tablets, phones and others have shown to be helpful in the realms of building literacy skills, however, it can also detract from personal family interaction that comes from talking face-to-face. The positive effects of doing so has been shown to significantly increase children’s social, behavioral and physical well being. It has even shown to help improve academic performance.

A balance of stimulation and activity is incredibly important for kids whose minds are still growing and developing. In these early and impressionable stages, many behaviors and modes of thinking become ingrained in their behavior which can affect their future relationships with others as well as themselves. Telling your kids to step away from the tablet, TV or computer can help them develop more well-rounded skills that can ensure their future success, academically and personally. Activities such as spending time as a family, going outside or on a joint trip to the park, reading a book and other activities are beneficial. Using tools such as our interactive personalized kids books and music CDs, can help entice kids to get involved in an activity that does not have a screen. With these sorts of personalized educational activities, kids can be introduced to other forms of spending time if they see a book or hear a story or a song all about them. 
You can even make other activities more personalized if you’re having a difficult time coaxing your kids from the screens. Playing their favorite games with them, encouraging them to engage in conversation about their daily lives and participating in arts and crafts are all other great outlets for learning and social interaction. Whether you are with your kids or your kids are engaging with siblings and friends, a variety of activities is best for a growing and developing brain.

Click to view our personalized books for kids to help in cutting down screen time!