Category Archives: Education

Auryn, Inc. Supports National Reading Month by Offering a Free iPad Storybook App Every Day in March!

Education, iPad, , , ,

Auryn, Inc iPad Storybook appsMy 5 year old loves Auryn’s storybook apps for the iPad.  Her favorite is Teddy’s Night (<< my review link). Auryn, Inc., the most award-winning digital publisher and creator of unprecedented children storybook apps for iPad and tablet devices, announced today that several of the notable and award-winning apps from the company’s popular collection will be offered free, throughout the month of March. In recognition of National Reading Month, Auryn is giving away one free storybook app each day of the month to promote reading among children on digital devices. Among the titles available for free download during March will include:

March is recognized throughout the U.S. as National Reading Month; designated as such by the National Education Association. The organization will celebrate its 15th Annual Read Across America Day this year, a nationwide program that helps children discover the joy of reading and is expected to draw more than 45 million participants on Friday, March 2. “Supporting National Reading Month with free storybook apps to inspire kids to read in a decade of all things video is a natural extension of our overall mission to encourage reading in the new age of technology,” said Umesh Shukla, Founder and CEO of Auryn. “We are thrilled to bring a renewed enthusiasm for reading to our youth by bringing illustrations to life through animation and interactivity.” About Auryn, Inc. Founded by Academy award-winning visual effects experts from Hollywood’s top movie studios, Auryn Inc. is the most award-winning digital publisher of storybook and creative apps for the iPad, iPhone, Android and other tablet devices. Recognized by the Producers Guild of America and Variety magazine as the Digital 25 top innovator in Emerging Media and winner of more app awards than any other digital publisher, Auryn is paving the way in digital publishing and fast-becoming the leader in children’s storybook apps. For more on Auryn, visit www.auryn.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest at: www.facebook.com/appsbyauryn and www.twitter.com/ AurynApps and http://pinterest.com/appsbyauryn/

An Education Is Invaluable – Upromise Makes It Achievable

Brand Ambassador, Education, ,

upromise college savings ambassadorThe importance of receiving a quality education cannot be measured specifically in dollars and cents. While many people have price limits on products and services they purchase, the return on investment in obtaining a degree from a credited university far outweighs financial costs associated with reaching that goal.  It is estimated that over an adult’s working life those with bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees earn more in salary than adults with high school diplomas, approximately $1 million and $1.4 million in additional income respectively. Individuals with doctorate degrees and professional degrees command significantly higher earnings potential as well.

The dilemma many prospective students encounter, however, is obtaining the funds required to finance their college education. Over time, the annual cost of attending college has increased considerably as tuition has risen by nearly eight percent each year. Can you believe that.. 8%!  Although scholarships and financial aid are available, few applicants are accepted, leaving a majority of people unable to advance their academic development. Parents that desire to provide their children with a better future by sending them to a respected college often experience a greater financial struggle than the students. Either poor planning, job displacement or other unforeseen events have created the inability for parents to afford college tuition.

Upromise provides a program that assists individuals in realizing their goal of higher education. While many financial institutions promote savings and investment plans, Upromise offers parents the ability to build their children’s college fund through a unique and simple process. Upromise provides participants the option to accrue funds by accessing their purchasing power.

Shopping online or at grocery stores, dining at restaurants, or purchasing particular items through the use of available coupons enables participants to earn a percentage of money spent. Money is deposited into an account to be applied towards future educational costs. Additionally, family and friends can assist in the program simply by what they purchase. With over 800 online stores, 8,000 restaurants and thousands of grocery and drug stores, saving for college has never been easier. It’s never too early to start!

Useful upromise links:

Disclosure: I am a paid upromise college savings ambassador.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

The Importance of Reading to your Child at Bedtime and Bedtime Reading Tips

Education, Parenting Articles, Preschool, , ,

The benefits of reading to your child are well-researched and new benefits are being found as studies continue.  Reading to your child can be one of the most important things you do for your child to help with their development.  I have two children, 12 years old and 5 years old, and every night either my husband or I read to our 5-year-old at bedtime and when my husband is home, he still reads to our 12-year-old.  My 12-year-old loves it when my husband lays down and reads to him because he knows that is his uninterrupted time with his dad and I can tell that after a stressful day, they both appreciate and enjoy that quiet time together.

Here are a few reasons why bedtime reading is important for children:

  • Reading to your preschooler increases their reading ability and language skills later on. These are two skills that your child will need throughout their school years and beyond.
  • Reading to your child encourages a love of reading and learning new things because they will see it as fun and not just a requirement when they start school.

Sebastian helping Madelyn read a book

  • Allowing your preschooler to help turn the pages improves their motor skills.  My daughter has always loved turning the pages.  When she was younger, around 2, she went through a time when she would NOT let me turn the pages.. I guess turning the pages made her feel very special.
  • Reading the same books multiple times improves a child’s memory skills. Your child will remember what happened the last time you read the book to them. This will help them with memorization on tests and quizzes in school.
  • Reading stimulates a child’s imagination and curiosity. Your child will be interested in learning new things because of the stories they read. As your child encounters new situations and new environments in the stories, they will learn about things they may never experience on their own.
  • Reading improves a child’s attention span. Children are drawn into a story and want to know how it ends, which makes it easier for them to sit still longer and continuing reading. This will be beneficial when your child has to focus on a subject in school or study for a test.
  • Reading helps preschoolers bond with their parents. It becomes a special time that you spend together; It will create memories that will last.  This has proven to be true even with my 12-year-old son.  He still enjoys bedtime reading with my husband.

Tips for bedtime reading:

  • Have a set bedtime ritual and stick to it!  We have dinner, then bath time, brush teeth, then snuggle up in bed and read 3 or 4 stories.
  • Read to your child even when you are stressed or have other things you feel like you should be doing during that time.  I often find myself thinking that I could be emptying the dishwasher, answering emails, starting laundry, vacuuming the living room, or taking a shower, instead of reading to my daughter but for me it is a fact that reading to my 5-year-old calms me down just as much as it does her.  I benefit from the quiet, relaxing time just as much as she does and I get more done after she’s asleep since I’ve had a few minutes to relax and read.
  • Have an older sibling to read to their younger sibling every once in a while.  My 12-year-old son will occasionally read to my 5-year-old which is a miracle considering they usually don’t speak to each other as if they are related.  Once my 12-year-old gets into the book he’s reading to her, this time becomes fun, and reminds them (and me) that they can get along and learn from each other.
Reading to your child at bedtime will foster many positive behaviors for now and in the future. You will not have to struggle as much to get your child to study because they will love learning. Begin a bedtime reading ritual when your child is a baby and you will see the benefits when they are older!
What reading tips do you have to share with other parents?  Please share in the comments below.
Alicia Hagan, Editor

Summer Reading Activities – How to Keep Your Child’s Brain Active

Education,

Summer Reading tips for kids

Did you know that studies have shown that children fall three months behind in the learning progress they’ve made when they don’t do anything in the summer to keep up?  Scary, isn’t it?

It is so important to keep our children’s brains engaged over the summer months, so they don’t lose their place in academics. Staying academically active in the summer doesn’t have to be boring, though. There are a lot of creative ways to keep the wheels in your child’s brain rolling!

Here are a few ideas on ways to keep your child’s brain active during the summer vacation months:

Have a themed dinner night for family and friends

  • Pick a theme, like maybe the 1980’s or even superheros, and have everyone dress up according to your theme. Find coordinating foods for your theme to serve to everyone. And most importantly, have lots of books on hand about your theme.  Choose relatively short books so as to not bore your guests! After dinner, everyone can take turns reading all of the books together.

Summer Reading libraryHave a book swap party

  • A great way to bring new life to old books is to have a book swap party. Invite some friends to gather up old books they no longer want and bring them over. As everyone comes in, take their books and set them all up on a table so they are easy to browse. Have your guests gather and mingle in the living room, but, set the books up in the dining room. Once everyone has arrived, file into the dining room so that everyone can choose some new books to take home.

Children can get together with a small group of friends and write a storybook

  • They can do so in a round robin way, where each child writes some and then passes it to the next for their turn. Or they can collaborate as they go along. When they are finished writing the story, they can work on some illustrations. They might even have fun finding pictures in magazines to use for the illustrations. They can put it all together with some cardboard pieces for the book cover. They will probably need your help with that part, as it will be hard to cut. When it is all done, they can take turns keeping the book each weekend to show grandparents and whoever else they would like to show it off to.

Don’t forget your public library’s summer reading program

  • It is a great initiative to keep your kids interested in books. Children can usually choose their own books to read for the programs. It is not only fun for the child, but it really helps to keep their desire to read going strong. Most children who are always told exactly what to read see reading as nothing more than a chore. Library summer reading programs usually have prizes for certain numbers of books read and then grand prizes at the end of the program.  Many library reading programs for kids have a kick-off party and a party for when the program is over, too.

So many kids fall behind, just from the gaps that happen over the accumulated summers. It can be really hard to catch up when school starts back up in the fall and by the time the child reaches middle school, they may be several grades behind in reading alone. We don’t have to make kids’ summers all work and no play, but keeping their brains in operation is imperative for them to keep up in school.

Get Involved!

How do you keep your child interested in reading over the summer months?
Do you have any summer reading tips to share with us?
Tell us in the comments below.