Reading is one of the most important skills that kids can develop, especially in today's digital world. Reading can help kids expand their vocabulary, improve their comprehension, stimulate their imagination, and foster their curiosity.
But how can parents encourage their kids to read more and enjoy it? One way is to use Google Play, which offers a variety of features, apps, and books that can help kids of all ages and levels improve their reading skills and have fun at the same time.
Use Reading Practice to Help New Readers
If your kids are just starting to read, they might need some guidance and support along the way. That's where Reading Practice comes in handy. Reading Practice is a new feature in Google Play Books that helps new readers independently improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills within thousands of children's ebooks.
With Reading Practice, your kids can:
- Track their reading position: They'll see the text highlighted as they read out loud, tracking where they are in the book and helping them focus on the next word.
- Hear a word: If they're stuck on how to pronounce a word, they can simply tap it to hear what it sounds like.
- Sound it out: With a quick tap, they'll also hear a word broken down by syllable.
- Hear a sentence: For even more context, new readers can listen to an entire sentence.
- Define a word: To learn more, they can tap to see or hear a child-friendly definition of a word.
- Set a new reading position: They can tap any word to update their position in the book and start tracking from there.
- Practice a challenging word: At the end of the page, they'll have the option to practice any words they skipped or mispronounced.
To use Reading Practice, you'll need to download the Google Play Books Android app or use Google Kids Space, which is a mode on select Android tablets that offers kid-friendly content and parental controls.
You can find thousands of English language books designated for younger readers that have Reading Practice enabled, indicated by a "Practice" badge on the book detail page. You can also use the "Reading practice" filter in Google Play Books to narrow down your store or library searches to ebooks that specifically offer Reading Practice.
Reading Practice is a great way to help your kids build their reading confidence and fluency, as well as learn new words and concepts. You can also use Family Link, which is an app that lets you manage your kids' privacy and time on their devices, to check on their reading progress and insights.
Use Reading Insights to Monitor Your Kids' Reading Habits
As your kids dive into those summer reads on Google Play Books and Google Kids Space, you might want to keep track of their picks and progress.
That's where Reading Insights come in handy. Reading Insights is a new feature in Family Link that lets you see what your kids have read recently, what they've read the most, how often they're reading, and how far along they are in a book.
To use Reading Insights, you'll need to download the Family Link app on your device and set up your kids' accounts on their devices. You'll also need to enable activity reporting for each kid's account. Then you'll be able to see their reading insights from the Family Link app or from your kid's device.
Reading Insights is a great way to stay involved in your kids' reading journey and encourage them to read more. You can also use Family Link to set screen time limits, approve or block apps, lock their devices remotely, and more.
Use Google Play Pass to Access Hundreds of Ad-Free Apps and Games
Sometimes keeping kids entertained gets pricey. By subscribing to Google Play Pass, you can get access to hundreds of ad-free apps and games at an affordable price. And some of these apps and games can also help your kids improve their reading skills and have fun at the same time.
Google Play Pass is a subscription service that costs $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year for an individual plan, or $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year for a family plan that supports up to six members. You can sign up for a free trial to test it out before you commit. You can also cancel anytime if you change your mind.
To use Google Play Pass, you'll need to download the Google Play Store app on your device and tap on the Play Pass tab. You'll see a list of apps and games that you can download and use without ads or in-app purchases. You can also browse by category, such as "For kids" or "Books & reference".
Some of the apps and games that can help your kids improve their reading skills and have fun at the same time are:
- Epic: Kids' Books & Reading: This is the world's largest digital library for kids, with over 40,000 books, audiobooks, videos, and quizzes. Your kids can read books from popular genres and series, such as Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Goosebumps, and more. They can also take quizzes to test their comprehension and earn badges and rewards.
- Dr. Seuss Treasury Kids Books: This is a collection of 55 classic Dr. Seuss books that your kids can read and enjoy. Your kids can listen to professional narration, tap words to hear them pronounced, and learn new vocabulary and rhymes. They can also record their own voice and share their readings with others.
- Rivet: Better Reading Practice For Kids: This is an app that offers over 3,500 free leveled books for kids of all ages and levels. Your kids can read books from various topics and categories, such as animals, science, sports, etc. They can also get personalized recommendations based on their interests and reading level. They can also use features like definitions, translations, text-to-speech, and feedback to improve their reading skills.
These are just some examples of the apps and games that you can access with Google Play Pass. You can find many more that can help your kids learn new skills, explore new topics, and have fun.
Use Google Play Points to Earn Rewards for Your Purchases
Another way to save money and get more value from Google Play is to use Google Play Points, which is a rewards program that offers points for purchases billed through Google Play. Points can be redeemed for discounts and special in-app items, or exchanged for Google Play Credit to purchase games, books, and other content from the Play Store.
To use Google Play Points, you'll need to join the program for free from the Google Play Store app on your device. You'll see a banner on the home screen or a menu item on the left side that says "Play Points". Just tap on it and follow the instructions to join.
Once you join, you'll start earning points for every purchase you make on Google Play, such as apps, games, books, movies, etc. You'll also earn points for downloading featured free apps and games every week. You'll earn more points as you level up in the program, from Bronze to Silver to Gold to Platinum.
You can use your points to redeem rewards from various categories, such as games, movies, books, etc. You can also use your points to support social causes by donating them to nonprofits like Doctors Without Borders USA or Save the Children.
Google Play Points is a great way to get more out of your purchases on Google Play and discover new content that you might enjoy.
Use Google Kids Space to Find Kid-Friendly Content
If you're looking for a way to find kid-friendly content on Google Play without having to worry about inappropriate or unsafe content, you might want to try Google Kids Space. Google Kids Space is a mode on select Android tablets that offers kid-friendly content and parental controls.
To use Google Kids Space, you'll need a compatible tablet that has the mode pre-installed or available for download from the Google Play Store. You'll also need to create a profile for each kid using Family Link. Then you'll be able to access Google Kids Space from the tablet's home screen or settings menu.
Google Kids Space offers four tabs of content for your kids: Home, Play, Read, and Watch. Each tab offers curated content from various sources that are suitable for kids of different ages and interests. You can also customize the content by adding or removing apps and books from your kid's profile.
Some of the content that Google Kids Space offers are:
- Home: This is where your kids can see their favorite apps and books, as well as recommendations based on their preferences. They can also see their avatar and change their wallpaper.
- Play: This is where your kids can find hundreds of free games that are fun and educational. They can also see their achievements and leaderboards.
- Read: This is where your kids can find thousands of free books that are engaging and informative. They can also use Reading Practice to improve their reading skills.
- Watch: This is where your kids can find videos from YouTube Kids that are entertaining and educational. They can also see their watch history and subscriptions.
Google Kids Space is a great way to give your kids access to quality content on Google Play without having to worry about what they might see or do.
Google Play is more than just a store for apps and games. It's also a platform that offers a variety of features, apps, and books that can help your kids improve their reading skills and have fun at the same time. Whether your kids are new readers or advanced readers, whether they want to read fiction or nonfiction, whether they want to play games or watch videos, Google Play has something for everyone.
We hope this article has helped you understand how to use Google Play to boost your kids' reading skills and make reading a habit for them. Reading is not only a skill, but also a joy, a passion, and a lifelong adventure. By using Google Play, you can help your kids discover the wonders of reading and unlock their full potential.