reading with kids

When I was a kid, I loved Reading Rainbow . The show promoted reading, and was right up there on my list of faves with Mister Rogers and Sesame Street. If you're not old enough to recognize two out of those three titles, please don't tel…

I am a serious Oz fanatic. As in, I read every one of the L. Frank Baum books as a child and now I'm introducing them to my girls. Not that there's anything wrong with MGM's technicolor version--should you be okay with the silver shoes b…

My kids, like many, fall into the "Quasimodo trance" as I call it when they are alone with my iPad and play mindless games. They sit, hunched over and when asked a question, simply respond with grunts and indiscernible noises. Not so whe…

Dick Bruna's Miffy has been a longtime favorite around here--you know, cute little bunny from Holland? X for a mouth? So of course my kids were happy to get to play with Miffy's brand new iPad app. Along the lines of Mo Willems' Pigeon A…

Board books are a staple in every new parents' library, even if we know that they end up mostly as chew toys. So I love that DADA Company came up with a virtual version of the board book that's equal parts interactive story, animated ill…

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, I've rounded up some of our favorite Dr. Seuss apps, from cool books to fun games, even a camera app that lets you turn your kids into the Cat in the Hat himself, you'll find a slew of great ways to celeb…

I (want) to know what some of the best apps (are) for a 4 year old. She's so interested in learning to read, yet I have no idea where to begin. I think she may have a bit of photographic memory, so it's hard to tell if she is actually re…

What parent among us has not relied on the genius of Dr. Seuss to keep our kids entertained with his wacky rhymes and memorable verses? When my kids were younger, I would literally walk around with sentences in my head like, "wet foot, d…

After my kids had mastered mama and dada , the next thing they started saying is When are we getting a dog? Since my three kids are so obsessed with friendly canines, it was a no-brainer that we'd check out a new app that stars man's (an…

There's nothing my kids like more than being read to at bedtime. Whether they're dog-eared or digital, calming, whispering affairs that encourage them to catch their forty winks are the usual go-tos, and Robot Blue From Planet 22 is no e…

You might be thinking, geez, what took him so long? when you first get wind of Mo Willems' delightful new interactive ebook, Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App . But after hearing him preempt that very question at a recent press lunch, I …

Admit it. When you read those Harold and The Purple Crayon books as a child, you longed to have a magical purple crayon just like his. Though the ideas I'd draw today ( a clean house! a remodeled kitchen! a pair of Camper boots in size 1…

iPad digital books are so common, my kids have become quite the critics. So I know that we had a hit on our hands when all three of my boys are fighting over one. We are definitely digging Brave Rooney which is absolute fun. Why? This st…

Just when I thought it wasn't possible to do something new and exciting to an alphabet app, I discover this amazingly creative ABC app that has my little kids mesmerized--and learning too. The VivaKids' ABC app for iPad features the crea…

When it comes to children reading, I tend to be a bit old-school and old-fashioned. Give them a book to hold. Turn the pages. Smell the paper. Snap it closed when you're finished. But with this shiny new iPad in my hands I'm having to re…

I'll be honest, I've always had a secret wish to write a children's book. But for now, I'll have to settle for simply living vicariously through the stories my children are creating on this cool new book-making app. With hardly any learn…

Whenever I open a new ebook on my iPad, I'm always on the lookout for what new cool things it can do with the the touchscreen technology. But I've just discovered a series of storybooks for the iPad that use technology to make reading an…

Jeremy Bernstein is a digital creative director at Deutsch Advertising in New York, so he's always up on the latest and coolest. He's also the father of two ridiculously cute kids. It's a common refrain in our home since we got an iPad a…

From the rumors we're hearing, it might not be long before our kids are toting a single e-reader to school in lieu of all those heavy textbooks. e-readers are changing the world, so it's not surprising that we get a ton of mail from Cool…

We're gearing up for our annual family vacation, and instead of loading down our bag with bunch of books for the plane ride and bedtime, I've been loading them up electronically on my iPad. But with so many different options out there, I…

If you're not familiar with Readeez , and you have a child who's starting to read, then you're in for a treat. This series of adorably-designed videos are paired with songs, poems and written words to help kids associate letters with the…

Raise your hand if Schoolhouse Rock is the reason you know the definition of a noun, and the preamble to the constitution. (Me!) I'm eagerly awaiting the day that one of the networks picks up the brilliant They Might Be Giants Video and …