3 Fantastic Reading Apps that Integrate Screen Time With Learning Time

It's often a struggle for kids and parents to strike a nice balance between screen time and learning time. Okay, a struggle is putting it lightly. It's more like a battle, war, or holy crusade even! Regardless of personality, disposition, or intelligence level, kids want their screen time. Conversely, parents want their kids to be active, independent, and spend time reading or learning

Our advice: Stop the insanity, declare peace, and integrate screen time with learning instead. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones can actually be used for far more than just Angry Birds, YouTube, and Facebook. In fact, you can make excellent use of any of these devices to help your child cultivate a potentially lifelong love of reading.

These devices are actually great tools in this learning endeavor. Apple's App Store and the Google Marketplace are loaded with opportunities to encourage this task. Here are three of the best reading apps available for kids:

  • Learn with Homer: Reading and Educational GamesD'oh! No, not that Homer. It's actually an app from a company called HomerLearning, Inc., and it's drawn rave reviews from such noteworthy critics as the New York Times as well as many parents. The website boasts that just ten minutes a day can result in increased confidence and academic success. It's designed for kids from pre-k to first grade, and contains literally (pardon the pun) hundreds of hours of lessons designed specifically by literacy experts.

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Digital Parenting: Best Apps for Homework Help

In today's world, if it isn't digital, it isn't going to last. We live in a high-tech, fast paced world where everyone is trying to make normal day-to-day tasks more convenient and less stressful. With children as young as six playing with iPhones, iPads and other electronic devices, companies are coming out with new and improved ways to manage your life by utilizing your gadgets!

As a digital parent, don't punish your child for spending too much time on electronic devices -- instead, take advantage of these products by urging connected kids to start using apps that help them with their homework and can increase their grades! App developers have been hard at work over the past decade trying to keep up with the constantly changing technology market. Every day, new applications are released for electronic devices that are designed to simplify your life and help you prioritize what matters. Connected kids who are hooked to their electronics can start to use their devices to help with school and homework- transforming their phone or tablet into a portable tutor and making digtial parenting easier.

Apps designed to help connected kids with their homework are becoming popular across all platforms. These apps are typically subject specific and are a great way for your child to learn outside of the classroom. Admit it parents. Sometimes, we don't have all the answers! With homework help apps, students can take their education more seriously and benefit from a wealth of knowledge- all at their fingertips.

Best Apps for Homework Help

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BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) School Policy

Does your child bring a handheld device to school to access the Internet? Many kids aren't supposed to but do anyway, texting under their desk in Algebra and streaming music (with earbuds, of course) in study hall. But some schools are instructing, encouraging, and even begging their kids to bring out their devices and use them during school hours.

I recently caught up with an old friend, and between her three kids and my four, we certainly had a lot of back-to-school info to share with each other. Her daughter's school has a “bring your own device” policy this year. In short, there may not always be enough school computers for all kids all the time, so students are encouraged to bring their own devices to use at school.

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We are pleased to announce that Bark will be taking over where we leave off. The uKnowKids mission to protect digital kids will live on with Bark. Our team will be working closely with Bark’s team in the future, so that we can continue making the digital world a safer, better place for kids and their families. While we are disappointed we could not complete this mission independently, we are also pleased to hand the uKnowKids baton to Bark.
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