BOSTON (WHDH) – When classes return to school, students bring their homework and studying with them, but it can be hard to get kids away from the TV and tablets.
Patty Rowley, a children's outreach librarian at the Boston Public Library, said screen time can be transformed into learning time.
“At this point in life, it's almost impossible to avoid screens,” Lawrie says. “I think it's about learning how to engage with them in a healthy way.”
Among the A+ apps Lawley recommends checking out are Mango, a tool for learning foreign languages;
“It's broken down into a variety of different lesson plans,” she says. “There's vocabulary if you want a more focused approach. You can learn numbers, colors, basic words. It's great for kids to use with their families. There are dozens of languages in it.”
Vocabulary is a key component of reading and writing and is a big part of standardized tests like MCAS and the SAT. Lowry recommends Learning Express Library, a test prep app designed for kids in kindergarten through high school.
“This is content that's been researched and developed from an educational perspective,” Lawrie said. “It's fun, it's creative, it's educational. It's done with intention.”
Want to get your kids reading more? They can also draw with the Comics Plus app.
“These titles are on demand, so you don't have to worry about them being out of stock or on a waiting list,” Lawrie says. “There are a lot of really great, very popular series here that I think a lot of kids will really enjoy reading.”
Rather than fighting the technology, Lawrie said parents can learn to use it one tap at a time.
“We're such a technology-based society, so it's kind of hard not to use them because kids don't have access to them,” one mother told 7News, “but if we can use tablets for educational purposes, I think it's a win-win.”
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