# Would you let your child have a Kindle?



## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

As a children's writer and a parent, I'm intrigued to find out whether other parents let their kids have a Kindle. And if so, at what age did you think it was okay to let them have one?


----------



## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Depends on how responsible they are. Though I don't have kids. I got my first ereader at 12-13, but EReaders costed more ten years ago


----------



## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Of course !!  

Chances are a Kindle will open the world of reading to a child faster than a stack of books.  Of course, a parent will need to teach that a Kindle is not a toy.


----------



## s0nicfreak (Jun 10, 2010)

Definitely. 

My youngest kid to get an ereader (okay not really an ereader, but an Android tablet with Kindle for Android, mostly for the purpose of reading ebooks in color) so far received one at 3. I think as soon as the child shows they are able to take care of an ereader they should receive one.


----------



## susanmerle (May 10, 2011)

When I got a new one, I gave my old one to my 14 year old son. He never uses it. He prefers books or just reading on the computer. I don't quite get it.


----------



## cork_dork_mom (Mar 24, 2011)

My 16 yr old reads news & such on his IPod but he did Kindle-jack me yesterday. I downloaded a bunch of free classics and since he's been reading "Alice in Wonderland" and wanted to read it on my Kindle. He loved it! I'm thinking I may get him one for Christmas.


----------



## Emily King (Jun 9, 2009)

My son (now 6) got my mom's old K2 last year when he was 5... I think it depends on the child, but mine treats his "gadgets" pretty well and takes good care of them.


----------



## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

Carl Ashmore said:


> As a children's writer and a parent, I'm intrigued to find out whether other parents let their kids have a Kindle. And if so, at what age did you think it was okay to let them have one?


Why do you ask? Are you concerned about kids going berserk and ordering $18,568 worth of books? Are you concerned they will read books of which you don't approve? Are you concerned that they can't master the use of a Kindle? Are you concerned they will promptly break the Kindle.

For me, I would have felt comfortable on all those counts from the time my kids were eleven on. Of course, that was back when we wrote on papyrus scrolls. On the other hand, my ex-wife as always terrified of the kids having uncontrolled access to books.


----------



## katy32 (Dec 20, 2010)

My son has his own "kindle"  its the vtech vreader, and he loves to read stories on it, he's 4.  I think I will pass on my old kindle to him when he starts to read chapter books.


----------



## Colette Duke (Mar 14, 2011)

It depends on the kid. My kid hasn't asked for one, but he uses the Kindle app on his iPod. He knows books/apps cost money, and he knows Mom and Dad can see everything he's bought, so he hasn't gotten into trouble with it. He's careful with his electronics, so we're not worried he'll break/lose it.


----------



## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

susanmerle said:


> When I got a new one, I gave my old one to my 14 year old son. He never uses it. He prefers books . . .


A child with a wonderful sense of aesthetics!

I would instantly buy a child a Kindle once they start enjoying reading. Kids really respond to the combination of reading and gadget.


----------



## Me and My Kindle (Oct 20, 2010)

I'm really jealous when I think of kids today who could have their own Kindle. If for no other reason, you'd always have someone to play Monopoly with -- your Kindle! (And you could also play Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Backgammon....)

Some games are even educational -- but the Kindle does something even more special. But I've always thought the best thing you could teach a child is how much natural ability they already have. The Kindle lets them explore reading in their own way -- with every single book at their fingertips. There's a whole new world of _words_ available to them, and that just seems like the kind of gift that could really make a difference in their lives.


----------



## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

Actually, that seems a very positive response. I thought there may be more negatives. Obviously, it was the content issue that many refer to when saying that there should be more regulation. My daughter is only 22 months so it's not an issue yet


----------



## Lyiar (Dec 3, 2010)

What age group are we talking about?  I'll give one to a teenager, preteen.  But a small child, no.  There is some great bonding to be had by flipping through pages together, looking at colorful pictures while cuddling and such.  I know there's already little ereaders by vtech and whatnot out there, but I think that's something I would want to keep the old fashion way. =P

But definitely to an older kid, yes.


----------



## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

I would say ten plus is okay. Definitely 12 plus


----------



## ashleygirardi (Apr 3, 2011)

It depends on the age and maturity of the child. My mother-in-law bought us an iPad 2 recently, ostensibly so my 6-year-old daughter could take advantage of all the "educational" programs available for it, including books. But, my kid doesn't want to read books on the tablet, she wants to play angry birds and doodle. It's gotten to the point where I let her have ten minutes of play time (between the iPad, Ds, Wii and television) for every half-hour she spends reading an actual book.

Call me old-fashioned but I don't think there's much wrong with younger children reading books the old fashioned away. She isn't ready for a dedicated e-reader. Not yet, anyway. Not to mention trusting a rather expensive peice of machinery to a child.

When the programming gets more sophisticated, as in there's a marked difference between reading a book on an ereader and a paper book ("enhanced" features and all that), maybe I'll reconsider. My daughter doesn't read fast enough to necessitate carrying around a hundred books at a time. Plus, I don't have to kvetch about the possibility of her losing a four dollar paperback.


----------



## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

My 13-year-old got one for Yule. She's not used it much but she just came wandering out of her room with that dazed teenager look on her face clutching it, so perhaps that's about to change...


----------



## labread (Jan 26, 2011)

ashleygirardi said:


> Call me old-fashioned but I don't think there's much wrong with younger children reading books the old fashioned away. She isn't ready for a dedicated e-reader. Not yet, anyway. Not to mention trusting a rather expensive peice of machinery to a child.


Call me old-fashioned and frugal. My kids read library books. I do have about 45 juvenile fiction books loaded onto my Kindle for when we take an extended vacation this summer. Travel is really the only time I would love for my children to have a Kindle, but this year they'll be able to share my husband's and mine.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

My son got the first K1 in our home.. he was 16.. which was no issue of course. If the Kindle had been out when he was five?  I would have gotten it for him then, and saved thousands of dollars in the ensuing years.


----------



## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

As others have said, it depends on the child's level of maturity & responsibility. I got my 16 yr old son his Kindle last year mainly because many of the books he had to read for school were cheaper (or free) when purchased for the Kindle, and I thought being able to carry digital copies of many of his favorite books in one small device would be great for the future. Right now, though he uses it mostly for school. Both of my kids are voracious readers, but tend to prefer hard backs & paperbacks for their personal reading at this point, as those can be more easily shared with other family members or their friends. My 13 yr old daughter prefers DTBs to the Kindle, even though she (and my son) both think the Kindle is a cool device.


----------



## wvpeach (Jul 12, 2010)

My kids are all grown.   Naturally all 3 have Kindles. 

  As for a small child folks can say it depends on the child, but I would have to disagree with that one. I'd say if you intend to allow a child under 8 to pack around any electronic, be it a tablet, ipad, cell phone or the Kindle you should be prepared to replace it often. To begin with, smaller children simply do not have the dexterity either mentally or physically to avoid dropping it, bumping it, or sitting on it. We all laugh when we see a Norman Rockwell painting of a youngster trying to carry a puppy as it slides from their arms. Cute. But all too true. Small children undoubtedly will end up breaking the device. 

  That said I do allow my four year old great nephew and one of my slightly older nieces to sit on the couch and read on the Kindle. When they are done they ask me to come get the Kindle to put it up. Or I will sit it on the table and turn on text to speech and let it read to them for awhile. But I do not let them pack the Kindle or my tablet around with them. 

  Thinking back to my own kids youth, I probably would have gotten them a Kindle of their own at about 11-13 years of age. By then they were old enough and coordinated enough to avoid the inevitable accidents that very young children have.


----------



## teralpar (May 18, 2010)

I also say that it depends on the maturity of the child, but I would say no younger than 7 or 8 years old. Had ebook readers been around 30 years ago when I was a child, I would have begged for one. Although I started reading at an early age (around 2 yrs old), I probably wouldn't have asked for a Kindle until around age 7, when I began to read chapter books for long periods of time. IMHO ebook readers are better for "chapter books," than picture books, so when a child is able to read those and is responsible enough to handle electronics without breaking then he or she would be ready.


----------



## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

I bought my daughter a sony pocket ereader (previous edition) when she was 9 (she is now 10).  She wanted an ereader but I wasn't willing to give her one that was attached to my credit card.  Once she is older and understands that "just because there is a credit card doesn't mean there is money" I plan on getting her a Kindle like the rest of the family.  The concept is starting to click in  so I expect it to be in a year or so.


----------



## grjag (Jun 18, 2009)

Both my boys received them for their birthday's this year (no more lugging tubs of books on vacation!)  My youngest is 10 and my oldest is 13.


----------



## Zai (Aug 2, 2010)

My 8 year old and 12 year old each have their own wifi Kindle. They love their kindles and never leave home without them. Both the kindles are in inexpensive but sturdy cases and skinned and they have remained in perfect condition since we bought them. I think kids and kindles are a great match as long as the ground rules are set. No book buying, (I do the buying once they ask me) and treat the kindles with a _great_ deal of care.

I think with the prices of ereaders dropping lower and the surge of publicity and interest in ebooks, a lot of kids will get ereaders. I just hope the childrens ebook selection improves a bit. YA books are widely available but titles for younger kids are a bit lacking.


----------



## julie sellers (May 6, 2011)

My daughter is going to be 10 next month and she is getting a Kindle for her birthday.  She uses the ap on her ipod now, but I personally find reading on such a tiny screen just plain irritating.  

We already have a rule that I will buy any book she will read.  She has to have read--cover to cover---the previous book and tell me about it before she can have another.  She has chosen some books I was surprised at, that's for sure, but she's read tons.  She loves non-fiction especially...and I write romance!  Go figure.  

She'd like a tablet, but i think she's still too young for that much internet access.  She has access on her ipod, but like reading, the screen is too small for her to get into too much trouble with it.


----------



## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

All 4 of the BRATs have Kindles.. My youngest is 8, the oldest is 16.


----------



## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Well, kids do deal with gadgets and electronics at earlier and younger years all the time.  I think it would depend on how responsible the child was and if you would have some control on the spending, etc.  I don't have kids, so I don't know all of the controls the Kindle has.  

Beyond that, I think they would love it.  I think it opens up whole new doors.  I also like that Amazon is trying to team up with some public libraries to allow for book lending via Kindle, which I think means kids can still visit libraries.  That's a good thing.


----------



## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

julie sellers said:


> "...We already have a rule that I will buy any book she will read. She has to have read--cover to cover---the previous book and tell me about it before she can have another..."


Well Done !!

Excellent "rule" and parenting !!


----------



## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I don't have kids, but bought my 10-year-old -- now 11 year old -- nephew one for Christmas. I just saw him last week and he's currently reading Flowers for Algernon.


----------



## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

My 14 year old has his own kindle and reads on it every day.  I just sent him a good amount of the current free stuff to give him some more things to read.  He's loving the indie books we find and is recommending them to friends as well.  He came to me today with his summer reading material for his class and asked if I could pretty please find them for the kindle cause he didn't want to read the actual book.  I just laughed!  and then downloaded the books.  

I have three younger kiddos too.  a 5 year old daughter and 6 year old twin boys.  They are very interested in my kindle and I've let the boys read on it for a little bit with supervision.  My daughter doesn't read yet, but is very interested in books.  She will flip through any book she can get her hands on.  We got her a tag reader for Christmas and she uses it almost daily.  

Right now, my goal is to get each kid a kindle when they are 9.  I might bump it up to 8 for the boys (and possibly 6 for baby girl depending on her reading skill, she shows the most interest).  They will be seven next month, and I don't think they are quite ready for their own right now.  With a kindle comes responsibility to take care of it.  They still haven't mastered taking care of their DS.  So, I will stick with my goal and evaluate as I see interest or growth.  But, definitely by 9.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

To me that's like asking would you let your child read a book. Of course. 

Age? Probably not before 8 but it depends upon the child just as most things do.


----------



## Lori Devoti (Oct 26, 2010)

Actually, I'm planning to buy my daughter an eReader this weekend! She is 12 and uses my Nook whenever she can. She broke her hand a couple of weeks ago and really prefers the Nook to a paper book right now. 
I haven't decided for sure though yet whether I will get her a Nook or a Kindle....
Lori


----------



## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

I've been debating getting our little one a Kindle for birthday or Christmas-- not because I think she can't handle it but because she isn't the must-read-or-die type that my older daughter is (and always has been) and the aesthetics of books (covers, especially) call to her.  Then the story keeps her.    She wants to read Hunger Games, though, so she'll borrow my Kindle to read that while I'm reading the eldest's copy of "Abraham Lincon, Vampire Hunter".


----------



## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I have young nephews, 6 and 7, and would let them have an eReader if they wanted one. They prefer printed books right now, but I'm sure that will change.


----------



## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

Absolutely.  I'll be getting my daughters Kindles as soon as they can read.  Probably a little bit before if I'm honest, I do tend to jump the gun on this kind of thing.  Hopefully Amazon will have some sturdier, more 'fun' kids' versions by then, but even if they haven't ...


----------



## laurie_lu (May 10, 2010)

Since I've upgraded from a K2 to a K3, I told my 11 y.o. daughter she can use my old K2 whenever she wants.  So far she hasn't read anything on it.  In fact she's never read on it since I've owned my K2 a year ago.  She prefers a real book.


----------



## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I'd be reluctant to. They are expensive and fragile, and kids lose things. The ability to disable purchasing on the Kindle would make me more inclined to allow use of the Kindle.


----------



## radiantmeg (Feb 13, 2009)

I have!  My 6 year old has my old k1.  She has been reading chapter books for about a year now and loves her kindle.  We have rules about using it and taking care of it.


----------



## PMCrawford (May 9, 2011)

So obviously I'm far off from having to make this decision, but I'm almost leaning toward... _no._

I loved the way that I grew up reading paper books, hardcover, paperback, new, from the used bookstore. I definitely think reading from a paper book makes reading more memorable and more of a special experience. When I remember the actual process of reading from books in Kindle, I remember enjoying the books, but there's something just a little more alien about reading from a Kindle.

I never want to be a parent who pushes anything on a child, but I still think that nudging them in a direction that's (virtually) inarguably positive isn't a bad thing. I would want reading to become a special experience, not just another part of the whole new wave of technology of the future. So I think I would start them off on regular books, and maybe a Kindle could be a treat in the future -- once reading has already been established as a treat itself.


----------



## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

PMCrawford said:


> I definitely think reading from a paper book makes reading more memorable and more of a special experience.


Absolutely.

There is nothing "dead" in a physical book.


----------



## Xopher (May 14, 2009)

With how gadget-oriented kids are these days, having a Kindle would probably always be accepted, and would help promote reading. 

When parents are concerned about content, the easiest thing to do is register the Kindle, purchase books with them (parent and child present), then deregister. That way, parents can control content, children can read.

If you are confident in your child's reading and their judgement of content, you can always add them to your own account (trusting them with your credit card), or set them up with their own account (no credit card attached) and add gift credits so they can purchase their own books.

It would be nice if there were parental controls that could be activated, but since there aren't there are ways to work around that and still watch over what books they access.


----------



## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I know that I am reading more books now than I ever had before.  Having the Kindle has re-sparked my love of reading.  I would hope that giving a child a Kindle would do something similar to them.  Maybe it would make reading more fun for them.


----------



## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

My 10-year old son has a Kindle.


----------



## davmillh (Mar 31, 2011)

My child is 8 and doesn't like to read much yet. If he would read more via a Kindle, I'm all for it. May get him one for his birthday soon and find out.


----------



## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

And does he use it a lot, Guido?


----------



## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

So I went ahead a got my 10 year old daughter one of the SO Kindles.  She hasn't had much time for reading with all the end of the school year activities going on right now but I told her if she downloaded a book (either through the archives or the store) without my permission the Kindle would be gone and she would never get another one.  We will see what happens


----------



## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

My 3 youngest have all read books on my Kindle (ages 8-14). The oldest (almost 16) hasn't yet, but I imagine it's just a matter of time. 

The only reason I haven't bought them their own devices is that they'd ALL insist on getting one--I can't buy a Kindle for one child and not the other 3, or they'd flip out. Maybe I can get one just for the kids, but they'd fight over it, I just know it.


----------



## GreenThumb (Mar 29, 2009)

I gave my daughters my old K2 when I bought my K3.  The loved it and fought over it, and then stepped on it when one of them left it on the floor by her bed.  Gah!  After that, I got them both Literati's for $32 when they were on clearance at Bed, Bath & Beyond.  The oldest reads both paper books and e-books.  The youngest reads all e-books, because she is horribly far-sighted and can make the text big enough to see.  Before e-books, she was restricted to large-type stuff, or she got a headache.  Unable to find many things with large words, she didn't read much.  She is now a voracious reader, and I couldn't be more thrilled.


----------



## @Suzanna (Mar 14, 2011)

Of course! I have 8 year old twins and they both have their own ereader. When I got my original Kobo (they were 7 at the time) they were salivating over it. When Kobo released a wifi model, DH and I upgraded and gave the girls our original Kobos. They read on them all the time and love their ereaders.


----------



## MelissaMC (Jan 29, 2011)

My 8-year old loves to read (he reads several grade levels ahead) and recently discovered my kindle. I let him read a few things on it and will probably let him use it on our road trip this summer. But for now it won't replace books because much of what he reads is cheaper at Half Price Books than it is on kindle. So while he's enjoying some things on it, he won't use it exclusively. 

I used a grant at school to buy some kindles for my 7th grade English classroom, and I broke them out today with two kids as an experiment. They LOVED using them, so I am excited about where this program might go.


----------



## Tess St John (Feb 1, 2011)

I have a junior in college and a junior in high school, but neither want a kindle. I think it would be much easier to carry around than textbooks! But I'm sure some of the textbooks aren't available on kindle.

If things hold true from their love of books through the years, my daughter will have one as soon as she learns how awesome and easy it is to get books, and my son will put a kindle app on his phone!


----------



## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

Why wouldn't they want a Kindle, Tess? Have they said.


----------



## Tess St John (Feb 1, 2011)

Carl, they both mentioned they wouldn't know how to highlight text for notes on a kindle (and I'm not sure the kindle can do that either...I haven't tried). BUT my daughter's been home from college a few days now and couldn't find a book she wanted at the bookstore, so she came home and downloaded a kindle to her pc...she loved the convenience!!


----------



## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

It's very likely they will have some device to read on. Considering my husband and I both have Kindles (I have Kindle 3 envy since he got his more recently). I also have a Pandigital which I got to read library books on. Also have a iphone and plan to get an ipad. Even if I didn't want them to read on them, I'm not certain I could stop them. Likely they'll get a second hand one to start with.  Really though, I'm all for anything to help my kids read.


----------



## India Drummond (Nov 1, 2010)

I keep trying to get my 16 year old interested in a Kindle, but so far, he doesn't seem to want one. He's very much a reader, so this surprises me, but I'd definitely let him have one if he wanted one.


----------



## Tails (Apr 28, 2011)

ashleygirardi said:


> It depends on the age and maturity of the child. My mother-in-law bought us an iPad 2 recently, ostensibly so my 6-year-old daughter could take advantage of all the "educational" programs available for it, including books. But, my kid doesn't want to read books on the tablet, she wants to play angry birds and doodle. It's gotten to the point where I let her have ten minutes of play time (between the iPad, Ds, Wii and television) for every half-hour she spends reading an actual book.
> 
> Call me old-fashioned but I don't think there's much wrong with younger children reading books the old fashioned away. She isn't ready for a dedicated e-reader. Not yet, anyway. Not to mention trusting a rather expensive peice of machinery to a child.
> 
> When the programming gets more sophisticated, as in there's a marked difference between reading a book on an ereader and a paper book ("enhanced" features and all that), maybe I'll reconsider. My daughter doesn't read fast enough to necessitate carrying around a hundred books at a time. Plus, I don't have to kvetch about the possibility of her losing a four dollar paperback.


+1 (though I havent been through the whole thread yet so I might have more to add )


----------



## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

Add away  It's an interesting topic. Personally, I wouldn't want my daughter to have a Kindle until she was leat nine


----------



## kittiecat412 (May 28, 2011)

Each of my boys (13 and 16) has a 2nd gen Kindle.  The 16 year old uses his ALL the time; the 13 year old, not so much.  I'm so jealous that they get to grow up with a Kindle -- they are used to being able to get a book immediately.  No waiting for mom or dad to take them to the mall.  We do all share one account (under my name) and they don't know the password.


----------



## dsm_180 (May 28, 2011)

I don't think there's a concrete answer to this question...it really depends on the individual child. Over here in New England, public schools in Maine and Massachusetts are proposing to buy iPads for kindergarteners (I know, not quite Kindles but sort of the same idea...). The community seems split on the issue, with some claiming its the learning tool of the future and others saying that its a ridiculous waste of money. I lean towards the latter group. Kindergarten seems like a pretty young age to outfit every single kid on the block with an iPad (or Kindle). At the same time, I could imagine certain kids in certain households benefitting from it.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383362,00.asp
http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/ipads-for-kindergarteners-20110524

David Meyer - Guerilla Explorer, Aspiring Thriller Author


----------



## luvmykindle3 (Dec 5, 2010)

I guess it would depend on the age of the child. I can see the benefit. As a reading teacher, I encourage kids to read more. When my kids ask me to buy them a book, I don't hesitate. I am just thrilled they want to read something...most kids don't like reading at all. My 13 yr old daughter uses my sony ereader when there's a book she wants and the bookstore doesn't have it in stock. Initially she said she liked paper books better, but more and more she is using one of my ereaders. My 18 yr old son prefers paper books, on the rare occasions that he reads.

We use the Nook color at my school for middle schoolers, they like reading on it. A couple of the students have asked the price, because they want to see if their parents will get them an ereader. The children's books on the nook color are great too. 

My only issue with the kindle for younger kids is that it's so light and thin, I worry about them dropping or breaking it, but a nice cover migh solve that problem.


----------



## Miss Moneypenny (Aug 7, 2010)

Both my kids have e-readers. The older is in college and specifically asked for a Kindle for Christmas (happy to fulfill that request!) and the younger is in high school and has a Sony e-reader. She recently inherited my K2i. Happily. It's easier for her to download books she needs for her AP lit class instantly from Amazon than get them anywhere else.


----------



## celtia (Apr 18, 2011)

I can't wait for the day my 6yo daughter asks for a Kindle!  She's a voracious reader - she brings 3-4 easy chapter books to school every day and often gets through 2+ (they only take her 30 minutes to read - she can read harder stuff, but she doesn't want to).  When we went on vacation a couple months ago, we filled half a suitcase just with her books.  I contemplated letting her use my Kindle, but then what would I read??  She's well beyond picture books, so e-ink is perfect.

I don't worry about the durability - I would invest in a good case and hold her to the same standards we always have for electronics.  I would probably go for a used one too - less investment!

I would love to see Amazon come out with a child Kindle (Chindle? Kiddle?) with a silicone frame and some sort of security built in.  I wouldn't expect a lower price - if anything, a bit more would be justified, both to add durability for falls and also for a more robust keyboard (kids do love games after all).  I really think the library lending will be a major boon for the child market - who wants to buy 200 books every time a kid increases in reading level?

My real concern is Scholastic - they don't sell ebooks yet (except for their computer-based reader program), and I love knowing that each of my orders puts a new book in my child's classroom.  I actually wrote them an email requesting that they start planning for ebook releases.

So, as far as age goes, I think there are too many factors to say "no younger than x".  How many books a child reads, how mature they are, how they treat their other devices, who else in the house has an ereader...  Another major factor for us is our tiny, tiny house.  We simply don't have rrom for all the book shelves we're going to need!  Kindle to the rescue!


----------



## Tess St John (Feb 1, 2011)

I wish they'd had kindles when my daughter was young...I spent mucho dollar on books for her! She read...and still reads...so much. I'm hoping she asks for one for Christmas. I would do anything for my son to pick up a book!


----------



## MichelleStimpson (May 29, 2011)

My kids (teen) don't want kindles which, of course, makes me sad. I just hope that in the next few years, the colleges will get with it and put all their books on Kindle so maybe it'll be a little cheaper when they buy books.


----------



## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

dsm_180 said:


> I don't think there's a concrete answer to this question...it really depends on the individual child. Over here in New England, public schools in Maine and Massachusetts are proposing to buy iPads for kindergarteners (I know, not quite Kindles but sort of the same idea...). The community seems split on the issue, with some claiming its the learning tool of the future and others saying that its a ridiculous waste of money. I lean towards the latter group. Kindergarten seems like a pretty young age to outfit every single kid on the block with an iPad (or Kindle). At the same time, I could imagine certain kids in certain households benefitting from it.
> 
> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383362,00.asp
> http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/ipads-for-kindergarteners-20110524
> ...


Wow that is so interesting! My husband is actually working a little more this summer in order to buy an ipad for our daughter. She's autistic and there are a lot of very useful tools (in app. form) that are great for autistic kids. Actually several of the parents I've read say that the ipad and apps are better than some of the $7,000 products except not at bulky or break resistant. I think if anything that it might be good to have a few tablets available in the class room. I think it's a great learning tool even for normal kids. Some of these educational games are really fantastic.


----------



## claytondb (May 4, 2011)

I would just because of how much it has helped me to read instead of doing other things.  I hate reading on the computer and reading regular books gets old really fast.  I find that I can read a book on my kindle for hours and hours without getting as tired as I do reading a normal book (don't as me why).  I'm a little worried about the internet browser, because I wouldn't want my kid using it without some kind of web filter.  Not that I have kids yet, but I don't want them getting addicted to pornography.


----------



## dsm_180 (May 28, 2011)

fayrlite said:


> Wow that is so interesting! My husband is actually working a little more this summer in order to buy an ipad for our daughter. She's autistic and there are a lot of very useful tools (in app. form) that are great for autistic kids. Actually several of the parents I've read say that the ipad and apps are better than some of the $7,000 products except not at bulky or break resistant. I think if anything that it might be good to have a few tablets available in the class room. I think it's a great learning tool even for normal kids. Some of these educational games are really fantastic.


Hey Fayrlite,

Thanks for sharing...that's very interesting! I never thought about it being used for an autistic child. I'd be curious to know how it works out for your daughter. Overall, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few iPads or Kindles or other such devices in kindergarten classes soon, but the idea of buying one for every kid in town struck me as being a little crazy. By the time, they reach first grade, they'll already need upgrades


----------



## Dolorous Edd Tollett (May 29, 2011)

Small kids need to see and feel the pages, especially with picture books. Once they are competent readers and responsible then it is a great idea.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

As you can see, folks have different ideas about what age is appropriate. However, this depends on the particular child. We got K3's for two of our grand kids last Christmas. My grandson,an avid reader, was in the 2nd grade, but he started reading before kindergarten. My grand daughter is in the 4th grade and loves to read. Both are responsible enough to take care of the K3's, but their moms each have Kindles also and watch out for their kids'. We'll see how the other grand kids do with reading as they get older. I believe that they will learn more from reading than looking at pics so we opted for ereaders rather than ipads.


----------



## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

dsm_180 said:


> Hey Fayrlite,
> 
> Thanks for sharing...that's very interesting! I never thought about it being used for an autistic child. I'd be curious to know how it works out for your daughter. Overall, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few iPads or Kindles or other such devices in kindergarten classes soon, but the idea of buying one for every kid in town struck me as being a little crazy. By the time, they reach first grade, they'll already need upgrades


Well a number of the apps are very similar to the ones I've been testing on my new iPhone and I can say that I can see how they would be really useful in larger form. For someone like my daughter there are several uses. First is communication. Because of the nature of her disabilities, she hasn't been able to learn all the vocab she needs to communicate her needs. With several of the apps she is able to build sentences and pick words from pictures, if that make sense. Of course there are about a million different other uses but this is the main one.

I was thinking about those exact issues while I was writing on my blog tonight. It seems like such a large expense when so many schools are making cuts. Of course I also see from the special ed. side of things and know that when cuts are made, kids with special needs suffer the most since services are already hard to come by. We just happen to be on the lucky side of things. I like the Boston idea about parents buying the iPads over a period of time but there is also the problem of those who can't afford it. Just too much hanging in the air on this. It will be interesting to follow the stats on this.


----------



## Nebula7 (Apr 21, 2011)

Sure my kids, when old enough, will get ereaders. It's just like anything else - I will have full control over content. When they are out of the house and on their own they can read whatever they want. Hopefully they'll still be on my account and enjoy my selection for free.


----------



## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

I would have given myself an ereader back when I was 8 or 10 or so. If only for the fact that I would take out more books than I could carry every week and still finish them before we would go to the library the week after... Well, an ereader with the library borrowing option anyway 
Imagine holidays for 2 weeks... that was real hell, I would start reading my mums magazines when I got through my books...


----------



## Jenni (Feb 20, 2011)

If your kids have an iPod they already have an ereader as they can access iBooks from the iPod.

I had to chuckle at this question only because I battled my kids about cell phones for years, especially mt youngest child. We wouldn't let him have one until he turned 12 (he is 14) now. I just didn't see the point, but he's had an iPod since he was 8 and I wouldn't think twice about getting any of my kids reading devices if they wanted one. My daughter who is 20 borrowed my Kindle to go to China with. She loved it. Of course, all three of my kids want an iPad or somekind of tablet over a Kindle.


----------



## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

JenniHolbrook-Talty said:


> If your kids have an iPod they already have an ereader as they can access iBooks from the iPod.
> 
> I had to chuckle at this question only because I battled my kids about cell phones for years, especially mt youngest child. We wouldn't let him have one until he turned 12 (he is 14) now. I just didn't see the point, but he's had an iPod since he was 8 and I wouldn't think twice about getting any of my kids reading devices if they wanted one. My daughter who is 20 borrowed my Kindle to go to China with. She loved it. Of course, all three of my kids want an iPad or somekind of tablet over a Kindle.


I didn't have a mobile phone till I was 16 and even then I shared it with my mum for about 2 years... I've got 2 now and they run out of batteries before I use them to make calls to send texts... I don't use em often...


----------



## Jenni (Feb 20, 2011)

kiazishiru said:


> I didn't have a mobile phone till I was 16 and even then I shared it with my mum for about 2 years... I've got 2 now and they run out of batteries before I use them to make calls to send texts... I don't use em often...


I didn't have a cell phone until I was 35!


----------



## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

My 9 year old loves her K3. She'd read us out of house and home without it. She treats her kindle with great care and reads an astonishing array of books.


----------



## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

Ha Kiaz. I still get confused with mine


----------

