BOSTON (WHDH) - When classes start up again, they bring homework and studying, but it can be difficult to pull kids away from the TV or tablet.
You can turn screen time into learning time, said Librarian Patty Lawley, who works with kids at the Boston Public Library.
“At this point in our lives, it’s almost impossible to avoid any screens,” Lawley said. “I think it’s learning how to engage in screens in a healthy way.”
Some A+ apps Lawley recommends checking out includes Mango, a tool for mastering foreign languages.
“They have it broken down into different lesson plans,” she said. “There’s vocabulary if you wanted something more focused. you can learn numbers, colors, basic words. It’s a great one that kids can use with their families. and they have dozens of languages as well.”
Vocabulary is a crucial component of reading and writing and is a big part of standardized testing like the MCAS and the SAT. Lawley recommends the Learning Express library, a test prep app designed for kids from kindergarten all the way through high school.
“This is content that has been researched and developed from an educational perspective,” Lawley said. “They’re fun, they’re creative and they have a learning component. They’re intentionally made.”
Want to get your kids reading more? You could draw on the Comics Plus app.
“These titles are on demand you don’t have to worry about them being checked out or being on a waitlist,” Lawley said. “There’s a lot of really great very popular series on here that I think a lot of kids would really enjoy reading.”
Lawley said instead of fighting technology, parents can learn to use it one tap at a time.
“We’re a technology based society, so I think no use is kind of hard because then they don’t get any exposure to it,” one mother told 7News. “But I think if you can utilize the tablet for educational purposes, then it’s a win-win.”
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