Amazon’s brand-new Kindle for kids has built-in tools that help them learn and improve their reading skills
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AmazonParents looking for a way to entice their kids to read more have a new tool in their arsenal: Amazon has launched a Kindle for kids.
They've taken a couple of plays from their Fire Kids Edition Tablet playbook, but have also made some different choices. Unlike the tablet, the hardware in this Kindle is identical to the standard Kindle Amazon sells to adults.
It has a six-inch touchscreen, weeks worth of battery life, and enough storage space to hold thousands of books. Unlike the regular Kindle though, all Kids Edition Kindle's come with a free outer case and a two-year protection plan. This is the same "no questions asked" protection plan Amazon has bundled with the Fire Kids Edition. It should take a load off your mind if you're worried about your kid breaking their new toy, I mean, reading device, in the first week.
Making a Kindle for kids makes sense, because unlike a tablet, the only thing you can do with a Kindle is read. This cuts down on potential distractions. The weeks-long battery life is another benefit; I have enough trouble keeping my own devices alive, never mind relying on a kid to keep theirs charged.
Some of Kindle's built-in software can also encourage kids to begin reading more and more challenging material over time. The built-in dictionary is only a tap away, and any word a kid looks up is automatically added to a "vocabulary builder" for future reference. Many children's books have a feature built in called Word Wise, which puts easily understandable definitions near difficult words.
These tools, combined with Kindle's "FreeTime" parental controls, make the Kindle for Kids a compelling product for kids who want to be able to read all their favorite books wherever they go. Those same tools help the kid feel more self sufficient, by easily letting them look up words and build their vocabularies without any help. All in a device that can easily slip in a backpack or day bag.
If a kid in your life is already a voracious reader, this should be a no-brainer, but it could also be a useful tool for kids who struggle with traditional books. The fact that it's covered by a two-year warranty is icing on the cake.