Frugal | Read to Your Child 15 Minutes a Day

Read to Your Child 15 Minutes a Day

Posted by Lynnae on February 20, 2008

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Child reading on computer

Reading books on the computer can be a good option for children who don’t like to read traditional books.

The following is a guest post by Annie Williams.

Is This Worthy Goal Strangling Your Frugal Budget?

Let’s face it. Those public service announcements about the importance of reading to our kids can be as guilt-inducing as they are productive – we’re on a tight budget. And time…

Many frugal parents rely on the library for a constant stream of new works to excite their child’s imagination and offer learning lessons. But what if the library isn’t convenient or you just plain ran out of time to stop there?

Let’s address time first. Reading with your child should be a fun, bonding experience. Hard to do when that ‘to-do’ list is clawing at your psyche and the kids are writing their names in dust. I found this great Speed Cleaning Guide, The 19-Minute Method to a Clean House, courtesy of REAL SIMPLE. We’re not talking white-glove clean here, but it’s enough to shove that “to-do” to the back of the line so you can read with the kids.

So, now you’re ready to bond. You pull out their favorite book, looking forward to curling up with your kids and… What? They’re tired of hearing the same ol’ story? They want something NEW? Eee gads! Now what?

Frugal Fiction has your solution. Your child can “turn” the pages with a click of the mouse in our amazing 3D e-book technology as you preview the book. Are they engrossed in the story? Laughing? Asking questions? Pointing at the pictures? No? Then, choose another book. No “trip to the store, stand in the customer service line, where’s your receipt” hassles necessary. After all, frugal parents are also frugal about their time.

Not that we think that’s likely. Our Aspiring Authors offer wonderful stories sure to engage and delight your child. After the preview, download the book in minutes for only $3.99, a purchase that saves not only time and money, but your Mom or Dad reputation as well.

Visit Frugal Fiction now and see how fun, and frugal, e-reading can be. We’re sure you’ll remember us the next time you need a new story!

PS: We have fabulous novels for Moms and Dads, too. After all, the cleaning’s done.

Annie Williams is an Aspiring Author who found the road to publication a bit rocky; sixty-seven rejection letters rocky, in fact. However, unlike many writers, she refused to be deterred - she started Frugal Fiction.
 
Annie transforms Submissions into amazing 3D page-turning e-books and provides the Author with a web page at no charge. The caveat? Authors must agree to sell their work for just $3.99. Why? 

"Pursuing my love of writing forced me to learn about frugal living. Gone are the days when I’d pick up four or five books and devour them in a few days. Now, that’s grocery money for a week or two. I wanted to offer a platform for other Aspiring Authors, but felt that opportunity should bring a benefit to readers as well - E-ffordability I call it. I think it’s a win-win. Authors have a chance to build their brand until "the big contract" comes along, and Readers can discover new voices, try different genres, and read voraciously without taking out a second mortgage."

Photo by andrew_stawarz.

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Comments

9 Responses to “Read to Your Child 15 Minutes a Day”

  1. Blossomteacher on February 20th, 2008 4:45 am

    This site looks like a wonderful supplement and something novel, but nothing replaces the tactile experience that reading with a child is! Putting a child in your lap, teaching them how to turn the pages carefully, and letting them have access to their favorite books at any time are all so important to early literacy. That being said, I could totally see using this site in my kindergarten classroom when there are more titles available :)

  2. Lynnae on February 20th, 2008 5:07 am
    @Blossomteacher - I completely agree with you. However, I could also see this site as being useful for a child who loves the computer, but hates to read. I really think it would have helped my son a couple of years ago.

    I think it could also be a great supplement to reading a paper book. It’s definitely better than some of the computer games out there. :)

  3. Ron@TheWisdomJournal on February 20th, 2008 5:16 am

    My wife and I have read to our kids from the time they were able to sit up. We always made it a priority. I’ve read the complete Chronicles of Narnia twice, one chapter at a time, right after dinner. They loved it. We’ve read all sorts of novels and stories to them and today, I have three kids who love to read. We come home from church on Sunday afternoons and, if the weather’s yucky, all three will go to their rooms and read.

    Where you notice it, is in their vocabulary and choice of words. It will blow your mind how much they pick up and understand.

  4. Sean on February 20th, 2008 5:25 am

    I can see where this would be to an advantage for a child who does not like to read a normal book. Thankfully our daughter loves to read anything that she can get her hands on.

    One thing that we have done in the past is buy books from Ebay in bulk. Usually there are around 30-40 books per purchase (sold by the pound), and out of those 10-15 that she enjoys. It ends up averaging around a dollar a book, and the rest gives us a chance to donate to charity.

  5. LJ on February 20th, 2008 9:03 am

    This looks like a great supplement to paper books. I think it is a better idea than regular computer games, although I do like to educational computer games, sometimes they hold the kids’ attention better.

    I read to my kids daily and they love it, they also (when they can) point out words they can read, words that are funny or too hard to pronounce and I think that makes it more fun, when they are interacting with YOU, not a computer.

    Thanks for sharing, it is something worth checking out, especially if your kids are bored with their books.

    Take Care

    LJ

  6. Jesse on February 20th, 2008 11:02 am

    I like it. I think thats a great alternative to what a lot of people do: plop their kids down in front of the TV to watch cartoons that teach them nothing.

  7. Shari on February 20th, 2008 3:47 pm

    I think my girls are a little young for the books here, but it’s a “novel” idea :-D We actually buy nearly all of our books from thrift stores and garage sales, most of the rest are hand-me-downs.

  8. Annie on February 21st, 2008 4:37 am

    Lynnae, I really appreciate the opportunity to guest post. Your readers came out in droves to the site. Thanks to all who’ve read the blog, commented, and/or visited my site.

    Kids today are so computer literate, or will have to be, that a reading e-solution seemed ideal to me. But, whether it’s an e-book from Frugal Fiction or one handed down thru generations, our most important task is to prove Steve Jobs wrong: People do read.

    Best Regards,

    Annie

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