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Some key features that WE enjoyed from the VTech Storio are:
It is an animated storyteller - Children can listen to voices and enjoy graphics and music. Liberty is a big Dora fan and really enjoyed the Dora story. She loved seeing her favourite characters on her own computer.
It is a touch and read system - There are two options available for children, they can touch the screen either with the provided pen or finger or simply listen to the story. My children LOVE that is has a touch screen feature and after spending some time on it have easily become familiar with what to click on to take them to more fun features.
It teaches core reading skills - The VTech Storio helps to teach children comprehension, phonics and word building skills. They are also able to learn the meaning of key words through a child-friendly dictionary. For Liberty's age group (4) some of the reading features are a little past her age, such as understanding the rhyming of words, but for my older children they loved it and were easily able to complete the tasks.
It encourages art and writing skills - Extra features included are interactive writing and studio art programs. These programs help them to practice writing letters and become more familiar with colours and drawing. A favourite feature for my children is the playroom section where they love to spend time colouring and adding items to their own art studio.
It allows you to make it personal - The VTech Storio comes with the feature of including a SD card reader so that you can upload personal photo's, video's and art. Allowing your child to feel that it really is their own computer and contains their favourite pictures and drawings.
It has a progress log - You can connect your VTech Storio to your home computer and log into the Learning Lodge Navigator to keep track of the progress of your children as they play and explore the variety of educational games and lessons that come with the Cartridge Library games you own. One feature that I enjoyed was being able to see how Liberty has progressed and that I could even add extra children to the progress log.
It grows with your child - The interactive animated storybook cartridge library has a variety of choices available to choose from and you can purchase additional stories that are your children's favourite's. Some choices available are Disney Toy Story 3, Scooby Doo and Disney Rapunzel. As they grow older they can be involved in selecting what stories they would enjoy reading and learning more about.
Overall, my children are really happy with the VTech Storio. They love that it is just the right size to hold in their hands and fun to play with. Even though it is mainly targeted for 3-7 years old children, my 8 year old daughter is currently obsessed with it. I keep finding it hidden under her bed!
I love that it is sturdy and even the right size to fit in my handbag to take out to keep Liberty entertained when I need to. Teaching my children to read is a real priority to me as a mother and having a product that helps to promote literacy in our home is a wonderful addition to the other activities we participate in to encourage reading and learning. It would also make a great Christmas gift and would entertain them all of Christmas Day!
Now that you are up to date on how awesome the VTech Storio is, I am excited to announce that we have one VTech Storio available to giveaway to a lucky Seven Cherubs reader. Open to Aussie residents only and entries close November 30th. Check out the conditions of entry HERE. To enter to win leave a comment below and tell me:
What do you do to encourage your children to learn to read???
I'm trying to get my kids to learn the golden words for school. I have laminated them and put one at a time on the fridge and encourage them to look at it each time they open it. We talk about it and I read it and get them to repeat it. I hope something sinks in.
ReplyDeleteI think the best way to encourage them to read is to do lots of reading to them, with them and around them! Was it Mem Fox who suggested 3 books a day every day!? Doing so means that by the time a child is 5 and about to go to school they have been read in excess of 5000 books!
ReplyDeleteEncouragement comes from watching mum or dad reading. Making bedtime fun with stories and pictures and parents doing alot of animation!!! My children love reading because its always FUN and interactive.
ReplyDeletemy daughter loves to read and read to..she has her 9month old sister now she reads to her too its so cute but we have a like a 30 min reading moment each day after lunch at home where we pick out the best word from the story she reads and explain what it means.
ReplyDeleteMiss 3 loves to read and be read to, I really don't need to encourage it at all, but I guess it comes from leading by example from day one, my mother is a librarian and so a love of books runs in the family and is something we all feel strongly about passing onto the children too. Hubby and I read at least one book each to her before bed, as well as countless books throughout the day, and she can often be found snuggled up somewhere 'reading' to herself.
ReplyDeleteI too have laminated the golden words that my son uses at school and I practise these with my 4 year old. Usually only 1 or 2 words a week until in sinks in then move to the next ones. We also print out these words that we are using for the week and stick them on the fridge and hallway door so they are always noticing them.
ReplyDeleteTo encourage my girls to read, I always include a book that they would be interested in, with their birthday or Christmas gifts.
ReplyDeleteamanda-collins@live.com.au
we always read stories before they go to bed, helps relax them for a good nights sleep, and reading the same book often encourages them to remember the story, then they think they are reading it too!
ReplyDeleteMy girls are 2 and almost 4 so we read to them everyday and write their name on the whiteboard so they can recognise it.
ReplyDeleteReading is a big thing in our house,we have a library full of books,lol and being surrounded by family that are either teachers or librarians means that chrissy and birthday gifts are mostly books.We encourage reading in the early years by reading to our kids and having labels on EVERYTHING.We also encourage reading games like 'reading eggs' etc.The older kids I usually get to read to the younger ones and vice versa.We also have learning games like alphabet lotto,word and letter matching.
ReplyDeleteI always sit with my kids when they are reading, either I am reading to them or they are reading to me. I find it a peaceful relaxed time to spend together, also great for bonding.
ReplyDeleteWe have always read to our kids, even as babies. We tried to develop a love for books at a very young age. My kids also love to write their own stories (that's why there's never any A4 paper left in the printer)I don't correct their spelling when they're just learning to write(gasp) and they love to read their stories to me. Another tip is to sometimes, just sometimes...turn off ABC2 ;)
ReplyDeletebx
When I read to them I try to do it in the characters voice, and we try to pick out words that my 3 year old recognises. My 8 yr old loves information books, so I have to be "interested" in the facts she keeps telling me.
ReplyDeleteI use the highlighting feature on ebooks and also point it out in the book for her to learn. I also use apps teaching her letters etc :)
ReplyDeleteWe have always read to kids every night at bed time. It's part of the bed time routine. They choose a book each.
ReplyDeleteNow that they are older, sometimes they read to us instead - but only if they want to as they are usually tired. Sometimes I point to words as I'm reading or get them to read random words in familiar books.
I also encourage them to read anything else we come across - junk mail, boxes, signs when we're out, words on the TV or computer.
The only thing I discourage reading is my Facebook over my shoulder!
My little miss 5 loves to read she is in Kindy this year and brings home a reader each night and then she enjoys sounding out words in her favourite books
ReplyDeleteWe have read with our girls every day since they were born, easy access to books, to look at the pictures and words is so important as is having lots of books of their own, in addition to frequent library visits.
ReplyDeleteMiss 5 1/2 is in Prep and reads her reader every night, I encourage her to write letters to her friends and will see words out and about and ask her what they are.
ReplyDeleteShe is also teaching / reading to her 4yr old sister which I think is amazing. (The only time of the day they aren't trying to kill each other)
I also encourage friends family to buy books for them over toys that will get used once and then quickly forgotten.
Myself or my husband have read to our girls almost every night since they were little babies. Our house is full of books because I love to read and slowly but surely I am seeing the effects this has had on my children who both treat books with respect!
ReplyDeleteWe make reading or learning to read enjoyable and fun by having all Miss 2's books easily accessible (all 100 of them)and stored by colour (looks like a fun rainbow in her bookcase), we also read to her every night before bed, she chooses the book and is starting to participate more in the reading of the book.
ReplyDeleteBooks are a gift of choice for us whether giving or receiving.
When out shopping, if Miss 2 asks for lollies etc she gets to choose a book instead (thankfully she is quite happy to chose the book)
We read with our young son every day and allow him to choose which books he would like to read. We play lots of word games, spot words around town and let him see us reading. Even when we are cooking dinner we read the recipes out loud etc. One of the best ways to promote Literacy though that I have found is to have my niece and nephew read their home readers to my son- win, win for everyone. They love reading to our son- getting their homework done, and our son loves listening!
ReplyDeleteWe act out stories from her books. It's interesting to see what parts of the stories she remembers & also helps her comprehension.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved reading, and Sienna is just like me!
ReplyDeleteShe's starting to want to read and write a lot more, so we spend a lot of time reading and sounding out letters together and she's perfected writing the names of everyone in the family! I love it, she's so clever.
I so wanted to get her one of these for her birthday in January, but if I could win one that would be even better ;)
I have read aloud to my son everyday since he was born - and still do so now he is 10. The reading matter has changed based on his interests, and now he spends time reading aloud to me. Sharing the love of reading is a special gift.
ReplyDeleteReading is not going so well for my Miss Six. Having said that, we have read to her, several books a day since about the age of six months, so I don't know what else we could have done differently. All I can do is continue with the reading and encourage a love of books. Great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteEncouraging our children to read starts with ourselves. Both my husband and i are readers, we enjoy loosing ourselves in the stories we are reading or gaining knowledge through our reading.
ReplyDeleteThe children all have bookshelves in their rooms, along with a large bookshelf they share in a communal area. They each choose their own stories to read each night and we read to them, the older ones will read to the younger ones also which i love to stop and listen to as well.
I love to give gifts but i am also in favour of practical gifts so we often gift books to our children along with their friends and family friends.
We own E readers also and i've found my youngest two sitting with their Dads and pretending to read, Mr 16 months will point to the screen while he 'reads' his story.
Everything and anything! I have always had all sorts of books at home from picture books and story books to childrens encyclopedia-type books full of interesting stuff. Reading at bedtimes and quiet times is something I have always like to do and share.
ReplyDeleteMr 4 loves Learning to read! He had an old school leap pad until it broke. Has a bookshelf in his room filled with books! We signed up for reading eggs, and got creative and painted some boards with chalkboard paint to make a chalkboard. We write new words on there and run them out when he can read them!
ReplyDeleteLots of reading to them, lots of books at home of varying kinds - so quick reads, picture books, to "readers" for the older children, always get them boxed sets of books for christmas, and while the 7, 8 and 10 year do their reading homework, the 5 year old does his reading homework even though they arent expected to read in Kindy, and then he and his 2 year old brother will sit and "read" Pokemon, Wimpky Kid etc...they get told to put a book in the car when we are going anywhere that we will have to sit and wait, so we all sit there reading :-) The 5 year old has been using his 7yo brothers mastery file which he used in preprimary for reading...and has been using it to learn his words and letters...luckily, our boys have all taken to reading, phew ;-)
ReplyDeleteHas got a bit obsessive for the 8yo though as have caught him hiding in his wardrobe reading where it is "quieter" (takes me back to my childhood lol...) and when we are driving to school (so ten minute drive) he will pack whole boxed sets (so often a dozen books) "just in case he runs out of reading material on the way to school"...lol, gotta love planned thinking ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I will still read to the older kids sometimes too...just to make it fun, and they will often sit and listen while we read to the younger children....luckily my husband and I both love to read as well and have books on bedside tables etc...trying to make sure they all have the same opportunities to learn (whether it be reading or anything else) can be difficult sometimes with so many and the age differences, but so far seems to be working as the younger ones like to copy the older kids....
ReplyDeleteLove all the ideas on here from everyone :-) Leimay, your house sounds like ours with bookshelves in everyones rooms and a big bookshelf in the activity room for the kids to help themselves to....will break my heart when we have to get rid of the younger kids books :-( I agree, it is super cute seeing the little kids mimic the older ones reading, 2 year old has been reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and our 5 yo saw them at the shops the other day and wanted his own set ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe read every night togerther before bed. We do some reading, singing with actions and then prayers before bed. Its a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI read to my little bub every day as part of our routine and spend side by side private reading time with Miss 10. I make sure my kids see me reading for pleasure, as I think the best way to encourage a love of literature is to make sure my kids see the example I set.
ReplyDeleteWe're big on reading in my home. My kids are grown now, but I read to them constantly - and then they read to me!
ReplyDeleteI think the best thing you can do for preschoolers is expose them to books. Let them see mum and dad reading, read them lots of books and introduce them to the conventions of books (the text goes left to right, groups of letters make words, groups of words make sentences).
ReplyDeleteThere is plenty of time when they are ready to actually 'learn to read', but if they have had lots of exposure then they have a headstart.
Make it fun. Don't drill your four year old or you risk them switching off!
As well as reading to my children we have one of those magnetic drawing boards. MissE in particular has learnt lots of letters just by us drawing together. It helps with writing too.
ReplyDeleteTo encourage my children to read, I do an assortment of things including: reading books with rhymes and funny stories, as these tend to hold their attention spans for longer. I read in "voices", ie for the big bad wolf I use a growly voice; for a princess I use a high pitched voice. I also love to use finger puppets to act out the story. I take my children to the library regularly and they each have their own library bag and select their own books. We also participate in Storytime at the library. Sometimes after reading a story, we do an activity based on the characters and/or theme of the story. Also, reading books that I loved as a child and discussing why I used to love them really sparks an interest! Email kookla123@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI have read to my children since they were babies. Now they are 6 and 4 and I still read to them. I also encourage them to read books themselves even if they just look at the pictures and tell their own story.
ReplyDeleteWe also have laminated sight words all around the house on different objects - the word fridge on the fridge, the word door on bedroom doors etc.
Gotta say sometimes unfortunately my kids dont need much encouragement!! I hear 'BOOK, BOOK, BOOK," approximately 50 times a day and find i will spend at least 2 and a half hours a day reading to my 18mth old as to NOT DISCOURAGE HER!!!
ReplyDeleteOur kids love books - they see Mum & Dad read so they think it is just part of daily life. I encourage the younger ones to tell me about the picture they see in a book, then read the words to them. Our Missy Megan would LOVE a VTech Storio - she could play on her computer instead of missing out when the others are playing on it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading to my kidlets since I found out I was pregnant with them.
They love books and their idea of a treat is our weekly visit to the library :) :)
My older 3 kids love being read to, I give it to my Liberty (almost 6 and doing a great job learning to read) and her younger sister Angelina (just turned 4 loves making up stories about picture books) both love Dora and can't wait to read so this would be great for them!
ReplyDeleteI think setting a good example for my kids by reading with them and also reading myself.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves when we read her stories. I like to read her anything and everything. It is such a fantastic way for them to learn new things and discover there imagination. Miss 3 loves to pretend to read to her dolls and teddy bears and make up stories.
ReplyDeleteWe have read books together since my son was a little baby, and now he's two and a half we're working on recognising the letters. Our latest game is musical statues with big letters on the floor. When the music stops he either jumps on the letter I pick, or he picks and tells me what it is. It's always O because that what his name starts with, we'll get to the others eventually :)
ReplyDeleteDawn Taylor claudine55@internode.on.nete
ReplyDeleteI read to my children before they were born and the habit never stopped. I still read to them every evening when they were in high school. They tell me now they loved being read to when they were older, but told no one at school.The three of them are really big readers. I now have M.S. and thankfully still have very clear speech, my son bought me a little recorder last Christmas saying he wanted me to read stories they grew up with on it, so when the children they don't plan for yet come along, they will be able to have stories read to them by nana. You know they were able to just rattle off the stories I must remember to read.
I admit, I've been the parent to try EVERYTHING including bribery. Chocolate, TV time, painting, anything at all that I thought Miss6 may want. You see, she has Global Developmental Delay, plus Auditory Processing Disorder - plus a defeatist stance on things. So if she can't do it first try, she just wants to give up. What got us over the line in the end? If she agreed to try and read every day, she was allowed to go to the $2 shop and buy something on the weekend. If I find one more half-eaten cheap lip gloss on my carpet, I may cry. But at least she's learning to read, and that's more important than fruity smelling, sparkling carpet.
ReplyDeletei read to them. Plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteHave done since i was pregnant with each of them, and will continue to do so until they tell me to stop.
I make the reading animated and interesting.
I let them see me getting excited about books. I let them see me reading for pleasure as well. My children know that reading is important to me and i hope it will be for them too.
thanks for the chance to win!
In our house we have books everywhere. So our children can read to themselves, we read to them daily. And we make sure they see us reading and enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I highly recommend that parents teach their children the phonetic sounds not letters, that's how children learn to read not by knowing their letters. Im a primary school teacher so I do know that it's essential for children to know their sounds, this often involves parents learning their sounds again! I taught my 14 month old nephew how to say and identify the coulour blue, by repeating b, b, b after me and then pointing to blue things. He can know say blue and and bring you a blue object. Also another teaching trick, before reading the story, read it yourself and using the pictures, tell your child the basic outline, it enhances their comprehensive and receptive language, then read the book using the words. If your child goes to school knowing their name and their coulours and the sounds, not letters, they will breeze through school. Read to them and read yourself, both magazines and books and the computer, it shows them text comes in a variety of ways
ReplyDeleteWe have always been a family of readers, from a very young age I have been reading, and we encourage the kids to read books as well. Everytime we get in the car, I have a book with me, it frustrate hubby sometimes cause I'll just read and read and forget to talk to him!
ReplyDeleteI read to Miss A (3) and Baby J (10 months) daily. It's so wonderful to already see how much a 10 month old baby can love books! And not just to chew on them!
ReplyDeleteMiss A would absolutely love the vtech storio. And would might just keep her away from my ipad!
Have a lovely weekend Naomi.
Books are big in this house - the husband and I are avid readers so its only natural that our son has inherited this love, he's been rad to since before he was born!
ReplyDeleteHe can basically recite "Going on a Bear Hunt" (his favourite!) now, which is so cute!
Great giveaway, I know it will make whoever wins very happy!
We love to read! We make it fun!
ReplyDeleteWe round them up, all 5 of "thum".
Then we all lie down on a bed.
One by one they lay their head
on pillow soft to stop and hear
of characters so wild and dear
until at last their eyelids close,
5 books lived out and time to doze!
Reading is such an important aspect of everyday life. While our children are still young we are encouraging them to love and enjoy reading by reading to them daily. When it is bedtime they choose a book (or two or three) to read! I love that they get so much enjoyment out of story time as it's so important!
ReplyDeleteMy son is 3 & talks very well for his age, because I read to him a lot, he loves reading because I make it fun, different voices, different reactions from me, he likes when I discuss the pictures as well.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the twins are only three I try my very best to practise letters and words with them whenever I can. I thought they were getting really good at it, until last week:
ReplyDeleteTommie was playing a game of matching words with pictures. He picks up the tortoise card, spells out loud T-O-R-T-O-I-S-E, then he says proudly: 'It says bug!'
Still a lot to learn but at least we are having fun!
We have always read to our children from the time they were babies and encourage their love of books by always having a huge range of them available.
ReplyDeleteWe always include a book as part of their Christmas presents and at Easter as well as most birthdays. I don't think you can ever have too many books and all of my children love to read.
Make it fun and regular. We have big foam letters and make words from it so the kids recognise the letter and the sounds from saying it. One word at a time.
ReplyDeleteWe sound everything we read out to him, whether it's books we're reading at bedtime, toy catalogues we're surveying for specials or menus when we're out for dinner. Anything he looks at with words on it, we sound out and encourage him to 'read'
ReplyDeletedeaniee@hotmail.com
Just always reading to them. Visiting the library and book stores and having books in every part of the house. I think another thing that has helped is having a few books in my bag and when we are waiting for appointments, I read to them and this helps eliviate the boredom. You can always get more from the book than just the story that's written :)
ReplyDelete