High Five: Screen Time

Childhood development experts recommend limiting screen time for children under 5 years old to one hour of educational content per day.  Finding quality digital media and regulating screen time can be a challenge, but it can be an opportunity too. When you make technology time together time and access Chandler Public Library’s online collection, your child can develop technology skills while improving literacy.

The Tumblebooks collection includes read-aloud picture books, beginning readers, chapter books and graphic novels. These are always available and there are no due dates! Although they have a read-aloud feature, children learn more when they can ask questions and talk about the story with an adult, so make sure you also take time to explore together. Some of the Tumblebooks have beautiful animations to draw in their readers, like Superluminous by Ian De Haes. Look for books that represent a diverse range of characters. Learning about new perspectives helps build empathy and understanding. For example, Round is a Mooncake by Grace Lin explores Chinese culture and shapes.

There are also picture books available through CloudLibrary. You can choose titles that let you and your child interact with the book, which increases textual awareness. Britta Teckentrup’s book One is Not a Pair and Crunch the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap are a couple of suggestions.

PressReader has thousands of magazines in many languages including a section for children. Highlights Hello is for children under two while Highlights High Five is appropriate for children ages three to five. These magazines often include activities that you can explore together, promoting language development through conversation. To get free access to PressReader from outside the library, choose Sign In, then Library or Group, choose Chandler Public Library, and enter your library card and PIN numbers.

Kanopy, Chandler’s video streaming service, has a children’s section with episodes of Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and shows about history and science among many other movies and shows. There are language learning courses for English, Spanish, and French as well.

Have literacy materials available when you’re on the go with audiobooks, magazines, ebooks and educational movies. By offering quality educational material and exploring digital media together, you can model a healthy relationship with devices that will help your child make mindful choices as they get older. - Crystal (Downtown)