Getting children to read amid distractions such as TV and the Internet can be tough, especially that the long holiday is here. But a new app called BookWhiz Media lets parents set up rewards for their reading children, and helps children keep track of their books, too.
BookWhiz, is a free iPad app, which presents a virtual bookshelf of all the physical books in one’s house. The rewards on the app range depends on whatever the child wants; from a toy car to choosing what to have for dinner.
The process starts by importing all your books into the virtual library. It is pretty simple, thanks to integration with Amazon’s book barcode API. Just scan the ISBN barcode that is printed on nearly every book and its front cover, title, author and other info is brought right into the app.
Children can add the book to their individual library, and it can also added to the family library. When it is time for reading, the child chooses which book the are reading, then starts the timer. When they are done, they stop the timer and can enter the number of pages they read. Each time they finish a book, they earn points, which can then be spent on the custom rewards.
On the parents’ end, there are controls for setting up different rewards for each child and a notifications screen documenting all your children’s reading habits. For younger children, this app can be helpful in engaging them about the book after it is done. The app is meant for elementary school-aged children (5–11).
