In an interview with Eloise Ginty, Literacy Specialist for Readeo.com, we discuss reading remotely with distant grandkids. We share some of the frustrations we had early on trying to stay connected with long-distance grandchildren. Even technology like FaceTime calls left us wishing we had better ways of connecting.
In this video interview, learn from Eloise about a tool she discovered that makes those connections much easier.
What is Readeo.com?
Readeo.com is an online application that helps grandparents, or other loving adults, read remotely with children across long distances. The app allows a child to “book chat” with a grownup as they read picture books and chapter books together as if they are in the same room.
Highlights From the Video:
A Connection with a Grandchild is a Basic Need for a Grandparent:
00:19 Eloise Ginty: Reading remotely to my grandchildren feels almost like a basic need. When I wasn’t able to do that, I became determined to find a way to connect. Readeo.com was a tool that worked for me. I liked it so well, I offered to be part of the team building the platform. I work with publishers to acquire books that will be available on Readeo.
1:07 Marilee Woodfield: My first grandchild was very distanced from me. Figuring out a way to have a connection with him was always a concern for me.
2:17 Lynnae Allred: Playdatebox.com is the outgrowth of what we started to do as grandmothers who wanted to have an intentional relationship with our grandchildren. We invent ideas and then share them with the world. Literature, illustrations, and beautiful books have made my life rich, and I want that for my grandchildren.
Reading Remotely Can Be a Very Sub-Standard Experience for the Child if Adults are not Wise
3:20 Eloise Ginty: I was bound and determined to find some quality way to connect with my grandchildren. I’d always made them a priority. When that came to a screeching halt, I had a hard time finding something that worked to my standard: fun, kid-centered and rich.
5:37 Marilee Woodfield: I have taught preschool for 35 years, the last 17 have been in music. Most of my curriculum is literature-based. Trying to find something that is really engaging is really critical. They won’t just sit and “appease” me. It needs to be engaging for them.
6:37 Lynnae Allred: I started out being frustrated with FaceTime calls because I couldn’t sustain a conversation. I still wanted to talk, but they were checked out. We started reading aloud remotely as a way to extend our conversations. It’s a substandard experience for a child to try to read a book with someone over a phone. The screen is too small and the lap, which is what we both want (the warmth of that physical connection) is missing.
I’ve struggled with how to bridge that gap through technology, and what I like about Readeo is that all of the hindrances of the technology evaporated. The book on Readeo is front and center for both of us, but we can still see each other.
What do we know about whether reading aloud and reading remotely with grandchildren is really important in terms of other outcomes?
9:06 Eloise Ginty: Grandparents are always in awe of their grandchildren. And we are in awe of the fact that our children are raising such great kids. So that concentric connection makes all of us appreciate one another more. Reading aloud is just one of the tools that help us feel that sense of awe. Sharing that quality time and bonding in that rich way is special in particular to grandparents who read aloud to their grandchildren. It also brings in another level of social interaction for grandchildren. There is a value-add when grandparents have an opportunity to read aloud to grandchildren. There is a value-add that doesn’t come from any other read-aloud situation.
11:35 Marilee Woodfield: Research is showing that outcomes are positive for grandparents as well as for grandchildren. Reading aloud improves literacy for children, but the outcomes for grandparents are also positive. It’s a mutually symbiotic system.
12:34 Lynnae Allred: We have learned that it is a great version of self-care for a grandparent to participate in playful, connected experiences with their grandchildren. It is a real need for the adult, not just the child. Grandparents want a hands-on experience that they can also be part of, not just watch from the sidelines. Reading remotely to a child is a great version of self-care for grandparents who can’t have that in-person experience.
14:29 Eloise Ginty: Thinking about it from the adult perspective and naming it — it’s not just for the kids. The feedback we get from grandparents is that it means the world to them. There are many benefits for the child. It may simply be an enrichment for them, but it felt like a basic need for me to connect like that with my grandchildren.
Try Readeo.com Free for 30 Days!
For a brief time, you can get an extended 30-day trial period on Readeo.com using the coupon code below. You’ll get a no-risk opportunity to see whether the application is for you.
