Parents are looking for ways to get their kids back into the learning mode.

Making education a part of the norm is essential for an easy transition back to school. Not only is it important for success but childhood development as well.

Exposure to books in the early childhood stages plays a key role in a child’s reading development, and although most parents and caregivers know that children benefit from reading time, many struggle to fit it into their children’s hectic schedules.

A survey conducted on behalf of VTech, a leading electronic learning products provider, found that more than 40 percent of moms with children ages 3 to 7 said that not having enough time to spend reading with their children is the biggest challenge they face in trying to make reading a daily activity. And nearly half wished there were ways to include reading in their child’s on-the-go schedule.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fun and practical ways to make reading a part of everyday family life.

Making reading fun

You can help a child develop reading skills even when you’re running errands or doing activities together. By going places and doing things with children, you help build their background knowledge and vocabulary, giving them a basis for understanding what they read.

Telling stories and interacting with each other while on the go helps them develop their listening and thinking skills.

And now there are technologies that let you take interesting reading material wherever you go. The new V.Reader, the first interactive, animated e-book system for children, creates an engaging reading experience for early readers, ages 3 to 7, so they love to learn to read.

“We understand that parents are looking for ways to merge learning and fun and VTech is excited to offer the V.Reader, which does exactly that,” said Tom McClure, director of marketing, VTech Electronics North America, LLC. “Parents can trust this cutting-edge e-book to aid in their children’s development while proving how learning can be fun too.”

The touch-and-read e-book brings stories to life with narration, characters, animation, graphics, sounds and music. Kids interact as they listen and follow along with a story, or touch the screen and play games to learn each word and sentence. The V.Reader helps teach reading comprehension, vocabulary, phonics and word building.

Reading is a skill that requires nurturing. Creating a literacy-rich home is the best way to engage children with the joys of books and help them become readers for a lifetime. One convenient way to keep a constant stream of new books available to young readers is by downloading new e-book titles. Through the VTech website, new titles are available at your fingertips to add to your child’s V.Reader library.

Reading-friendly space

Research shows that lack of access to books and educational materials is the greatest barrier to literacy development in the United States and beyond.

Books, magazines, newspapers and other reading tools should be within easy reach. Try designating a bookcase or shelf where children can keep a personal library.

According to First Book, a non-profit organization that provides new books to children in need, a steady stream of new, age-appropriate books has been shown to nearly triple interest in reading within months.

By going to www.firstbook.org, families, teachers and reading programs can help children from low-income communities build their own home libraries.

“It’s important for beginner readers to continue practicing their newly acquired reading skills,” said Ron Fairchild, founding CEO of the National Summer Learning Association and a national authority on how to expand learning opportunities for youth.

“Research shows that access to reading material that matches kids’ ability levels and interests, and assistance to ensure comprehension, are important to sustaining and advancing reading skills.”