How Abracadabra Books is encouraging iPad kids to start reading again

Abracadabra! The kids are excited to read again.It may seem like magic, but, the so-called iPad Generation could be ready to turn a new page on the literary crises.Abracadabra Books is among the enthusiastic book companies bringing on the battle — but with science, not spells.

Experts have warned of a literary crisis for years, but concerns appear to be growing for Gen Alpha, and perhaps the newly-crowned Gen Beta could be next.RELATED: Best smartwatches for kids in 2024, plus expert guidance for parentsIn 2022, only 33% of fourth graders were reading at grade level, according to National Achievement-Level results.

The issue has taken center stage in New York, where as many as eight in 10 kids fail annual reading tests in large districts like Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.In Gotham, less than half pass.

At the same time, screen time use has skyrocketed since 2020, and some research suggests that it has negatively affected preschoolers’ health, academics, and social skills.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screen time be limited to an hour a day.While glued to bright screens and plugged into headphones, children aren’t acquiring basic skills, and it’s catching up to them later in life.

“At Abracadabra Books, we’re not just creating books — we’re fixing the curiosity and motivation problem that’s been plaguing young kids,” the company explained.“The big publishing houses? They’re too focused on cramming more information into books and appealing to wide age ranges, rather than truly sparking a child’s imagination.”Led by founder and technology industry veteran Sindhu Narasimhan, Abracadabra’s team has taken three principles from app design and applied them to create engaging non-fiction books — simplicity, atomicity, and progressive disclosure.

“I spent a decade designing smartphone apps, and I know what makes them effective.We are bringing the same principles to designing the new generation of non-fiction books...