Top 10 Reasons to Read Interactive Fiction (IF) with your Children/Students.

Interactive fiction is a form of literature in which the reader can interact with the story, making choices and decisions that affect the outcome. But why should we do it in our classes and with our children at home? Here are the Top Ten Reasons why.....

1. Improves reading comprehension: Interactive fiction allows children to actively participate in the story, making it more engaging and helping them to better understand and remember the content.

2. Encourages critical thinking: As children make choices and decisions within the story, they are encouraged to think critically about the consequences of their actions.

3. Promotes creativity and imagination: Interactive fiction allows children to explore different worlds and characters, encouraging them to use their imagination and think creatively.

4. Teaches problem-solving: As children navigate through the story, they are faced with challenges and obstacles that require them to think critically and problem-solve in order to progress.

5. Develops decision-making skills: The interactive nature of the story requires children to make choices and decisions, helping them to develop important decision-making skills.

6. Enhances language skills: Interactive fiction can be used as a tool to improve grammar, vocabulary, and fluency, especially when it is used to teach a foreign language.

7. Increases engagement and motivation: Interactive fiction can be a highly engaging and motivating form of literature, encouraging children to read more and become more invested in the story.

8. Fosters a love of reading: By making reading interactive and engaging, children may develop a love for reading, which is a vital skill for lifelong learning.

9. Enhances digital literacy: Interactive fiction allows children to interact with digital media, which can help them to develop digital literacy skills that are increasingly important in today's digital world.

10. Promotes teamwork and collaboration: Interactive fiction can be used as a tool for teamwork and collaboration, as children work together to make decisions and progress through the story. It can also be used as an opportunity for parents and teachers to bond with children and discuss the story, moral and values.

But...here are some facts - Approximately 120,000 adults in Hillsborough County, Florida are illiterate or read below the fourth-grade level; According to 2003 Census statistics, 15 percent of Hillsborough County residents age 16 and older lacked basic prose literacy skills. This is just one example of thousands that we can cherry-pick, but the message is clear - we MUST find a way to get our kids to enjoy reading....and Interactive Fiction is one of THE BEST WAYS to do it.