Blog Posts

Turning Screen Time into Story Time with Free Books: How Skybrary Helps Families Navigate Today’s Literacy Crisis

The Growing Challenge of Screen Time for Families 

A recent Washington Post article by Heather Kelly explores how overwhelmed many parents feel as they try to manage children’s technology use. From screen time coaches to digital detox camps, caregivers are seeking support to keep up with a fast-changing digital world. They are acting as IT departments, content moderators, and online safety experts while also addressing their own device habits. Technology was created for adults and only adapted for kids later, which makes the experience difficult to navigate. 

The article highlights how families struggle to balance safety, entertainment, and healthy habits. Even with strict rules, kids often find workarounds. Parents are looking for tools, guidance, and alternatives that help children use technology in ways that build skills instead of replacing them. 

These concerns directly connect to a larger issue in the United States. There is a significant literacy crisis in America today. Twenty-five million children cannot read proficiently based on an analysis of NAEP test scores. Families are searching for meaningful ways to turn screen time into something positive, and this moment presents an important opportunity to redirect digital habits toward reading. 

A Literacy Crisis That Calls for New Solutions 

At Reading Is Fundamental our mission is to change the trajectory of the literacy crisis by ensuring access to books, reading content, and literacy resources for children, educators, and families. Reading matters because when 25 million children in the United States cannot read proficiently, they are prevented from achieving success in school, participating fully in life, and realizing their dreams. Children who read regularly build vocabulary, imagination, and critical thinking skills. These benefits shape futures and strengthen communities.  

As the Washington Post article makes clear, technology is not going away, and caregivers need realistic ways to guide children toward healthier digital routines. Instead of working against tech, families can use it to support reading and discovery. 

Skybrary: Turning Screen Time into Story Time 

RIF’s newly refreshed digital library Skybrary provides a solution that meets children where they are. Skybrary transforms digital habits by offering a safe space filled with high quality books and educational videos. Most importantly, Skybrary supports literacy by offering free books to kids. 

Skybrary is designed to make reading accessible, engaging, and fun. It helps families shift screen time from passive scrolling to meaningful story time. The reading app offers one hundred free titles (over 1,000 with paid subscription) across many genres, allowing children to explore their curiosity, build confidence as readers, and enjoy reading on the same devices that often distract them. 

Caregivers who feel overwhelmed by technology benefit from having a trusted digital resource that encourages positive habits. For many families who lack easy access to physical books, Skybrary is a game changer. 

Free Books Give Kids a Chance to Learn and Dream 

RIF’s CEO Alicia Levi recently shared a Thanksgiving message about the power of providing free books to children who need them most. Her blog reflects on how access to reading strengthens families and communities and why RIF continues to champion free book distribution and digital access.  

Her message connects directly to what families in the Washington Post article are seeking: resources that support children’s well-being, education, and digital balance. Free books give kids a chance to learn and dream while giving caregivers a new way to use technology for good.  

Reading as a Positive Digital Path Forward 

As Heather Kelly’s reporting shows, many families are trying to manage technology without a roadmap. They face new risks and responsibilities with every app download. RIF believes that one powerful way to support children is to give them access to books that build knowledge and imagination. 

By transforming screen time into reading time, Skybrary helps families shift the digital experience toward learning. Reading provides children with calming routines, stronger literacy skills, and opportunities to understand the world around them. With millions of children struggling to read proficiently, solutions like Skybrary matter more than ever. 

Together, we can support families, close literacy gaps, and inspire a new generation of readers who feel confident and prepared for the future.