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The Kid's Corner page is designed to provide fascinating stories as well as interesting puzzles and activities for children. (Daily Herald)

Daily Herald

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A grandfather reads the newspaper with his grandson. (AdobeStock image)

AdobeStock

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Jared Lloyd mug

Spenser Heaps

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About a year ago, I had the chance to talk to some local fifth-graders at a career day.

As an introduction, I handed out a number of copies of the newspaper. It captivated the attention of the students as they flipped through the pages, looking at the photos and reading some of the stories. Most gravitated to the comics and puzzles sections, even to the point of asking if they could start doing the crossword.

As I stood there watching, I saw one young man holding a copy of the paper turn to a friend next to him and say, “why doesn’t my family get this at home?”

I’ve thought a lot about the eagerness and excitement that I saw that day from a generation who is supposed to have no interest in the printed word.

Later in December, I read an opinion piece in the Deseret News from Jane Gould titled: “The best gift you can give your child this year isn’t wrapped in paper — it is the paper.”

In it she explained that digital mediums like social media promote fractured concentration with “short clips and jagged text” and do not “build the sustained focus or deep vocabulary necessary for success in school and life.”

“We are living through a quiet crisis of focus,” she said in the opinion piece. “Recent data confirms a worrisome trend: Reading proficiency is sliding, and the time children spend reading for fun drops off a cliff between the ages of 9 and 13. Why? Because the screens in their pockets are winning the war for their attention.”

She advocated for the benefit of printed materials like newspapers because they are “visible literacy,” something that kids can see parents and grandparents using and know they are reading (unlike the array of uses of phones or other technology).

“When you spread a newspaper out on the kitchen table, you are sending a clear, visible signal to your children: ‘Reading is something we do here. Reading is how we understand the world,'” Gould said. “You become the role model they need.”

I love reading.

I love how opening the pages of a book or a magazine or a newspaper can take your mind and imagination on countless remarkable journeys of exploration and connection.

I believe children are better off when they develop a love of reading, and not just because they get to discover amazing stories and expand their knowledge.

Jenny Barker, Vice President of Communications for the 95 Percent Group, in a post in 2024 listed 13 benefits of reading, including developing empathy and fostering connection with perspective, improving critical thinking skills, enhancing conversation skills, teaching social skills, building background knowledge and building and maintaining memory, among others.

Yet, according to reports like from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute in January that said “Report: Nearly half of Utah’s current young children do not read at grade level,” we are not doing enough to help the children in Utah to gain the benefits of reading.

I believe the Daily Herald can and should be a valuable tool for Utah Valley families as they work to achieve better reading habits in their homes.

That’s why we’re proud to be adding a new element, a daily Kids Corner page devoted to stories and activities for elementary school-aged children.

Six days a week Utah Valley families who subscribe to the Daily Herald (which costs around $5 per week) will receive in their mailbox a page with games and activities like puzzles and coloring.

It will also feature a new chapter in ongoing stories that kids can read for themselves or parents can read to them. We’ve partnered with local university students in Utah to provide our young authors a chance to publish their stories for children (as well as to provide coloring images and other artwork).

This page will be right next to the comics page, providing a combination of visual and text-based storytelling that will encourage kids to open up the pages of the paper and enjoy what is inside.

As they are drawn to the initial activities, it will be easy for children to also move on to the other pages and get a snapshot of what is going on in their community, their state, their country and the world as well as in specialized categories like sports and lifestyles.

So many parents who I’ve talked to are looking for ways to cut down on screen time for their kids, who always seem to be wanting the addictive dopamine hits that come with digital videos and games. Educators I’ve talked to are excited about the possibilities of such a page in helping their students develop their reading and learning abilities.

We want to provide parents with a tool that is interesting and engaging for young minds and encourages reading, yet does not require the use of any technology.

So check it out (today it is on D3).

Show it to your kids and grandkids and see what they think.

Start the story and see if you and your children find yourselves eager to see what happens next.

Try the puzzles and games.

Then laugh at the comics, catch up on what local sports teams are doing and see what else is going on in Utah Valley.

And share it with friends and neighbors who also might benefit from getting the daily newspaper (https://subscribe.heraldextra.com).

Let’s start making reading fun for everyone again.

If you have thoughts, ideas or any other feedback, please pass them on by emailing me at jlloyd@heraldextra.com.