Jeremy Scott Brueck, director of the school’s Digital Text Initiative, found that animation and audio in e-books did seem to help young kids identify printed words. When Brueck tested pre-K students, a third knew the words before reading the story with a grown-up on an e-reader. After reading the e-book, the number shot up to 54 percent. It’s unclear whether the results would have come out the same with traditional books; it might have been the shared reading experience — a known vocabulary-builder — rather than the device that helped kids learn. But what they did find: “The kids were extremely engaged,” says Brueck.
– Jenny Deam, Scholastic.com
Many people have heard the term ebook but have never actually seen or read one. Ebooks help children in many ways in the literary world.
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Have you ever sat a 4 year old mini adult down and tried to read a long book to her? It is a battle that will include some resistance for sure. Tears and threatening to walk away are both my most often experienced reactions. Here are some benefits to consider when reading an ebook versus a paperback book.
- Most ebooks have cool pictures or sounds that help add a better sensory experience for your child.
- Some ebooks will read the story page by page by clicking on an icon and this can help children learn phonics and tone.
- Many children with attention deficit disorder have improved their ability to pay attention with ebooks.
- Some children just can’t pay attention to a standard book but when they are at a computer or other multimedia device, they have an easier time. This is because reading a standard book is a passive activity but clicking a mouse to change pictures and flip pages is much more active.
- Some children are just resistant to reading. They just don’t want anything to do with sitting and reading a book and won’t let you read them one.
If this happens, try an ebook!
As long as it’s something kid friendly and not boring, you might find that you have an avid reader on your hands! Pictures and audio can really spice up almost any book.
In the age of video games, any educational opportunity should be welcomed and ebooks are a great way for beginning readers to learn and help older readers improve their skills.
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