Are E-Books for Kids The Best Reading for Kids?

Are you wondering if ebooks for kids are as good for learning as traditional book reading for kids?

As I shared in my summer reading book lists posts, I want to ensure my kids doesn’t just veg on the couch playing video games or watching TV. It’s important to read and learn year-round so you don’t lose those skills that you worked on during the school year. Are ebooks for kids a great way to encourage reading for kids?

Can Children Learn as Much from E-books as they do from Traditional Paper Books?

There is no doubt that technology is advancing at an impressive pace. Originally, reading involved picking up a book and turning each page; right now, this can all be done via an electronic reader; a book can be viewed on your computer, tablet, phone or a dedicated electronic reader.

The information in the book is the same but there have been concerns raised regarding the amount of time people are spending in front of computer screens and the potential effects this can have on long term health.

A significant amount of research has been conducted into this and the following facts confirm that a child can learn as much, if not more from an e-book.

Why Were E-Books Created?

Electronic books, which have been designed to promote children’s language and increase their literacy skills, have been shown to assist children in learning these vital skills at an earlier age than by simply reading paper books. Of course, many of the e-books on the market do not fall into this criteria; maximum benefit can only be achieved by carefully choosing the right e-books.

What Makes a Good Quality E-book?

A good quality e-book is one in which the pictures and animations are relevant to the story and the words are highlighted as they are narrated. The book should have ‘forward’ and ‘back’ buttons to ensure children are familiar with the notion of turning the pages. Finally, a dictionary mode should be included which will help children to understand unknown words and improve their vocabulary.

Which is More Appealing?

It has been shown that children will spend more time looking at an electronic book with their parents than they will when looking at a paper book. Further research has shown that this can be particularly beneficial to those who have a delay in their development.

E-books help by sounding out syllables and breaking words or phrases up and this can be extremely helpful to those who have less developed reading skills.

Ebooks Offer a Feeling of Independence

In a busy world it can sometimes be difficult to have the time to sit and read with your child. An e-book can be read over and over again by a child and they do not need an adult to be present. This feeling of independence has been shown to encourage children to read more.

This is also assisted by the fact that the e-book is extremely accessible and a selection can easily be taken anywhere. It should be noted that children tend to learn more when looking at an e-book with a parent than when they look at them by themselves.

Of course, an e-book does have some disadvantages and it is important to be aware of these to ensure your child gains the maximum benefit from their reading:

How Parents Can Improve Learning Through Reading

When reading an e-book it is very easy to be distracted by the buttons and explaining their uses to your child. While this will improve their knowledge of technology, it will not improve their reading skills. Children learn the most  when parents talk to their children about the story and relate it to everyday life.

How to Keep the Focus on The Story

Children can easily be distracted by the pictures and interactive buttons on an electronic story and this can remove their attention from the story being read. Research has shown that many children remember more details when they have read a paper book than when they read an electronic book.

Parents must ensure they help their child to focus on the story and learn from it. An e-book can be as informative and educational as a paper book, but you must help your child to get the most from their reading.

Ideally, they should be used alongside paper books to ensure your child has the best of both worlds. Prior to deciding on a device, make sure to get informed. Select an ebook that’s qualitative and durable; kids tend to be extremely clumsy, and you certainly don’t want to buy new ones every week.

How do you encourage your kids to read?

By Paul Trevino and LoveReading.co.uk!