Toddlers have more to gain from printed books than eBooks



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The researchers found that when adults read to toddlers, they have more meaningful conversations when the stories are in traditional print books than when the stories are in ebooks.

The results of the little experiment suggest that storytelling with tablets might not be as good for children's development.

Pediatricians recommend not spending all the time spent in front of the screen for children under two years old. They warn that tablets, smartphones, and digitally enhanced toys and games can hinder creative play and interactions with caregivers, which are essential for social, emotional, and cognitive growth.

But many parents who do not attend their children to watch cartoons or play video games can still use tablets to read ebooks to young children. Among other things, ebooks may be more practical than stuffing a lot of cardboard books into a diaper bag. Many parents are also convinced that reading apps and interactive ebooks can help kids learn their ABCs.

"We know that shared book reading is an incredible development activity to do with children – not only by exposing them to a rich language and vocabulary, but also by offering opportunities for physical proximity and creating moments. reconciliation, "said Dr. Tiffany, lead author of the study. Munzer of the CS Mott Children's Hospital of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

"Parents and toddlers know how to engage around a book, but when they add a tablet, the benefits of this shared reading experience are sidelined," Munzer said by email . "This does not mean that the e-book has no benefit, but less than when you compare it to a printed book."

For the study, the Munzer team videotaped 37 parent-child pairs during lab reading sessions. Parents read similar stories in three different formats: traditional printed books, electronic books without bells and whistles, and "enhanced" e-books with additional features such as sound effects or animations.

During each reading, the researchers observed the extent of interactions, conversations, and collaboration between parents and children.

With printed books, parents talked a lot more about stories with children. The adults paused to ask the children if they remembered something they had done, which is similar to what happens in the story, or to the children of what they were doing. They think of what will happen, according to the researchers, report in pediatrics.

Enhanced e-books, however, have generated more interaction than e-books without bells and whistles.

Toddlers also took the floor to ask questions and share their own opinions and ideas about the stories told when parents read printed books.

The improved e-books, however, sparked more children-initiated interaction than the basic e-books.

The study can not say whether or how specific book formats could have a direct impact on the social, emotional or cognitive development of children. Nor has it been designed to determine whether different formats influence the ease or speed with which children learn to read later.

One of the benefits of reading for children is the "round-trip" dialogue that can take place when parents share a story with young children and help put the story back into the context of life of the child, said Dr. Suzy Tomopoulos of the Pediatrics Department of New York University School of Medicine, in an email.

"For example, if the book is talking about a trip to the zoo, parents can talk about their last trip to the zoo and the animals they've seen," said Tomopoulos, co-author of the zoo. editorial published with the study.

"The shared reading of printed books has been well researched and proven useful for the child's development, language and social skills," added Tomopoulos. "One of the main problems of screens is that they interfere with these high quality parent-child interactions that would otherwise take place."

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