[ad_1]
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Choosing the book to read is not the only choice that families make now at the time of storytelling – they must also choose between the print version and the electronic version.
But a new study suggests that traditional printed books may have an advantage over ebooks with regard to the quality time shared between parents and their children.
The research, led by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital of the University of Michigan and involving 37 parent-toddler couples, found that parents and children verbalize and interact less with e-books than with printed books. The results appear in the log pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"Shared reading promotes language development in children, literacy and parenting – we wanted to know how electronics could change that experience," said lead author Tiffany Munzer, MD, Pediatric Behavior Development Researcher, Mott.
"We found that when parents and children read printed books, they spoke more often and the quality of their interactions was better."
Parent-child couples interviewed used three book formats: printed books, basic e-books on tablets, and enhanced e-books with add-ons such as sound effects and animations. With eBooks, not only did couples interact less, but parents tended to talk less about history and more about the technology itself. Sometimes this included instructions on the device, such as telling children not to press the buttons or change the volume.
Munzer notes that many of the shared interactions between parents and young children during reading may seem subtle, but actually contribute to promoting healthy child development.
For example, parents can point an image of an animal in the middle of a story and ask their child "What does a duck say?"
Parents can also relate a part of a story to something that the child has experienced with comments such as "Do you remember when we went to the beach?" Reading time also lends itself to open questions, such as asking children what they think of the book or characters.
Munzer says that these practices, involving comments and questions going beyond the content, are supposed to promote children's expressive language, engagement, and literacy.
"Parents build their children's ability to learn by bringing new content to the experiences of their children," said Munzer. "Research tells us that parent-led conversations are especially important for toddlers because they learn and retain new information better through in-person interactions than digital media."
However, these practices were less common with e-books, with parents asking fewer simple questions and commenting on the story less than printed books.
The study suggests that ebook enhancements likely interfered with parents' ability to participate in a parent-led conversation during reading.
Munzer adds that non-verbal interactions, including warmth, closeness and enthusiasm at the time of reading, also create positive badociations with reading that will likely remain with children as they age.
The authors recommend that future studies examine specific aspects of tablet design that support parent-child interaction. Parents who choose to read ebooks with young children should also consider engaging as they would with the print version and minimize the attention to the elements of the technology itself.
"Reading together is not just a family ritual enjoyed in many homes, but one of the most important development activities that parents can undertake with their children," says lead author Jenny Radesky, MD , pediatrician of development and behavior at Mott.
"Our findings suggest that print books lead to a better parent-child reading experience than e-books, and pediatricians could continue to encourage parents to read printed books with their children, especially for children. small and young children who still need the help of their parents to learn from any form of media ".
###
Warning: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of the news releases published on EurekAlert! contributing institutions or for the use of any information via the EurekAlert system.
Source link
