E-Book or Paper Book − What’s Best for Young Children?

By Lauren Lowry
Hanen Certified SLP and Clinical Staff Writer
 

Technology surrounds us. It affects almost all aspects of our daily lives, including the types of books we read to young children. Nowadays, there are two types of books to read:

• Traditional paper books
• Electronic books (“e-books”), which can be viewed on a computer or via apps on tablets. A narrator reads the story, and children can enjoy interactive features such as animated pictures, music, sound effects, and links on the screen that connect to games or an elaboration of the pictures or story.

Concern has been raised about how much time children are spending in front of screens, and whether they learn as much from e-books as they do from traditional print books. There have been several studies about e-books over the past decade, and they have revealed both advantages and disadvantages to e-books.

Advantages of E-books

• Children learn early literacy skills from good quality e-books that include features that promote children’s language and literacy skills, like:
  • a dictionary
  • words that are highlighted when the narrator reads them
  • games and pictures that help explain the story [1,2].
• Children interact longer with their parents while looking at e-books compared to traditional paper books [4, 5]
• Children with developmental delays may benefit from e-books – One study showed that, after sharing an e-book, children with developmental delays experienced improvement in their vocabulary, as well as in their understanding about how words can be broken up into smaller parts (i.e. syllables)[2].
• Children can read e-books over and over again – Repeated reading of the same story improves children’s literacy skills [6].
• Children can enjoy e-books independently – This may encourage children to pick up a book more often than they otherwise would [6].
• E-books are convenient and accessible – They can be downloaded on computers or transferred to hand held devices [6].
• Children learn most from e-books when adults share the e-book with them and talk about the story – Children learn less when they look at e-books by themselves [1, 4].

Disadvantages of E-books

• Parents don’t use as many helpful reading strategies while sharing e-books (compared to paper books) – Studies show that parents don’t talk as much about the story and how it relates to their child’s life when sharing e-books. Instead, they have more conversations about the buttons and games in the e-book. Young children benefit when adults have discussions with them that go beyond the pages of the book, linking aspects of the story to their personal experiences, and providing explanations when necessary. Parents use more of these types of reading strategies with paper books [5,7].
• Children learn less about the story from e-books – One study showed that while children learned some information about the story from an e-book, children who read a paper book knew more details from the story as well as the order of events [5].
• The interactive features in e-books might be distracting – Some research has shown that the games and interactive links and buttons in many e-books distract children’s attention away from the story [8].

Whether children communicate more or less while looking at e-books is still under debate. Some research has shown that children communicate more while looking at e-books [7], but other research has shown that children communicate less [4].

e-books should not be used as a replacement for shared reading with traditional paper books

But what most researchers agree upon is that e-books should not be used as a replacement for shared reading with traditional paper books [6]. Rather, sharing a good quality e-book with a child that has helpful interactive features can be used in addition to traditional paper books.

How to Choose a Good Quality E-book

Studies have shown that the following e-book features help children learn:

• The pictures and interactive “hotspots” should help children understand the story – When music or animations add extra information that is not related to the story, it can interfere with children’s ability to understand the story [9, 10].
• Games and interactive features should only be active after the narrator has finished reading the page – While hotspots attract children’s attention, they interrupt the story if they can be activated while the narrator is reading [9, 5]. Many e-books now offer different modes (e.g. read-only versus read and play). Having a child listen to the story first in “read-only” mode will help him or her understand the story [11].
• The words are highlighted as the narrator reads them – This helps children understand the connection between the printed words and the what the narrator is saying [1].
• Dictionary mode – A dictionary or links on the page that explain challenging words can help build children’s vocabulary [9].
• “Forward” and “backward” buttons – These help a child learn about turning the pages in a book, and how we read from left to right [2].
• Repeated reading options – This function allows children to repeat pages, sentences, or specific words, which helps build children’s understanding [2].

It Takes Two to Read an E-book

studies have shown that children learn most when they share the e-book with an adult

While children may enjoy an e-book without needing an adult to read the story, studies have shown that children learn most when they share the e-book with an adult [1, 4].

Here are some tips for enjoying e-books with young children:

• Enjoy the book in “read-only” mode first – Limiting the games and interactive features of the e-book during the child’s first reading will help the child understand the story [11].
• Talk about the story – Follow your child’s lead and have discussions about whatever interests him or her about the story.
• Go beyond the story – It will deepen your child’s understanding if you connect events in the story to things that have happened in your child’s life. For example, when reading about how Little Red Riding Hood brought cookies to her grandmother when she was sick, you could talk about how you visited your child’s grandmother when she was sick. Going beyond the story also involves talking about why things happen in the story, and what might happen later in the story. You can have conversations like this by using questions and comments that start with “I wonder what would happen if…” or “I’m thinking that he wants to…” [12].
• Describe and explain – If there are new or challenging words in the story, explain what the words mean for your child. For tips about how to help your child understand new words, please see our article “Shoot for the SSTaRS”. If the e-book has a dictionary function, use it to help describe what new words mean. Use the pictures and animations in the e-book to help explain new words.

Reading a good quality e-book can be a motivating activity for your child. But the most important thing to remember is to spend time sharing the e-book together with your child, and have conversations about the story. This will promote your child’s language and literacy skills.

Get more tips!

For more fun tips on building early language and literacy skills, take a look at our 2017 Preschool Language and Literacy Calendar.

References

1. Segal-Drori, O., Korat, O. & Klein, P. S. (2013). What can better support low SES chidlren’s emergent reading? Reading e-books and printed books with and without adult mediation. In A. Shamir & O. Korat (Eds). Technology as a support for literacy achievements for children at risk. Literacy Studies 7, Dordrecht, NL: Springer.
2. Shamir, A., Korat, O. & Fellah, R. (2012). Promoting vocabulary, phonological awareness and concept about print among children at risk for learning disability: can e-books help? Reading and Writing, 25: 45-69.
3. Korat, O. & Shamir, A. (2008). The educational electronic book as a tool for supporting children’s emergent literacy in low versus middle SES groups. Computers and Education, 50, 110-124.
4. Moody, A. K., Justice, L. M. & Cabell, S. Q. (2010). Electronic versus traditional storybooks: Relative influence on preschool children’s engagement and communication. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 10(3), 294-313.
5. Parish-Morris, J., Mahajan, N., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Michnick Golinkoff, R. & Fuller Collins, M. (2013. Once upon a time: Parent-child dialogue and storybook reading in the electronic era. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(3): 200-211.
6. Salmon, L. (2014). Factors that affect emergent literacy development when engaging with electronic books. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42:85-92.
7. Korat, O. & Or, T. (2010). How new technology influences parent-child interaction: The case of e-book reading. First Language, 30(2), 139-154.
8. de Jong, M. T. & Bus, A. G. (2002). Quality of book-reading matters for emergent readers: An experiment with the same book in a regular or electronic format. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(1), 145-155.
9. Smeet, D. J. H. & Bus, A. G. (2014). The interactive animated e-book as a word learning device for kindergarteners. Applied Psycholinguistics, available on CJO2014. doi:10.1017/S0142716413000556.
10. Cahill, M. & McGill-Franzen, A. (2013). Selecting “app“-ealing and “app”-ropriate book apps for beginning readers. The Reading Teacher, 67(1): 30-39.
11. Korat, O., Shamir, A. & Arbiv, L. (2011). E-books as support for emergent writing with and without adult assistance. Education and Information Technologies, 16, 301-318.
12. Greenberg, J. & Weitzman, E. (2014). I’m Ready! How to prepare your child for reading success. Toronto: The Hanen Centre.

The Hanen Centre is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization with a global reach. Its mission is to provide parents, caregivers, early childhood educators and speech-language pathologists with the knowledge and training they need to help young children develop the best possible language, social and literacy skills. This includes children who have or are at risk for language delays, those with developmental challenges such as autism, and those who are developing typically.

For more information, visit www.hanen.org

Click on the links below to learn more about how Hanen can help you help children communicate:

By Brooke Thompson

With the creation of the e-reader, be it a kindle or a nook, there has been an ongoing debate over which book format makes reading better for youngsters―books or e-books. While both have advantages, the question has divided book lovers, parents, and educators everywhere.

However, with the current pandemic, there has been a rise in e-books, causing these same groups to rethink their stance on them. While nothing beats the smell of a new paperback or the impressive display of books on a shelf, there is something satisfying about being able to read a book whenever―be it on your phone, laptop, kindle, etc.

But that brings us back to the question: which is better for youth literature―a physical book or an e-book? After doing some research, I have compiled a list of five advantages and disadvantages of e-books compared to printed books that are worth checking out.

Which is Better for Youth Literature: E-Books or Books?

Advantages of E-Books

1) They don’t take up space

One major advantage of e-books is that they do not take up physical space. You or your child have the ability to carry an entire library in your pocket. This comes in handy if you are going to be traveling and need to keep your children entertained for a couple of hours.

Being able to bring a “library” gives your youngsters endless reading options, and the best part is that you do not have to worry about keeping track of all those books―just the one chosen reading device.

Also, another advantage of having e-books is that you and your children can keep your book collection. While there is no such thing as having too many books, the fact that e-books do not occupy physical space means you can acquire more books without the fear of one day losing them or (heaven forbid) getting rid of them. Readers of all ages can keep their beloved books to revisit whenever they feel like it.

2) Cheaper alternative to physical books

Let’s face it―books are expensive, and kids can be voracious readers. While hardback picture books can be between $5-$12, the average hardback chapter book can cost anywhere between $15-$25. That’s enough for a decent meal at a restaurant!

E-books are a cheaper option for those who do not want to spend a fortune on physical books. That aforementioned $15-$25 hardback suddenly becomes $6-$10 as an e-book. The difference in prices between the two mediums is crazy!

This fact comes in handy when kids get into books that are in a series. You can find many beloved book series for children in elementary and middle grades in e-book format.

Buying physical books can get expensive, regardless of whether you purchase paperbacks or hardbacks. However, with e-books, you can buy two or three at a time to keep your children occupied.

You may also like: Remarkable Benefits of Taking Children to the Library

3) You don’t have to leave your house to buy an e-book

Another great thing about e-books is that you do not have to leave your house to buy them. Let’s say your teen just finished a book and wants the next one in the series, or their favorite author just released a new book and they are DYING to read it.

But what’s this? The nearest bookstore is on the other side of town or you don’t have the time to go buy it. Have no fear! Many apps and websites like Amazon, Walmart, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads all have a feature where you can buy it with a click of your mouse or a tap of your finger.

An e-book bought through a website or app has the advantage of always being in stock, and you can buy it in a matter of seconds. Now you don’t have the hassle of waiting in line or worrying about the book selling out.

The best part about this whole situation is that your teenager now has immediate access to the book and can continue the next installment of their favorite YA book series.

4) E-books have interactive tools

If you are reading a story to your kid or having your child read a book aloud, one awesome feature with e-books is that you can interact with the e-book’s text. This includes two features: a built-in dictionary and the text-to-speech option.

The built-in dictionary comes in handy whenever a young reader asks what a particular word means, and you are unsure how to explain its definition.

The text-to-speech feature is another useful tool. If your preschooler is struggling to pronounce a word, they can click or tap on the word, and the device will say it for them. This can be especially beneficial when they are learning how to read. You can also highlight the text, write notes, and customize the appearance of the font.

5) They can improve your child’s literacy skills

Since we live in the technology era, it can be difficult to get your child to sit down and read a physical book. Although studies have shown that children tend to grasp information better when given a physical book versus an e-reader, ebooks are still a valid tool to support children’s learning.

This is partly due to the aforementioned interactive features, such as the built-in dictionary, the text-to-speech tool, and the ability to control the font size. If a kid has poor eyesight or a learning disability, reading a physical book can be daunting with its small font and wall of text.

However, with an e-book, they can adjust the font size to help them see the text, and they can easily break up that wall of text.

Disadvantages of E-Books

1) Children (and adults) tend to forget the information from an e-book

Extensive research has shown that when given both an e-book and a physical book, people were more likely to remember what they had read from the printed book versus what they had read on a screen.

The same can be said for children. While reading on e-readers can be more immersive and interactive than printed books, physical copies allow children to focus more on the material itself than on a screen.

The studies suggest that this has to do with the way both children and adults hold a book. The turning of the pages, reading left to right, and having a physical measure of how far you have read stimulates the senses and makes the reader pay attention to what is happening in the story.

Additionally, some e-books come with music, games, and animations. While these features might make the story more interactive, it also has the potential to distract young readers from what is happening in the story. The children are more interested in the moving pictures or which button creates which sound, instead of connecting these features with the text.

2) E-books lack aesthetic appeal

What makes physical books better than e-books is their appeal to aesthetics. When we purchase a book―be it for our children or ourselves, whether it is brand new or used, there is a particular smell that is very pleasing to the senses. We are drawn to the beautiful covers, and enjoy the heft of a physical book.

If your child is a hands-on learner, opening a book up and flipping through the smooth pages provides them a sense of accomplishment as they get closer to the book’s end. On some e-readers, there is a percent sign that shows a reader’s progress while others give you actual page numbers. However, e-books do not offer much encouragement to finish the book compared to a physical book.

3) E-books require a digital device

One major disadvantage of e-books is that they require a device to be read on. While physical books, for the most part, can withstand a fall, e-readers and other devices are expensive and can easily break with one drop. This drawback makes parents hesitant to give their young children an e-reading device.

E-readers have a limited lifespan and their batteries require charging. As technological devices, they are prone to lengthy updates and system failures. This aspect of e-readers can be especially frustrating when your child is in the middle of a good story and all of a sudden their e-reader decides to malfunction and shut off.

Printed books do not have a battery life and are pretty durable. As long as your child has a decent light source and a comfy spot, books provide hours of entertainment without the fear that the battery is low or that they will randomly shut off.

4) You can’t share e-books

The idea behind books was that their information is meant to be shared. People have used books to converse with or to educate others. Children are no different. Lending a book to a friend builds trust and later invites a lively discussion about characters, plot, or the ideas the story presents. Thus, this strengthens their social skills and helps them bond with their peers since they now share a common interest.

Unfortunately, e-books can’t be shared. While most e-readers allow you to “give” an e-book to someone, you won’t be able to receive your book back.

5) E-books can cause eye strain

Studies have shown that e-books can cause eye strain. With society growing more reliant on technology, eye strain is becoming a huge problem. Staring at a screen for hours at a time can tire children, make them forget information, and can potentially cause vision problems.

Also, using an e-reader or any screen before bedtime can cause “screen insomnia.” When reading in the dark, the light coming from the e-reader’s screen confuses the child’s body into thinking it’s daytime and keeps them awake.

Therefore, it is important to have children take breaks from screens (including e-readers) and read with a light on to prevent screen insomnia.

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Final Thoughts on Books and E-Books for Youth Literature

There is no right answer in the debate between books and e-books. While one reader may prefer the convenience of e-books, another may appreciate the physical presence of books. Likewise, the prices of e-books, books, and e-readers may also be a deciding factor when you purchase reading material for yourself or your child.

While books and e-books both have their drawbacks, they still encourage children to read and forge relationships with fellow book lovers. Books are always a way for children to learn, grow, and have fun. So no matter the type of book you give them to read, never stop giving them books!

What do you think? Do you prefer books to e-books or vice versa? What about books and e-books for youth literature? Which format does your child prefer to read? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.