AERA Study @ suggest that both digital stories and reading storybooks in person present opportunities for learning vocabulary and comprehension
The
content of a children’s book – not its form as a print book or a digital book –
predicts how well children understand a story, finds a new NYU Steinhardt
study.
The
findings, presented on May 1 at the American Educational Research Association’s
annual meeting in San Antonio, suggest that both digital stories and reading
storybooks in person present opportunities for learning vocabulary and comprehension.
Given
the rich language in books, reading aloud storybooks is an important activity
for engaging children and developing their early literacy skills.
It
has been less than clear what role digital storybooks – which have grown in
popularity in recent years – play in this learning. Earlier research suggests
that digitized stories and videos can provide a context for engaging children
in vocabulary and comprehension learning activities, as they can bring stories
to life through sound, action, and multimedia supports like defining tricky
words.
“Although
nothing can replace the interactivity that comes from a live read aloud
experience between an adult and child, there are certain features in video that
might enhance word learning, especially for children with limited vocabulary,”
said Susan B. Neuman,
professor of childhood and literacy education at NYU Steinhardt and the study’s
coauthor.
However,
there has been increasing concern regarding children’s ability to comprehend
stories in this form. Research has found that children learn better through
interactions with a live person than with video presentations. This learning
difference, demonstrated in numerous studies with infants and toddlers, has
been coined the “video deficit.”
In
the face of overwhelming evidence on the “video deficit,” screen time has been
discouraged among infants and toddlers. Nevertheless, children still
engage with televisions, tablets, and phones. A 2013 study found that in
a typical day, 83 percent of children ages six months to six years use some
form of screen media.
Is
the “video deficit” still present as children grow into preschoolers? The
current study, funded by Amazon, examined children’s word learning and comprehension
from stories read aloud and in digital form. It sought to determine whether
there are differences in children’s vocabulary and comprehension, as well as
their interest in stories, depending on the medium.
The
researchers engaged 38 preschool children ages 3 to 4 years in listening to
four storybooks: two in digital form and two print books read aloud. The
digital stories came from Speakaboos, a digital library of interactive stories
targeted to preschoolers and kindergartners. Each story had animated pages that
turned, characters that moved with the action of the story, and text that lit
up during the narration. The researchers carefully adapted the four digital
stories into printed books that were read aloud by an adult.
The
children heard all four stories, but were randomly assigned to hear and watch
two on a tablet, while two were read aloud by an adult. Following each story,
children completed tasks measuring their story comprehension, vocabulary, and
motivation for reading across media formats.
To
measure comprehension, the children were asked to name story elements like the
setting, characters, event, plot or theme, and the story’s resolution. They
were also asked to sequence the story by putting the events in the correct
order.
The
researchers found no significant differences across medium. Children
comprehended equally well regardless of whether the story was read aloud or in
digital form. Similarly, there were no differences in motivation to read and
learn.
“What
was most striking in our findings were the similarities, not the contrasts, in
children’s responses to the medium of instruction,” said Kevin M. Wong, a
doctoral student in the Department of Teaching and Learning at NYU Steinhart
and the study’s coauthor.
There
were, however, differences in comprehension across stories, with children
having more limited understanding of certain stories than others. This suggests
that neither medium was able to bolster children’s comprehension when the story
was perceived to be difficult or not motivating, and it is the content of the
book rather than its form that influenced story comprehension.
Therefore,
the “video deficit” – while present with very young children – may no longer be
a stumbling block to comprehension for children in the preschool years.
“It’s
possible that when it comes to books, we have overestimated the means of
delivery and have underestimated the importance of the content conveyed in the
media. Although certainly not a substitute for parent-child interactive
reading, digital stories from quality media sources may represent an important
source of learning for young children,” Neuman said.
Tanya
Kaefer of Lakehead University’s Department of Education also coauthored the
study. Image credit: quintanilla
Regards
Pralhad Jadhav
Senior Manager @
Knowledge Repository
Khaitan
& Co
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