Study: Read e-books to your kids to increase their vocabulary
Children with average and lower vocabularies reading e-books learn more with an adult reader than pre-recorded voice
December
5, 2016
Toronto,
ON – A study by researchers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in
Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto shows that four-year-olds with
average and lower vocabulary skills learn more effectively with an adult
reading an eBook to them versus relying solely on the eBook’s voiceover.
Adult
reader versus e-book voiceover
In
the study, four-year-olds either interacted with a digital book on their own
using the book’s voiceover, or an adult read them the same book. The book
was teaching children about biological camouflage.
Overall,
preschoolers learned about camouflage from both books. But, when researchers
divided the four-year-olds into two groups – one group with children of higher
than average vocabulary level, and one group of children with average and lower
English vocabularies – they found that the children with average and lower
English vocabularies showed poorer comprehension when the book read itself.
Interaction
is key
Dr.
Patricia Ganea, Associate Professor of early cognitive development at the Dr.
Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study at OISE, says the results highlight that
young children are best supported in their learning when they are in
interaction with others, especially parents or other caregivers.
“These
findings are important since they show that children at risk for low
comprehension benefit from having an adult read with them, rather than being
left to learn from the digital device on their own,” said Ganea. “Choosing high
quality apps is only part of the equation. Reading along with the child can
also increase learning.”
Dr.
Gabrielle Strouse, a postdoctoral fellow who worked with Ganea on the study,
and who is now at the University of South Dakota, agreed.
“Children
may learn from digital media on their own, but parents still play an important
role in children’s learning. Parents can enhance what children take away from
digital media by asking questions, directing their attention to relevant
information and participating with them in the media interaction,” Strouse
added.
Children’s
comprehension tested
The
study was conducted by giving children a pre-test about biological camouflage
using pictures of animals. Children were then read an e-book about camouflage
by the e-book voiceover or by an adult. Afterward, children were asked
questions about camouflage using replica lizard and turtles in tanks. They
were asked to identify which animals would be seen by a predator, which tank
they would put an animal in so it would not be seen, and to explain their
choices.
Overall,
researchers found the e-book to be an effective tool for teaching children the
new biological concept:
- Overall, 74% of children explained their answers in terms of camouflage at the post-test, compared to 2% at pre-test
- Children with above-average vocabularies did well on the camouflage post-test regardless of whether the adult or the book read to them.
- However, children with average and lower vocabularies did particularly poorly when read to by the book’s voiceover
Also
noteworthy, the findings are consistent with the emphasis on parent co-use of
media in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ newly updated guidelines on
children’s media exposure.
Parents
The
following parents have children who have participated in similar studies about
technology and learning. These parents are available to speak with media about
how their children experience computers, e-books and other forms of electronic
media:
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan & Co
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