Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/its-hard-to-wait-caregiver-and-child-interactions-within-e-book-reading-experiences/5024049/
Technology has changed the way that we access information. It has also changed how many people connect and communicate with one another socially. These changes have come about so quickly in recent years that research has struggled to keep up with questions about the implications for young children. While there seems to be great potential for technology to support learning, this gap in research can leave parents and educators uncertain about how to engage with children in appropriate and supportive technology-mediated experiences. Years of research with printed media have proven that reading together with young children supports emerging language and literacy. Because of this, we propose that an electronic book (e-book) reading experience is one type of technology-mediated experience that parents and teachers might feel comfortable sharing with children even in the very real context of rapid technological change; after all, reading together can be viewed as an important social and cultural experience for children (Rogoff, 2003). Despite the possible familiarity of sharing a book, though, what should parents and teachers consider when choosing and sharing an e-book that might be different from choosing a print book?
The research summarized here, originally published in the Journal of Literacy ...