Technology and Literacy

As technology progresses there becomes new resources available to us that aid in teaching literacy to children. Many scholars have started researching to better understand how electronic devices such as e-books have changed literacy in the early years of a child's development. In this post I will explore the advantages and disadvantages of engaging in reading activities with children through the use of both print texts, and e-books. I will conclude by identifying which resource I feel better promotes literacy for children

In the text "Digital, Hybrid, and Multilingual literacies in early childhood" by Aria Razfar and Eunah Yang we learn about a study that was conducted where a middle class Korean mother reads both print books and e-books to her children in order to identify the differences in these interactions. She observes that out of the two resources, the interaction with the print book lasts longer. This could be because the children are able to physically interact with the pictures on the page and are able to flip the pages themselves. Here reading is a more active activity than when children sit passively and watch a book being read electronically on a device. One strength that I see with print based media is that you have greater control over the pace of the reading. A parent or teacher is able to stop reading if they feel the child needs an additional explaination, or if they would like to ask the child comprehension questions. This is an important part of reading that Shirley Brice Heath discusses in her text "What No Bedtime Story Means." She argues that the most important part of reading with your child is the conversations that take place about the text because this helps children to practice the kind of thinking that teachers demand when they ask questions in the classroom. Heath argues that children's literacy skills suffer when they are "not encouraged to move their understanding of books into other situational contexts or to apply it in their general knowledge of the world about them" (328). Children get less of on opportunity to have these discussions about a book when they are reading an e-book and are listening to it being read to them from beginning to end. 


A strength that I can see with using e-books though is that children who do not like reading may be more inclined to do so if they are able to use a technological device that makes reading more exciting for them. The child's interest in the technology itself, however, can be something that can distract from the actual story. A strength of this resource that is highlighted by Razfar and Yang is the fact that through e-books children become more independent and gain control over their learning environment. With an e-book a child does not need an adult to read with them, and is able to read all on their own. This is positive because it allows children to be less dependent on adults and teaches them that they are capable of doing things on their own.  The negative aspect of this independance, however, is that children miss out on the bonding opportunity of cuddling up and reading with their parent. This closeness is an important aspect of the interactionof reading, and it may have a negative impact on the relationship between the parent and child.


There are many things to consider when deciding which resource is best for helping children to read. I personally believe that both resources are valuable, however there may be situations were one is more appropriate and advantageous than the other. I believe that it may be better to introduce reading and literacy to children using text based books, and then give children e-books once they are older and the foundation of their knowedge of reading has already been laid. This way they do not miss out on the chance to bond with their family, which text based literature offers, and are able to participate in reading as a social activity. This may help to foster a love for reading that will stay with them as they grow.




Sources:

Heath, S. B. (1982/2001). What no bedtime story means: Narrative skills at home and school. In A. Duranti (Ed.), Linguistic anthropology: A reader (pp. 318-342). Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Razfar, A., & Yang, E. (2010). Digital, hybrid, & multilingual literacies in early childhood. Language Arts, 88(2), 114-24.