Electronic books versus adult readers
Lecturer
We compared the effects of children's reading of an educational electronic storybook on their
emergent literacy with those of being read the same story in its printed version by an adult.We
investigated 128 5- to 6-year-old kindergarteners; 64 children from each of two socio-economic
status (SES) groups: low (LSES) and middle (MSES). In each group, children were randomly
assigned to one of three subgroups. The two intervention groups included three book reading
sessions each; children in one group individually read the electronic book; in the second group,
the children were read the same printed book by an adult; children in the third group, which
served as a control, received the regular kindergarten programme. Pre- and post-intervention
emergent literacy measures included vocabulary, word recognition and phonological
awareness. Compared with the control group, the children's vocabulary scores in both intervention groups improved following reading activity. Children from both interventions groups and both SES groups showed a similarly good level of story comprehension. In both SES groups, compared with the control group, children's phonological awareness and word recognition did not improve following both reading interventions. Implications for future research and for education are discussed.
emergent literacy with those of being read the same story in its printed version by an adult.We
investigated 128 5- to 6-year-old kindergarteners; 64 children from each of two socio-economic
status (SES) groups: low (LSES) and middle (MSES). In each group, children were randomly
assigned to one of three subgroups. The two intervention groups included three book reading
sessions each; children in one group individually read the electronic book; in the second group,
the children were read the same printed book by an adult; children in the third group, which
served as a control, received the regular kindergarten programme. Pre- and post-intervention
emergent literacy measures included vocabulary, word recognition and phonological
awareness. Compared with the control group, the children's vocabulary scores in both intervention groups improved following reading activity. Children from both interventions groups and both SES groups showed a similarly good level of story comprehension. In both SES groups, compared with the control group, children's phonological awareness and word recognition did not improve following both reading interventions. Implications for future research and for education are discussed.
Korat, O., & Shamir, A. (2007).
Electronic books versus adult readers: Effects on children's emergent literacy as a function of social class. Journal of Computer Assissted Learning, 23 (3), 248-259.
Last Updated Date : 20/12/2011
