Their teacher can't be an app: Preschoolers' listening comprehension of digital storybooks

Abstract

This study sought to determine the relationship among student-and task-level variables at play in the digital storybook listening experiences of 130 English-speaking preschoolers at risk of reading failure. Specifically, this study investigated the relationship among the (1) features of computer-based electronic storybooks, (2) preschoolers' competency in the task environment, and (3) preschoolers' background knowledge with respect to listening comprehension outcomes following a single digital storybook listening experience. The results indicate significant and strong relationships among the three variables under investigation and their consequent understanding of the digital storybook (i.e. explicit and implicit/inferential content related to the plot). The preschoolers' topic knowledge was the best predictor of comprehension. In addition, the interaction between the features of the e-book and the preschoolers' competency in the task environment also significantly predicted the outcome.

Brain connectivity in children is increased by the time they spend reading books and decreased by the length of exposure to screen‐based media

“…Potential catalysts include decreased verbal interaction with grown‐up caregivers and passive media occupying potential reading time. While screen‐based media, such as apps and television programmes, are often advertised as educational and interactive , there is little evidence of such benefits . It is intriguing to speculate whether the well‐cited benefits of both shared and independent reading practices are influenced by traditional versus screen‐based formats and this would be worth considering for future research.…”

“…The documented negative effects of screen time, which includes the use of screen‐based media such as smartphones, tablets, desktop or laptop computers and television, include language delay , obesity , decreased readiness for kindergarten and other academic problems and exacerbation of attention deficit hyperactive disorder . It has been proposed that major drivers of these effects are decreased engagement with grown‐up caregivers and the displacement of active endeavours such as reading, homework and creative play . Imaging‐based studies have also shown neurobiological correlates of screen time in children, including grey matter and white matter cortical atrophy , lower cortico‐striatal functional connectivity and increased cortical thickness in nonlanguage areas, accompanied by lower intelligence .…”

Effects of Teacher- Versus Application-Delivered Instruction on the Expressive Vocabulary of At-Risk Preschool Children

“…The use of various electronic platforms to promote children's vocabulary learning is a needed area for further inquiry and empirical validation. Recent research including interventions delivered via digital platforms (i.e., electronic storybooks with varying interactive features) provides evidence for these platforms to support vocabulary learning in both preschool and kindergarten populations (Paciga, 2015;Shamir et al, 2012;Smeets & Bus, 2012, 2015. For example, a study comparing an interventionist-led condition versus an automated condition on preschool children's learning of novel, complex vocabulary found children learned novel words under both conditions (Bass & Barron, 2014).…”

Cartografía de la investigación en lectura digital. Las investigaciones de Territorio Ebook en el contexto internacional

“…En este caso el objetivo era analizar si la relación entre las funcionalidades de los libros electrónicos, la experiencia en el entorno en el que se realizan las tareas y los conocimientos previos existentes, son capaces de generar impacto en la capacidad de comprender un formato de narrativa de cuento de hadas en formato digital (Paciga 2015). En este caso participaron en el experimento 130 alumnos con edades entre 3 y 5 años.…”

“…Posteriormente a la lectura, los participantes expresaron verbalmente su comprensión de la narrativa. Los resultados de esta investigación revelaron que existe una fuerte relación entre las tres variables, que en conjunto ayudan a una mejor comprensión del texto (Paciga 2015). Por lo tanto, es extremadamente positiva la interacción de los niños con los libros electrónicos, sin embargo, siempre hay que tener en cuenta su relación con los demás factores.…”