One of the big debates today is about reading on screen v reading ‘real books’. At Lovemybooks we are committed to parents sharing real books with their children as any visitor to our site will see! However sharing books on screen is valuable too and lots of fun; there are some exciting story apps available. Our top ten apps are here.
We asked Natalia Kukirkova, a researcher into digital literacy at UCL her advice for parents:
‘As the e-book spreads into children’s publishing, some look in terror at the thought of our children forgetting what an actual book is as they fall for their new devices. Today’s children access texts in multiple formats and fluidly navigate reading on screen and off screen. Reading on screen is part of children’s contemporary reading practices and significantly contributes to their creative learning.
It is not a question of book or e-book for children -the two can complement each other. What is important is that children share their love for stories with others and that parents and teachers help them choose carefully.
My favourite story app is Our Story. This is a freely available app for teachers, parents and young children interested in creating their own multimedia stories developed at the Open University. A link with ideas for activities is here.
Natalia also gave us a list of other useful websites and resources:
For help finding good quality digital books and reading-related apps see ‘Literacy Apps’ created by The National Literacy Trust
The UKLA Children’s Digital Book Award, judged by teachers includes information on what ‘counts’ as a high-quality digital book:
See below for video guidance for parents interested in reading with their children digitally, from the Children’s Reading On Screen RSA Catalyst project .
A summary of tips for reading with children on screen is available here.
If you are interested in contributing to a bank of video examples showcasing positive learning experiences with children’s digital books, please contact Natalia at: n.kucirkova@ucl.ac.uk
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