Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Preschoolers explore interactive storybook apps: The effect on word recognition and story comprehension

  • Published:
Education and Information Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two experiments explored the effects of reading digital storybooks on tablet computers with 25 preschoolers, aged 4–5. In the first experiment, the students’ word recognition scores were found to increase significantly more when students explored a digital storybook and employed the read-aloud function than when they were read to from a comparable print book. Their comprehension scores did not change significantly in the two conditions. In Experiment 2, the same students explored digital storybooks with more animation embedded in them. The students listened to the read aloud function on the tablet computer and explored digital storybooks in both conditions, but in one condition a teacher guided the talk about the story. Contrary to expectations, the students’ word recognition and story comprehension scores were higher in the independent condition than in the guided condition. One explanation for the higher word recognition scores when students were reading with the tablet computer is the effect of multimedia, like hotspots and/or text tracking. Although digital storybooks are not a substitute for adult interaction, these preschoolers learned surprisingly well on their own. The importance of digital storybook design, as well as what elements to look for in an e-book to encourage literacy learning are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Buckleitner, W. (2014). Kindle versus iPad: Which tablet is best for kids? New York Times. Retrieved from http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/27/kindle-versus-ipad-which-tablet-is-best-for-kids/?_r=0.

  • Bus, A. G., Takacs, Z. K., & Kegel, C. A. T. (2014). Affordances and limitations of electronic storybooks for young children’s emergent literacy. Developmental Review, 35, 79–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassidy, J., & Grote-Garcia, S. (2014). What’s hot and what’s not in literacy for 2015. Reading Today, 32(2), 6–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiong, C., Ree, J., Takeuchi, L., & Erickson, I. (2012). Print books vs e-books. Comparing parent-child co-reading on print, basic and enhanced e-book platforms. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop Retrieved from http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/jgcc_ebooks_quickreport.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clay, M. (1993). An observation survey of early literacy achievement. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, M. T., & Bus, A. G. (2002). Quality of book-reading matters for emergent readers: an experiment with the same book in a regular or electronic format. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 145–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, M. T., & Bus, A. G. (2003). How suitable are electronic books to support literacy? Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 3, 147–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson, D. K., & Tabors, O. (1991). Beginning literacy with language. Baltimore: Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebook usage in U.S. school (k-12) libraries. (2014). Fifth Annual Survey. Library Journal/School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/WebVault/ebooks/LJSLJ_EbookUsage_SchoolLibraries_2014.pdf.

  • Ehri, L. C., & Sweet, J. (1991). Fingerpoint-reading of memorized text: what enables beginners to process the print? Reading Research Quarterly, 26, 442–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, J., Schumm, J. S., Coffland, C., & Doucette, M. (1992). Effects of inconsiderate vs. considerate text on elementary students’ vocabulary learning. Reading Psychology, 13(2), 157–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guernsey, L., Levine, M., Chiong, C., & Severns, M. (2012). Pioneering literacy in the digital wild west: Empowering parents and educators. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop Retrieved from http://www.joangan-zcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/GLR_TechnologyGuide_final.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Korat, O. (2010). Reading electronic books as a support for vocabulary, story comprehension and word reading in kindergarten and first grade. Computers & Education, 55, 24–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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 Assisted Learning, 23, 248–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korat, O., & Shamir, A. (2008). The educational electronic book as a tool for supporting children's emergent literacy in low versus middle SES groups. Computers & Education, 50(1), 110–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labbo, L. D., & Kuhn, M. R. (2000). Weaving chains of affect and cognition: a young child’s understanding of CD-ROM talking books. Journal of Literacy Research, 32, 187–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, C. (2000). Exploring the effects of talking book software in UK primary classrooms. Journal of Research in Reading, 23(2), 149–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, R. E. (2003). The promise of multimedia learning: using the same instructional design methods across different media. Learning and Instruction, 13, 125–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational Psychologist, 38, 43–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, E. B., & Warschauer, M. (2013). Young children and e-reading: Research to date and questions for the future. Learning, Media and. Technology, 39(3), 1–23.

  • Morris, D. (1993). The relationship between children’s concept of word in text and phoneme awareness in learning to read: a longitudinal study. Research in the Teaching of English, 27, 133–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, M. E. (2014). Why some schools are selling all their iPads. The Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/08/whats-the-best-device-for-interactive-learning/375567/.

  • Neumann, M. M. & Neumann, D. L. (2015). The use of touch-screen tablets at home and pre-school to foster emergent literacy. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 0(0), 1–18. doi:10.1177/1468798415619773.

  • Parish-Morris, J., Mahajan, M., Hirsch-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Collins, M. F. (2013). Once upon a time: parent–child dialogue and storybook reading in the electronic era. Mind Brain and Education, 7(3), 200–211. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260279630_Once_Upon_a_Time_Parent-Child_Dialogue_and_Storybook_Reading_in_the_Electronic_Era.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segers, E., Nooijen, M., & de Moor, J. (2006). Computer vocabulary training in kindergarten children with special needs. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 29, 343–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smeets, D., & Bus, A. G. (2013). Picture storybooks go digital: Pros and cons. In S. Neuman & L. Gambrell (Eds.), Quality reading instruction in the age of common core standards (pp. 176–189). Newark: International Reading Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Smeets, D. J. H., & Bus, A. G. (2014). The interactive animated e-book as a word learning device for kindergartners. Applied PsychoLinguistics, 36(4), 899–920.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sweller, J. (2005). Implications of cognitive load theory for multimedia learning. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (pp. 19–30). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Takacs, Z. K., Swart, E. K., & Bus, A. G. (2015). Benefits and pitfalls of multimedia and interactive features in technology-enhanced storybooks: a meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 85(4), 698–739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verhallen, J., Bus, A. G., & de Jong, M. T. (2006). The promise of multimedia stories for kindergarten children at risk. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(2), 410–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verhallen, J., & Bus, A. G. (2010). Low-income immigrant pupils learning vocabulary through digital picture storybooks. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102, 54–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F. L., Lonigan, C. G., Fischel, J. E., DeBaryshe, B. D., Valdez-Menchaca, M. C., et al. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental Psychology, 24, 552–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yaden D. B., Smolkin L. B. & MacGillivray L. (1993). A psychogenetic perspective on children’s understanding about letter associations during alphabet book reading. Journal of Reading Behavior, 25, 43–68.

  • Zipke, M. (2013). Building an ebook library: resources for finding the best apps. The Reading Teacher, 67(5), 375–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, A., Moody, K., & McKenna, M. (2009). The effects of electronic books on prekindergarten-to-grade 5 students’ literacy and language outcomes: a research synthesis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 40, 47–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Literature cited

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Elementary/Special Education, Providence College, Providence, RI, USA

    Marcy Zipke

Authors
  1. Marcy Zipke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcy Zipke.

Appendix

Appendix

Word Recognition Task (Target word in parenthesis)

Tacky Goes to Camp

  1. 1.

    (scary) sorry, scary, yours, share

  2. 2.

    (bear) bins, ribs, bear, bread

  3. 3.

    (tent) tent, tiny, den, taught

  4. 4.

    (camp) cap, cape, kept, camp

  5. 5.

    (summer) sunny, winter, summer, soccer

Tacky In Trouble

  1. 1.

    (rock) roll, rock, ruckus

  2. 2.

    (flowers) flops, flowers, roses, hours

  3. 3.

    (penguin) porcupine, pencil, guitar, penguin

  4. 4.

    (hopped) hopped, helped, dolled, hooked

  5. 5.

    (shirt) shoot, shirt, right, short

The Monster at the End of This Book

  1. 1.

    (book) cook, book, brake, bake

  2. 2.

    (pages) pages, palace, jest, pest

  3. 3.

    (strong) stop, weak, gross, strong

  4. 4.

    (end) dry, begin, end, east

  5. 5.

    (scared) soured, scared, smile, drier

Another Monster at the End of the Book

  1. 1.

    (please) peace, please, plump, thank you

  2. 2.

    (little) little, lost, small, Elmo

  3. 3.

    (steel) stump, still, lean, steel

  4. 4.

    (jump) joy, pump, jump, jug

  5. 5.

    (you) yum, you, up, yo

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zipke, M. Preschoolers explore interactive storybook apps: The effect on word recognition and story comprehension. Educ Inf Technol 22, 1695–1712 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9513-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9513-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation