by Craig Pohlman, Ph.D., Senior Clinical Scholar, All Kinds of Minds
The Information Age has brought the phenomenon of electronic-literacy, or e-literacy. The basic idea of e-literacy is that the reader uses a computer or other digital device. E-literacy includes not only equipment (like the Kindle or other electronic readers), but also the software through which the text is conveyed. What are the implications of e-literacy for beginning readers and those with neurodevelopmental weaknesses that make decoding and comprehension challenging?
Scant research to date has explored how reading e-books affects literacy development, especially in comparison to physical books. Anyone who has watched beginning readers can appreciate how the tactile experience of handling a physical book adds to the reading experience (think about reading children such classics as “Goodnight Moon” and “Where the Wild Things Are” and flipping pages, pointing to pictures, sharing thoughts, and so on). Physical books are fun to collect and display on shelves. Going to the library can be an important social experience. Physical books never need to be recharged.
While research may end up confirming the benefits of physical books for beginning readers, e-literacy software has some important advantages to consider. “E-literacy applications can offer motivational opportunities for young children to engage with text in fun and exciting ways,” says early literacy expert Dr. Marnie Ginsberg, “ideally with a parent or caregiver exploring with them.” As with traditional reading, e-literacy applications are most effective for new readers when they are shared. Such applications often include multi-media effects and interactive features (like click-controlled animation). Though these kinds of e-literacy elements can support the narrative, they also can distract the reader, especially those with weak processing controls of attention. “Adult interaction can help young readers make better use of these kinds of features,” explains Dr. Ginsberg.
The read-aloud feature of many e-literacy applications is crucial. Dr. Ginsberg notes that young children really benefit from being read to and hearing the sounds of the words. Read-aloud applications can provide auditory input to complement text. For older readers struggling with decoding, read-aloud can support word attack and make content more accessible. “Talking books can serve as a bridge into decoding and word identification by reducing the cognitive burden of the task,” since the software provides auditory support, explains Dr. Ginsberg. Tackling more challenging text with such support, “increases the child’s feeling of success, which builds reading motivation.” The website Starfall.com is one example of an online-service that meets the needs of early readers through e-literacy.
Not only is e-literacy here to stay, it will gain prominence for skilled readers, those struggling with neurodevelopmental weaknesses, and early readers. E-literacy enables easier access to a huge amount of content that could potentially be tagged for a reader’s skill level and affinities. E-literacy applications also can provide instructional supports, such as audio pronunciation help, links to word definitions, and embedded video. The benefits of physical books, particularly for young readers, are compelling enough that they are likely here to stay as well. As a result, the future of literacy will likely include both e-literacy and physical books.
Dr. Marnie Ginsberg is an Investigator at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Dr. Ginsberg has tutored young children, taught teachers best practices in literacy development, and conducted research on early literacy.
