There isn’t a lot of research about the impact of electronic reading on kids. In general, if your kids are reading — and not getting distracted by the highly interactive features some e-books have — then you should encourage them no matter which format they prefer.
Some useful guidance about how e-reading affects kids comes from a study by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center:
—If your goal is literacy-building, choose basic e-books and printed books.
—To engage reluctant readers, choose enhanced books with multimedia features.
—To help English-language learners, kids with special needs, and busy kids who don’t have a lot of time, opt for audiobooks.
Reading is the one activity that’s consistently cited as universally beneficial for all aspects of kids’ lives. Providing a broad selection of both print and electronic books is probably the best route toward general literacy skills.
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Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.
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