Reading print books to toddlers is better than e-books

Study finds higher quality interactions between parents and young children while reading traditional books over digital apps. 

12:20 PM

Author | Beata Mostafavi

Father and son laying on floor reading a book together
Stock Image

When it comes to reading to young children, huddling together over a good old-fashioned book is still better than story time on a tablet, new research suggests.

Researchers examined interactions between 72 parents with their toddlers ages 24-36 months and compared interactions while reading tablet apps versus traditional children's books.

Parents talked more to their children – with children in turn responding to them more –while reading the print version, according to the study in Pediatrics. Children more prone to emotional outbursts also responded to their parents better when reading from a book.

MORE FROM THE LAB: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

"Parent-child interactions through shared reading promote language development and literacy and may also benefit friendships, school success and other child development outcomes later in life," said lead author Tiffany Munzer, M.D., a behavioral developmental pediatrician at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

The new study supports Munzer's earlier findings indicating that when parents and children read print books, they talk more frequently, and the quality of their interactions are better than when they read electronic books.

Ninety-eight percent of families of children under age nine own a cell phone or tablet, and toddlers spend on average over two hours per day using digital media.

"Tablets and mobile devices are prominent fixtures in modern family life, but they aren't as educational or valuable to children's development as traditional books," Munzer said.  

She said software designers creating e-reading material for children should seek input from trained early childhood specialists to cater the delivery of content for children and eliminate distractions like animations and ads.

Children's health providers should also help guide parents on media use.

"Pediatricians should continue to recommend that parents co-view digital media with their children when possible, ask open-ended questions and talk during reading time to help their children engage and learn," Munzer said.

Like Podcasts? Add the Michigan Medicine News Break on iTunes or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Additional authors include Jenny Radesky, M.D., Alison L. Miller, Ph.D., Samantha Yeo, B.A., Yujie Wang, M.S., Harlan McCaffery, M.S., and Niko Kaciroti, Ph.D., all of University of Michigan.

Study Cited: "Parent verbalizations and toddler responses with touchscreen tablet nursery rhyme apps," Pediatrics, DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-049964


More Articles About: Lab Notes Growth and Development Speech & Language CS Mott Children's Hospital Developmental Milestones Children's Health
Health Lab word mark overlaying blue cells
Health Lab

Explore a variety of healthcare news & stories by visiting the Health Lab home page for more articles.

Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Stay Informed

Want top health & research news weekly? Sign up for Health Lab’s newsletters today!

Subscribe
Featured News & Stories kids on the floor
Health Lab
Protecting children from poor air quality: 6 things to know
As smoke from Canada's historic wildfires triggers poor air quality alerts across the country, many parents worry about the impact on their child’s health, a national poll suggests. Here, a Michigan Medicine expert provides six ways to help reduce exposure.
kids in classroom playing
Health Lab
Sensitive parenting and preschool attendance may promote academic resilience in late preterm infants
Michigan Medicine research tracks academic trajectories of late preterm infants from infancy to kindergarten and identifies developmental risks and how to best promote resilience
sleeping kids purple teal orange pink
Health Lab
Sleep apnea disparities in kids: Obesity may override impact of race, socioeconomics
As researchers explored potential reasons behind racial disparities in treatment outcomes for children with severe sleep apnea, they were expecting to find the answer in socioeconomic factors. But they were surprised to learn that when one risk factor – obesity – was taken out of the equation, race was no longer associated with worse post-surgery outcomes for obstructive sleep apnea.
cartoon of hospital workers and patient
Health Lab
Children who suffer cardiac arrest more likely to survive at ECMO capable hospitals
Children who experience cardiac arrest are one and a half times more likely to survive at a hospital capable of providing the life support system called ECMO, research suggests. But the reason behind better outcomes may have less to do with being saved by the heart and lung support machine itself and more to do with the care team structure at hospitals capable of ECM0, suggests the findings in Resuscitation.
eye exam
Health Lab
Few children – especially those with safety-net insurance – get vision checked at checkups
Few children are getting eyes checked at their pediatrician or other regular doctor’s office, and rates vary greatly by insurance status.
graphic colors
Health Lab
Overuse of social media and devices top parent concerns as kids head back to school
Overall, emotional health and technology use dominated this year’s top 10 list of parent concerns about health-related issues for kids in the U.S.– surpassing childhood obesity, which parents rated the number one children’s health issue a decade ago.