Digital books can outperform paper when they include story-congruent features
In short: A meta-analysis of 39 studies involving 1,812 children compared how kids learn from paper books versus digital screens. The researchers found that while basic digital versions often result in lower comprehension scores than print, digital books that include specific story-congruent enhancements can actually outperform paper books in helping children understand stories.
The study explored how factors like adult support, dictionaries, and design features influence learning for children aged 1 to 8. It found that adult mediation during print reading was more effective than the built-in features of independent digital reading. However, while embedded dictionaries didn't help with story comprehension, they did positively impact vocabulary learning.
The researchers analyzed 30 articles to synthesize existing experimental data. A primary limitation is that the findings rely on the variability of the original studies included in the meta-analysis, which varied in their specific design enhancements and contexts.
Why it matters: The medium of reading matters less than the quality of the content's design and the level of human interaction.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Furenes et al. (2021). A Comparison of Children’s Reading on Paper Versus Screen: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research. · cc-by
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