Ereaders and kids

[pwalker8]

I had an interesting conversation with a mom last night about ereaders and kids.

I noticed that one of the mom's at karate was reading from an eReader, but her son was reading a hard back book (the last of the Magnus Chase books). Eventually the discussion worked it's way around to the advantage of ebooks. She said that she loved ebooks, but she felt that kids need the paper books, i.e. having the feel of the book in their hands.

Just a data point on the kids and ebooks discussions that I found interesting.

[Luffy]

I hope that the child finds worthier books as he matures. I tried to read a Percy Jackson book, but didn't last past the 2nd chapter. This Mom may find that buying books for her progeny is affordable, both in coin and in space in the house. I wonder how she will feel if there is no more space in the house.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Luffy

I hope that the child finds worthier books as he matures.

I'd rather have a kid that reads tons of kids schlock than have a kid that won't read at all.

One of the worst things you can do to a budding bookworm is make reading a chore by forcing them to read stuff they aren't interested in.

A kid who is addicted to the Percy Jackson books is more likely to seek out Edith Hamilton’s Mythology than a kid that doesn't read at all.

[crich70]

I think it's a matter of kids being tactile which results in them being more interested in paper than ebooks. And of course kids are very hard on toys, etc. as they are kids. Ereaders aren't the most robust things. It's very easy to accidentally crack the screen substrate on one. My first k3 met its end when it accidentally fell to the floor and the screen substrate cracked. Why they aren't all faced with gorilla glass I don't know. The Kindle Fire's screen is better protected (by the glass) than the screen of the eink readers are.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Luffy

I hope that the child finds worthier books as he matures. I tried to read a Percy Jackson book, but didn't last past the 2nd chapter. This Mom may find that buying books for her progeny is affordable, both in coin and in space in the house. I wonder how she will feel if there is no more space in the house.

Me, I liked the Percy Jackson books. Different strokes for different folks.

Given that this Mom had an an ereader, I would suspect that at some point as he grows older, Sonny will move in that direction as well (assume that he continues to read).

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I'd rather have a kid that reads tons of kids schlock than have a kid that won't read at all.

One of the worst things you can do to a budding bookworm is make reading a chore by forcing them to read stuff they aren't interested in.

A kid who is addicted to the Percy Jackson books is more likely to seek out Edith Hamilton’s Mythology than a kid that doesn't read at all.

You make excellent points. Having said that the kid could be nudged or given recommendations outside his comfort zone. This is a part of growing up too.

[sealbeater]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

She said that she loved ebooks, but she felt that kids need the paper books, i.e. having the feel of the book in their hands.

I wonder why she felt that way, what was the rationale?

My brain needs my hands to feel pressed wood to interpret words taken in by my eyes?

[Deskisamess]

I always thought the experience of holding the baby/toddler on your lap, turning the pages of the chunky picture book, then moving on to story books, and so on, was part of passing on the love of reading. Part of this is teaching them how to care for a book, to not tear it up, etc. The connection between the loving contact on the parent/grandparent's lap and the reading itself is good for both child and adult.

Even with a child old enough to read for themselves, being read to is wonderful experience. Our grandsons are 6, 8, and 10, and all love being read to before bed, although the 10 year old will keep reading for another 30 minutes or so before lights out. The 8 year old was not as quick to read, but is slowly developing a desire to read on his own.

They read paper books, and on Fires, depending on the book. I'd rather they were reading in e-ink, but that isn't my call to make.

They make weekly trips to the library, and always have a stack to pick from. It thrills my heart to see bookshelves in each of their rooms. Homes without books freak me out.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by crich70

I think it's a matter of kids being tactile which results in them being more interested in paper than ebooks. And of course kids are very hard on toys, etc. as they are kids. Ereaders aren't the most robust things. It's very easy to accidentally crack the screen substrate on one. My first k3 met its end when it accidentally fell to the floor and the screen substrate cracked. Why they aren't all faced with gorilla glass I don't know. The Kindle Fire's screen is better protected (by the glass) than the screen of the eink readers are.

I'm not sure if changing the top layer to gorilla glass would help. It's the substrate that gets damaged in most cases and all too often with no visible damage to the screen. Unlike quite a few times, I've seen phones and tablets where the screen was shattered but the LCD was still functional if you didn't mind scraping up your fingers.

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

I always thought the experience of holding the baby/toddler on your lap, turning the pages of the chunky picture book, then moving on to story books, and so on, was part of passing on the love of reading. Part of this is teaching them how to care for a book, to not tear it up, etc. The connection between the loving contact on the parent/grandparent's lap and the reading itself is good for both child and adult.

When they were young enough, my kids seemed to regard their books as oddly shaped teething rings.

I will admit that both of them have a love for books and will occasionally read a dead tree book though their preference is for ebooks due to space concerns.

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

They make weekly trips to the library, and always have a stack to pick from. It thrills my heart to see bookshelves in each of their rooms. Homes without books freak me out.

In my opinion a home without books (paper or ebooks) is not a home.

[Mivo]

I don't have a link on hand, but a while ago I read a study that concluded that students retain material read in physical textbooks better, compared to e-books. The individual tactile experience, plus factors such as scent, is more "complete", providing context and thus making it easier for the brain to recall the material, was the claim. I probably read this online and not in the paper, or I'd remember the source.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I wonder why she felt that way, what was the rationale?

My brain needs my hands to feel pressed wood to interpret words taken in by my eyes?

Given that her son was standing next to her nodding while clutching his book to his chest, it could simply be that he preferred handling the book rather than ebook and she was expressing his preference.

[sakura-panda]

My kids (14 years, 11 years, and 9 years) use both hardback books and Kindles. Some of it seems to be whether or not their teachers allow ebook readers, but I think that a bigger part of it is the size of the reader. They are kind of small, and I think they prefer the larger format of books. (I do too, and that is why I no longer use an e-ink reader; I use a 7" or larger tablet.)

[NickyWithNook]

I think once the kid reaches chapter book stage, it doesn't matter. I would use regular books with a very young child when reading picture books, but older kids lose their place in books alllll the time, and an e-reader is handy at that point.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I'd rather have a kid that reads tons of kids schlock than have a kid that won't read at all.



One of the worst things you can do to a budding bookworm is make reading a chore by forcing them to read stuff they aren't interested in.



A kid who is addicted to the Percy Jackson books is more likely to seek out Edith Hamilton’s Mythology than a kid that doesn't read at all.

This is true. Kids that love reading will read as anything to feed their habit. If they find an interest in something, they generally will go on to read further in the area.

I would've loved it if e-readers and the internet had existed when I was a child.


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