Date:
29th March 2013
In my centre, we had
a book corner for children. Children can read a book any time they want. I have
done some observation in the book corner for few hours in the other day. I had
noticed that children are not very interested in reading books by their own. Although
some children want to read a book, they just look at the picture and finish it
in a very short time. It is hardly for me to see a child to sitting down to
read a story can last five minutes. I believe it is because there is no teacher
to supervise children to read the story, children find it hard to understand
the story by their own, and therefore, they just look at the picture in the
book instead.
Compare to the past
thirty years, books was technology. Because children books was not common used
in the centre before thirty years. Children books are common used within a
centre now, and they are colorful and made of different materials. Some
children books are well designed in 3D version, things pop up from the pages
when you open the book. Compare to now generation, I believe children books are
non technology anymore, because there is e-book for children to use.
E-book as defined by
Wikipedia, “An electronic book is a text and image-based publication in digital
form produced on, published by and readable on computers or other digital
devices” (Wikipedia, n.d.). E-books provide children with the opportunity to
use technology both in ways that will prepare them for our modern society. Children
are motivated and engaged by the multiple form of technology that surrounds
them, so why not use e-book to motivate children to learn (Literacy Matters
Today, 2011). Children books may have some benefits that e-books currently don’t
have, such as they can provide children with the opportunity to touch and feel
some of the books involve texture, but e-books promote children with the
opportunity to exploration things in a new way and have a new experience that
books typically do not, such as in the form of animated illustrations and
recorded narration. However, e-book engages children in reading and motivates
them to want to read (Literacy Matters Today, 2011).
Children books
require an adult to read the story for them, but e-books can be access by
children themselves. Children found it hard to understand the story if there is
no adult read for them, but e-books have audio narration, sound effects,
animations and links to dictionaries, etc, which helps children to read the
text and visualize the meaning and comprehend more easily for children
(Grimshaw, 2007).
Reference
list:
Grimshaw, S. (2007).
Electronic books: Children’s reading and comprehension. British Journal of
Educational Technology, 38(4), 583-599.
Wikipedia. (n.d.). E-book. Retrieve 29th March 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book
Literacy Matters Today, (2011). The bebefits of digital books for children. Retrieve
29th March 2013 from http://literacymatterstoday.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/the-benefits-of-digital-books-for-children/
Kia ora Jiawen, we have e-Books for children at our centre as well. The children just love it because you can read/sing along with it. Having technology in ECE such as eBooks can encourage group play and promote social interactions as much as dramatic play (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003). Also for some children technology is their medium of making friends and participating in group play with their peers (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003). When a child gets an eBook, his peers get attracted to him because they want to hear the story as well; as a result it prompts group play.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement that you made about technology preparing children for the modern society. Reading using the e-book develops children’s understanding about technology yet at the same time it also enhances their reading and language development (Campbell, 2000). This also goes hand in hand with Te Whāriki, as it states that children should be given the opportunity to experience using technology for mathematics, reading and writing (Ministry of Education, 1996).
Hi Jiawen, it surprises me that I have only discovered for the first time what an e-book is. Your centre must be really lucky to have such a new advance technology for children to read and have access to it. In my centre we have a lot of children who just love reading. I agree with your discussion of the new pop up books and touch and feel books that are enhancing for children to develop their eye and hand coordination (Ministry of Education, 1996). This changes children’s perspective on technology which makes things more interesting when reading the story where children are able to attract their attention to the story and looking at the animal pop ups. I believe that it also promotes children to participate by asking them to open the pop up in the book. This encourages children to read books more often as it also aids in their literacy skills as well as developing language skills.
ReplyDeleteI like that you have taken the children’s interest in books and introduced a more vibrant attractive modern way to reading. The children must love this experience. I agree that the book corner can lack interest sometimes but I’ve observed some children’s obsession with real books whether it’s continuously flipping through the pages, sharing it with a friend or singing along to it, they’ve all been effective interactions, and this would happen on a day to day basis. I like how you’ve also included the advantages and disadvantages of E-books; it’s a good way to reflect on the learning taking place. For example, E-books encourage and motivate children to want to read (Literacy Matters Today, 2011). In comparison to lacking the opportunity to touch and feel books with textures (Literacy Matters Today, 2011). You have documented some good differences in regards to E-books and actual books affecting the children’s learning.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how you observed children's interest in reading. I have noticed that it is important to support and encourage children's interest so they can explain their ideas and explore their new learning in literacy. Now days children find E-books very interesting and are able to explore literacy in different and exciting new ways. This supports children's cognitive development and therefore leads to their literacy development. This is supported by Gonzalez-Mena (2008) which states "Children begin to distinguish letters, numbers and words and read familiar signs" (p.330).
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