Come listen to the interview - I'd love your thoughts! Head over the the Here and Now site and click "Listen" right under the article title.
I often hear people saying, "But is watching and listening to a book app really reading?" In fact, Robin asked me if I'm a librarian, shouldn't I really be in the business of wanting kids to read books? It reminds me of the debates about audiobooks.
Listening and watching these book apps is a way of experiencing stories that will pull in many children who won't sit and read a book on their own. It's a way of providing a way into stories, and with the right support and motivation, they will be able to read them on their own at a later point. My brother would have loved the way these apps bring stories to life.
My goal is finding the book apps that really do capture children's interests and make them excited to read, to listen to stories, to learn about the world around us. I am convinced that once we can open a child's eyes to the world of imagination or the wonders of the real world, and we can share how our stories make these come alive, we have won half the battle.
To read more reviews of book apps on my site, check out this link: ebooks.
thanks for listening,
Mary Ann
You are absolutely right Mary Ann. I think when book apps are critized by people who say they are similar to video, they are not realizing that some kids might need this mid-way alternative, to help them get off the TV addiction and start reading! Plus, as I've said in my blog, kids who do love to read can get an array of storybooks at much lower prices than paper books. This means if you have a little bookworm at home (like I do) they can devour more than they could check out per week in a Library, for example!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Mary Ann! I thought that you made great points about the way apps and books coexist, and can both support literacy.
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