READING
Digital stories
Digital picture
important to comprehend text from Key
Stage 2 and beyond, but also very early
in the word-recognition process. Reading
interventions familiarise young children
with language beyond the basic level of
lexical knowledge for informal, everyday
storybooks
communication. Based on our research, we
estimate that making reading books part of
children’s lives would substantially reduce
the 100,000 Dutch children between two and
fi ve who are at risk of reading problems.
Online ‘living books’ combine the traditional storybook
The economist Heckman demonstrated
with animation and sound. Experts from Leiden University
in his 2006 paper that the fi nancial return
from early literacy intervention may be
have been exploring their potential, particularly for much higher than the return from language
struggling readers
promotion later in a child’s schooling.
Digitised picture storybooks may offer a
way of intensifying book reading without
IN THE NETHERLANDS websites offer racing through traffi c and jumping from a high costs or creating too great a burden
digitised versions of recently published, bridge. Researchers from Leiden University for teachers. Texts can be “read” without
award-winning picture storybooks for have been exploring ways to make living adult support because an oral rendition
three- to six-year-olds. Additional features books interactive, and using children’s is available instead of, or in addition to,
such as animations, music, and sound not responses to adapt content. As the number the printed word. Internet sites with a
only increase young children’s reading of living storybooks available on the internet substantial number of digitised books thus
pleasure, but may also support story and text increases, this type of research is imperative. enable children to virtually roam through
comprehension. Unlike the fi rst generation of Living book websites may offer new digital libraries, select books, and “read”
“living books” recent additions are designed opportunities for young children from and “re-read” storybooks to their hearts’
to dramatise the story text, rather than simply families with low literacy levels, who suffer content, independent of adults. However,
adding amusement. For example, in one from word poverty when they enter school. the sites do offer interactive benefi ts for
animated story the “reader” can clearly see As semantics play a major role in learning teachers, with the possibility for them
the feats of a daredevil dad trying to rescue to read, many pupils from poorly educated to be informed by email or SMS about
his son, Tim. The animation directly refl ects families need book reading as a vocabulary book exposure and therefore intervene as
the narrative, with dad taking enormous risks acquisition device. Semantics are not only necessary. Our research over the last fi ve
16 Better: Evidence-based Education spring 2009
Better Spr09 pp16-17 Digital.indd 16 20/4/09 09:18:32
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