E-Books and Trade Books: Interactions of Six-Year-Olds with Different Literary Media

1. E-Books and Trade Books: Interactions of Six-Year-Olds with Different Literary Media Dr. Anita Voelker, Associate Professor Alyssa Reph, Student

2. Think, Pair, Share “You call that technology?? Technology has a bunch of wires coming out of it.” - Landon • What are the benefits and challenges to reading on e-readers?

3. What are the benefits and challenges to reading on e-readers? Pros Cons

4. It’s A Book By: Lane Smith Image from: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9t5fTp9GmGo/TDtt-UwRC6I/AAAAAAAABSw/q8EAPmpYiEc/s1600/2.jpg

5. My Inspiration… Love for Technology Review of the Literature • Born in the “digital native” generation • Love for technology in all various formats • Desire to learn how technology is shaping the field of education and students’ responses to its use • Fall 2010, Reading Curriculum course assignment • Topic: how digital media cultivates children’s literacy development • Summary: teachers must build on children’s digital knowledge through the implementation of strategies that incorporate new technologies, broaden their connections to text, and inspire in them a love for books with the aid of an online database.

6. Know: Want to Know: • Children’s literacy development is cultivated through the teacher’s implementation of strategies that incorporate new technologies • Levy (2009) concluded that children have transferable literacy skills • Larson (2010) remarked that Kindles foster literacy development by broadening connections between the reader and the text • Teachers must build on children’s digital knowledge through the use of new literacies, and assist them in developing a love for books. • How will children respond to and interact with the Nook versus the printed texts? - similarities - motivation • How will the children comprehend both venues? - connecting - verifying

7. Purpose for the Research Goals: 1. To chronicle the behaviors, attitudes, conversations and questions of two six-year old twins as they engage with the Nook. 2. Similarly the children’s response to hard copies of the same books viewed using the Nook will be recorded. 3. Using field notes, video and audio tapes, I intend to analyze, code, and determine themes related to similar and dissimilar ways the children use both types of text.

8. Methods: Primary procedure: observation, video taped Duration: weekly for two months; one hour per visit Location: at the children’s home • Introduction: As part of the first visit, demonstratedthe Nook to both children. Invitedthem to experiment. First novel exploration. • First-Third Visits: Met with each child individually. Nick receivedthe Nook to view Little White Rabbit. After this exploration, he examinedthe hard copy of the same text. Landon receivedthe hard copy first, then investigatedthe same version on the Nook. This process was repeated with Jamberryand The Best Place to Read. • Fourth Visit: In order to maintain a developmentally appropriate final assessment, I invitedthe children’s mother to join us and hadthe children demonstrate their knowledge of both texts as I prompt behaviors.Splat the Cat: Good Night, Sleep Tight was the text read for this final visit.

9. Analysis Timeline • Observed the children each week for four weeks • Watched the videos each week, noting interactions and manipulation of texts, both book and Nook • Reviewed videos, transcribing each one • Decided which video fit best with what was observed in the fourth visit (assessment) • Coded the second and fourth visit videos, highlighting connections and interactions

10. Books Chosen: • Difficulties encountered: finding quality children’s literature that was offered in the Nook format. At the time, children’s books were relatively recent to the Nook and therefore limited in selection.

11. Nook v. Printed Text Rotation

12. Second visit with Nick: Jamberry

13. Second visit with Landon: Jamberry

14. “Stupid computer.” - Landon

15. Nook v. Book Comparison Chart: Second Visit

16. Hypothesis (pre-assessment): • The children will have meaningful comments above and beyond the number of comments previously due to the differing nature of the story. Splat the Cat: Good Night, Sleep Tight differs in that it is not a “Read and Play” (does not include games) along with its lack of animation should allow the children to focus more on the content of the story. • Additionally, fewer sounds and animations may lend itself to an increased number of comments during reading.

17. Fourth Visit with Nick: Splat the Cat

18. Fourth Visit with Landon: Splat the Cat

19. Nook v. Book Comparison Chart: Fourth Visit

20. Themes: Nook Book • Auditory • Didactic • Learning how to navigate technology • Pictorial/visual • Inquiry • Meaning-making

21. Results: • The original hypothesis was challenged: the educated guess was that the children would have deeper and more meaningful interactions with the text. On the contrary, the boys had less of a variety of interactions.

22. Limitations: • Jamberry was “Read and Play” while Splat the Cat was “Read to Me”: different Nook formats may have contributed to some discrepancies noted • Time constraints • Limited resources, specifically the Nook

23. Take Away: • An awareness of the choices teachers will have to make when choosing books • Technology debate for classrooms • Technology as a tool of teaching as opposed to a method for teaching

24. References Keene, E. O. & Zimmerman, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought: Teaching comprehension in a reader’s workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), Retrieved from http:// www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky - Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants - Part1.pdf Sipe, L. R. (2002). Talking back and taking over: young children's expressive engagement during storybook read-alouds. The Reading Teacher, 55(5), 476-483.

25. Additions… and a HUGE thank you to PSLA conference attendees for your insight! • Take away: learning how to assess comprehension and starting to think like a researcher, reading as a communal experience (bedtime stories with parents, “that wasn’t myJamberry” – negative reaction to hearing the Nook reading it) • Limitation: Splat as a first reader versus the others as picture books • Sites to check out: International Children’s Library http://en.childrenslibrary.org/, “e is for book” blog http://www.eisforbook.com/, “I.N.K. Interesting Non-Fiction for Kids” blog http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/