Preschoolers Explore Interactive Storybook Apps: Which Apps, and With Whom?

• In Event: Literacy, Reading, and New Media

Abstract

Modern tablet computers have changed the way students interact with ebooks. But because they are so new, there is still very little known about the pedagogy of reading on tablet computers in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to conduct an empirical study on the effects of reading with an iPad app in a preschool setting. Twenty preschoolers tried out interactive storybook apps on an iPad2 with and without the guidance of their teachers. Results showed word recognition and story comprehension improved as students worked independently with the iPads, as opposed to being guided through the app by a teacher.

Author

• Marcy Zipke, Providence College