Kids and E Books

[MrsPete]

I love-love-love-love-love my Kindle. It is literally one of my favorite posessions.

I was going to buy one for each of my daughters (ages 13 and 16) for Christmas -- they can't keep their hands off mine -- but when I dropped some hints, I heard them loud and clear: They each had other ideas for their big presents this year, so instead I'm buying a camera and a class ring.

I would not give an e-reader to a small child, but my reasoning is purely practical: A small child isn't ready to take care of an expensive item like this, and I couldn't afford the financial loss. Giving a child an e-reader would be putting him into a situation for which he's not ready, and it'd end up causing conflict. For example, a kid I know received the very first Kindle when she was about 10. She broke it (put it under a bunch of heavy books -- really? Who'd do that?) after only a very short time. I don't put all the blame on the kid -- she was given something that she wasn't ready to care for.

I think e-readers are for teenagers and up.

 

[rie'smom]

When I think about the pleasure I had as a child reading a book and looking at the pictures, I wouldn't want children to give up traditional books. The ebooks don't load pictures well at all. Once they hit their teen years, I have no problem. Now if they improve the picture quality of the ebooks, I'm all for it.

 

[MrsPete]

I asked this question because picture books are very important for pre reading and having pictures in early reading books help kids learn how to read. They also teach kids how to make inferences from the pictures to what will happen next in the book. Both are VERY important cognitive development stages for kids.

I don't know. READING is tremendously important, but are BOOKS necessary?

I'm thinking about Laura Ingalls' books (which I have always loved). Her own descriptions of her childhood home do not include piles of bright, colorful books, yet she certainly became one of America's best-loved children's authors. Like many people in her generation, she learned to use and love the written word in spite of not having had the benefit of owning many books.

On the other hand, she was probably unusual for her generation. Certainly she would've known many illiterate people.

So perhaps the answer is that it's perfectly POSSIBLE for a person to become literate and language-savvy without access to wonderful books, but it's NOT EASY for it to happen.

And, of course, I'm arguing against myself: I stick to my previous comment that I wouldn't give a child an e-reader just because it's too fragile and too easy to destroy. My "are they NECESSARY" thoughts are really hypothetical. In the real world, kids need inexpensive reading material -- things that, if destroyed, aren't huge losses. E-readers do not fit that bill.

 

[golfgal]

I don't know. READING is tremendously important, but are BOOKS necessary?

I'm thinking about Laura Ingalls' books (which I have always loved). Her own descriptions of her childhood home do not include piles of bright, colorful books, yet she certainly became one of America's best-loved children's authors. Like many people in her generation, she learned to use and love the written word in spite of not having had the benefit of owning many books.

On the other hand, she was probably unusual for her generation. Certainly she would've known many illiterate people.

So perhaps the answer is that it's perfectly POSSIBLE for a person to become literate and language-savvy without access to wonderful books, but it's NOT EASY for it to happen.

And, of course, I'm arguing against myself: I stick to my previous comment that I wouldn't give a child an e-reader just because it's too fragile and too easy to destroy. My "are they NECESSARY" thoughts are really hypothetical. In the real world, kids need inexpensive reading material -- things that, if destroyed, aren't huge losses. E-readers do not fit that bill.

No, books aren't necessary but PICTURES with words under them are so if they are putting pictures in with the text on the e-readers for little ones -beginning readers-then it serves the same purpose. When a child is reading chapter books the pictures no longer become as important to learning the process of reading.

 

[Julia M]

I wouldn't give a child an e-reader until they were primarily reading books without any illustrations-basically bigger chapter books.

Oldest Ds (18) doesn't read enough to warrant one)

DD (16, as of Sunday!!) has had a Kindle for about 18 months. She reads alot and we travel alot, so I appreciate the convenience. However, we priamrily download free books, so she still utilizes the library as well as library book sales ($2 for a bag of books at the end of the sale). She also gets Amazon GC's for birthdays and so on.

Youngest ds (age 13) reads primarily non fiction-books heavy with illustrations. I'm unlikely to get him one.

None of my kids take iAnything to school-totally not allowed. DD doesn't take Kindle either (although it's not prohibited)

I have a Kindle as well. Owning an e-reader doesn't mean you never pick up print again!

Julia