Have you considered the benefits of reading physical books to children instead of letting them use smartphones and tablets? Recent studies highlight that too much screen time can interfere with healthier activities such as playing, studying, and sleeping. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time for kids aged 18 months to 5 years old to just one hour per day.

One ancient piece of technology that still helps children become more curious learners is the humble book. Unlike screens, physical books do a better job of engaging kids and sparking their curiosity about more than just the story at hand. Research suggests that children learn better on paper than on screens, reinforcing the value of traditional books. Another study finds that too much screen time can negatively impact kids' development.

Reading real books to kids helps them develop their brains, attention spans, and patience.

When parents read to their kids, they aren't just passing along information about the storyline. They act as sounding boards when a child doesn’t understand a character’s actions or when they ask big questions about life. Shane Bergin, a physicist and education expert at University College Dublin, emphasizes the importance of this interaction, known as "dialogic reading." This approach is hard to achieve with smartphones or tablets, as Bergin explains, making time spent reading books more intimate and engaging.

Furthermore, past research suggests that e-readers aren't much better. Parents using e-readers often spend more time instructing their kids on how to use the device rather than engaging with the story. Kids might become adept at swiping, but this takes away from bonding or language development. K. Tempest Bradford argues that owning a book instead of a mobile phone can significantly impact a child's development.

Books offer more fundamental gifts to children, such as empathy, imagination, and the desire to ask why. Reading real books to kids helps them develop their brains, attention spans, and patience. Even if kids would prefer to be on their smartphones, reinforcing the habit of reading books can help them fall in love with literature and develop a lifelong passion for learning.

Knowing this, what are you going to do?

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source:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/17/kids-reading-better-paper-vs-screen

https://www.businessinsider.com/science-benefits-reading-to-kids-2016-10

https://nypost.com/2023/10/28/opinion/kids-need-to-read-books-not-look-at-smartphone-screens/

https://ktempestbradford.com/they-say-children-more-likely-to-own-a-mobile-phone-than-a-book-i-say-good/

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