Electronic Books and Audio Books for Children 0-5 Years of Age

Starting from early childhood, reading plays a crucial role in cognitive development, language acquisition, and social-emotional development. With the advent of digital technologies, parents now have multiple options for reading formats, including traditional print books, electronic books, and audiobooks. This guide provides an overview of the current evidence base around these formats for children aged 0-5 years. 

What Do We Know About Print Books, Electronic Books, and Audiobooks?  

Touchscreens and other electronic devices are passive or solitary experiences for children, while reading with children is interactive, tactile, language-rich, and nurturing.

Print Books

Traditional print books are the gold standard for reading because they facilitate rich parent-child interactions. Shared book reading promotes children’s language development, literacy, and sense of connection with parents. When parents and children read print books together, they are chattier, snuggle in together more, and their conversations are richer than with an electronic book. Print books provide opportunities for tactile experiences from turning pages to exploring flaps or textures. In addition, shared reading and other positive parenting activities are associated with reductions in screen time.

Electronic Books

For older children, electronic books can be convenient and can be a resource in terms of availability of books, especially in different languages. However, they do not foster the same kinds of parent-child interactions as traditional print books, which is especially important for young children (0-5 years of age). For instance, electronic books that contain bells and whistles can distract from the actual book content or take over the adult’s role in sharing the book with the child. Additionally, families may find themselves discussing the button and swipes- or who gets to do them- instead of the content or the story. Similarly, studies suggest that electronic books may not evoke as much developmentally-enriching language from parents and caregivers as print books. Broadly, compared with print books, electronic books for young children are associated with lower comprehension and attention to content and less shared parent-child enjoyment and engagement (Cite TR). Brain imaging studies have also found negative associations between digital media use and children’s brain development. Additionally, some children may have a harder time transitioning away from any type of tablet device. For these children, electronic books may elicit more meltdowns and may not be worth the trouble.  Lastly, given the blue light that electronic books emit which disrupts the natural release of melatonin and sleep onset, electronic books might be best avoided at bedtime or before naptime. Overall, studies suggest that children learn best from simple and streamlined design that focuses on the content. Unfortunately, most digital e-books include pervasive distractions, animation, and noise that make it harder for children to learn, can contribute to meltdowns, and interfere with sleep.  

Audiobooks

Hearing stories and using their imagination to illustrate them can be great for children. And they can be particularly beneficial if adults listen with their children and engage in a conversation about the content. Audiobooks or podcasts can be a great option for car rides or travel. Audiobooks and podcasts can support learning for children who prefer taking in language in different ways. In particular, these can be tools for children who may have  reading or language-based learning difficulties when reading might be more stressful.

Screentime and Shared Reading

Shared reading is an important activity that can reduce child stress, promote resilience, build relationships, and enhance early literacy. Even as we recommend and model how to incorporate this key developmental activity, we should pay attention to what we are asking of families, and address stresses and barriers. For some families those barriers might include screen media, which may crowd out other developmental opportunities. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a new Family Media Plan and Center of Excellence to help address the complex relationships that families have with digital media. The AAP Center of Excellence has many guides, toolkits, and helpful Q&A portals with commonly asked questions.   Common Sense Media also has a website with age-level guidance, tips and tricks for caregivers.  The AAP supports “limited screen use in early childhood with an emphasis on print books for young children” and if screen-based reading or audiobooks are used, using these activities as a jumping off point for parent-child interactions can help children make the most of them.  

Summary

Traditional print books are the gold standard for shared reading because they facilitate rich parent-child interactions and are better for early brain development and learning. Extraneous features in digital media may be distracting and can interfere with how children learn best. They also make it harder for some children to transition away from tablet devices. For these children, finding more opportunities for shared reading can promote social and emotional skills.