Today, reading with infants has taken on a whole new meaning and place in
homes and care facilities throughout the world in the form of electronic readers. These ereaders,
or e-books, provide opportunities for infants to engage in "textual experiences"
without the use of a "traditional" book.
Some parent groups and organizations maintain that infants do not reap benefits
from electronics; favoring human interaction and unstructured play to enhance
development. Some believe that electronics may actually be changing the way babies’
brains develop, and others recognize that many babies of the 21st century are already
connected to technology through their parents, and that electronic books can be used as
learning tools to potentially enhance development.
I chose to work with three babies (aged 0-12 months) and two of their teachers, at
a child development center in the South. The purpose of the study was to describe their
behaviors, gestures, vocalizations and other actions as babies engaged with adult teachers
who read aloud e-books and traditional books with them. While research has shown the
effectiveness and importance of reading traditional books with babies and toddlers, no
attention, at this time, has been paid to the responses of babies to electronic readers.
A qualitative approach was used as I went into the babies’ environment and
observed the teachers reading a “traditional” book and electronic book with them once a
week. While there, I took field notes and video of their reading processes and jotted