Read to your child using actual books whenever possible. Electronic devices such as iPads, mobile phones, PCs and television may be helpful in exposing children to language. However, make sure to accompany your child when watching. Limit device use to less than one hour a day for children between two to three years old.
A study found that parents and toddlers interact more when reading print books instead of e-books. The team studied 37 pairs of parents and their two or three year olds in a lab set up to look like a living room. Each pair read three Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer with a different format – print, basic electronic or enhanced electronic, which had features like sound effects.
Parents were more likely to ask their children open-ended questions to get their opinion on the story or what might happen next when reading print books compared to both basic and enhanced e-books. They also put stories into context, relating the material to children’s own experiences. With electronic books, they spent time talking about the device itself, distracting from the story.
Toddlers also talked more in general and about the stories when they were in print, perhaps due in part to their parents’ prompting. The study concluded that paediatricians should help parents understand that enhancements often found in electronic books will not help child development as much as enhancements provided by parental interaction. Munzer TG, Miller AL, Weeks HM, et al. (2019) Differences in Parent-Toddler Interactions With Electronic Versus Print Books. Pediatrics. 2019;143(4):e20182012. Reich, Stephanie & Yau, Joanna & Warschauer, Mark. (2016). Tablet-Based eBooks for Young Children: What Does the Research Say?. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 37. 1. 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000335.
Avoid digital media for toddlers younger than 18 to 24 months other than video chatting. For children 18 to 24 months, parents should watch digital media with them because they learn from watching and talking together. Limit screen use for preschool children, ages two to five, to just one hour a day of quality programming. Co-viewing is best when possible because for young children, they learn best when they are re-taught in the real world what they have just learnt through a screen. So, if the child has just learnt the letter "D", parents can reiterate this later during mealtime or while going through caregiving routines.