Dr. Ofra Korat We researched the efficacy of e-books we designed for supporting young children’s language and literacy. Children from different levels and in diverse contexts improved their abilities.

1. Designing and Researching E-books to
Support Language & Literacy
Ofra Korat
Bar-Ilan University
E-Book Conference
September 27 -28, 2014 Phoenix, AZ

2. Selling e-books is rising steadily.
In March 2011 Amazon sold 150 e-books for
every 100 printed books. E-book sales surpassed
the sale of printed books.

3. Young children show motivation and
enjoyment while reading e-books.
(Greenlee-Moore & Smith, 1996).
Children age 5-6 spend
17 minutes a day
reading e-books.
(Vandewater, Rideout, Wartella, & June, 2007).

4. Young children, especially those with difficulties
may benefit more from multimedia than from single
medium (Verhallen, Bus, & de Jong, 2006).
Printed books reading Language
Early literacy?
E-books?

5. Young children are read printed books by
adults, while they can “read”/listen to e-
book without adults’ help.
Do e-books have the
potential to enrich
young children’s
language
and literacy when
reading by
themselves?

6. We research 43 Hebrew e-books
published 1995 to 2002. (Korat & Shamir, 2004).
Conclusion: Most of
the e-books did not
include components
that have the potential
to promote language
and literacy.

7. Decision: To develop e-books aimed at
supporting language and literacy for
research purposes.
Rational: Creating a model of e-book
based on the idea of "edutainment“.
(Underwood & Underwood, 1998).
E-book with multimedia effects
Entertainment + stimulation for learning

8. We used 2 well known printed books
Three channels
Read the story
Read with dictionary
Read and play
Multimedia effects Support
Text illumination word reading and writing
Dictionary word meaning
Read and play
HS PA
Animations story comprehension

9. Dictionary

10. Read and Play

11. Word Meaning - Receptive
Children progressed significantly after 3 readings
compare to control.
After 5 readings they progressed more than the 3
readings.

12. Phonological awareness
All children progressed after 3 readings.
Similar effects were for 3 and 5 readings.
There is a limit to children's
progress within a short time.
Children's progress :
syllabic and sub-syllabic.
Hot-spots on text that
focuses on words sounds
support PA.

13. Word Reading
Nine words frequently used in the story's text (Shamir & Korat, 2007).
Five readings supported better than three. Three readings
better than control.
A text that is simultaneously
illuminated with the narrator’s
reading supported word reading.
E-book reading without
adults  word reading.
Advantage for e-books
reading compared to
printed books.

14. Word writing
Nine words frequently used in the story's text (Shamir & Korat, 2007).
Improvement in words writing after 3 readings.
A text that is simultaneously illuminated with the narrator’s
reading supported word writing.
E-book reading without
adults  word writing.
Advantage for e-books
reading compared to
printed books.

15. Story comprehension and production
Information What kind of work was done by the tractor?
Inference Why do you think the tractor was sad?
After 3 readings all groups
showed good story comp.
in both levels.
With age appeared better story
comp. and production
(language use and content).
First graders produced a better story than K children (Korat, 2010).
K children comprehend the stories better than pre-K
(Shamir, Korat, & Barbi, 2008).

16. Summary
Independent reading of well designed e-books after 3 readings
has good potential to promote not only language (word
meaning story comprehension and production) but also early
literacy skills (PA, word reading, Word writing). This is true
for children from MSES and LSES families.
LSES children in some cases
showed a greater progress.
Different literacy skills
require different durations
and repetitions of activities.

17. Future studies: we need to study
New forms of e-books: internet, tablets, apps, etc.
More effects of multimedia: animations, hot-spots, interactivity.
Different aspects of literacy and language.
The retention of this learning.
We need a theoretical framework and
principles on how to incorporate the
e-book in different contexts
of instruction at home (Korat & Or, 2010)
and school (Roskos & Burnstein 2011).

18. Thank You
Korato@mail.biu.ac.il

19. LSES MSES
Pre-k K Pre-k K
Word meaning 5 >0 5, 3 >0 5, 3 >0 5, 3>0
PA 3 >0 3 >0 3>0 Small
improvement
(ceiling effect)
Word reading 3 > 0
5> 3
3 > 0
5> 3
3 > 0
5> 3
3 > 0
5> 3

20. korato@mail.biu.ac.il

21. In March 2011 Amazon sold 150 e-books
for every 100 printed books. E-book sales
surpassed the sale of printed books.
(Cain-Miller & Bosman, 2011).

22. Synergy multimedia e-books
Integrated operation of several factors
(Neuman, 2012).
The whole is greater than the sum of
its parts (Fuller & Applewhite, 1979).