Summer 2010
Parents embrace new technology to help teach their children
IPads, mobile phones and computers may be changing the way in which adults communicate, through work and play, but now new research shows that over three quarters (78%) of parents believe new technology plays a massive role in their child’s education as well.
But the twist in the tale may be that this positive attitude towards new technology is one of the reasons why parents themselves cannot answer all of their children’s questions.
According to a survey of 1,000 parents[1] commissioned by VTech STORIO, 35% of adults find it difficult to explain the meaning of words and 5% ignore their child’s question entirely.
While some parents may struggle at times to get it 100% right when it comes to reading, 64% of respondents regarded interactive communication as the best way for children aged 3-7 to learn to read.
But if you do find the process difficult at times what can you do? Well, the advancement of modern technology means there are now many aids available for struggling parents, with over three quarters of those surveyed saying technology has a positive role to play in helping children to read.
VTech is launching STORIO, the world’s first animated e-reading book for children. Developed in response to new research that mums are hungry for electronic learning products that specifically help with their child’s literacy development, children interact with the story as they read, listening to the words along the way, pressing on any new or difficult words to explain their definition.
Recent research by the Institute of Education claims that reading to children daily improves achievement and behaviour at school[2]. Dr. Jeni Riley, specialist in early literacy from the London Institute of Education says “I was delighted to discover that 78% of parents embrace new technology as a positive part of their child’s literacy development. Reading should be fun, and new engaging tools that facilitate this, whist exciting and motivating children, can only be a good thing.”
Recent research by the National Literacy Trust also reveals that family encouragement to read has an enormous impact on children’s attitudes to reading and their test scores. Jack Sallabank from the National Literacy Trusts Reading for Life campaign says: “We’ve identified a clear link between family support for reading and stronger reading skills, however we also know that as many as one on four children don’t have books of their own at home. We welcome any new technological advancements that motivate children to get reading and pro-actively aid a child’s literacy development”.
The study coincides with the launch of the ‘10-A-Day’ challenge to encourage parents to read with their children for ten minutes a day. More information can be found at vtechuk.com/10aday and the campaign is being supported by the launch of a new Facebook group called ‘I love reading with my children’ http://www.facebook.com/ILoveReadingWithMyKids which educates parents about the importance of reading with their kids, providing useful top tips on how to make it more fun and engaging.