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Reflection: Existing stories can be told in highly relevant and new ways on a whole new level with book apps.
My niece and nephew who are 3 and 6 are quite tech-savvy. They are up to a second tablet each and operate them easily. My teenagers are considered digital natives however they never had the kind of immersion that my niece and nephew participate in daily. Despite this they love books and their parents gather many traditional books and share stories with them often. I attempted to search for some book apps, however, as Haughton (2015, January 4) states there are many that are disappointing and don’t enhance the content of the original text. Recommendations from trusted friends and TLs would be a better way to source high-quality apps rather than trawling through the large number available.
I wonder if the interactivity offers more than a shared reading session classroom can offer. Cute features such as animal sounds and movement of the illustrations are fun but do little to offer an enhanced understanding of the text. For young students, involvement in text, storyline, creative illustration and narrative does encourage a love of story and literature which can only serve them well in literature learning.
Haughton, C. (2015, January 4). Top 10 book and bookish apps for young children. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/jan/04/top-10-book-and-bookish-apps-for-children-chris-haughton
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