In theorising the work, Kucirkova, Littleton & Cremin (2016) argue that there are six key characteristics that are crucial to consider in relation to reading for pleasure with digital books. Drawing on Anna Craft’s (2010) conceptualisation of twenty-first century childhoods and discussions with teachers and children at primary schools, the authors considered the key ways in which digital books can support what Craft labelled the “4Ps”, that is the pluralities, possibilities, playfulness and participation options in the 21st century.
The analysis identified six key facets of digital book in relation to reading for pleasure:
- affective
- creative
- interactive
- shared
- sustained
- personalised reading engagements.
These facets are not unique to digital interactive books- many printed/physical books and audio books have these characteristics too. However, the advent of storybooks and e-books available for new reading devices (such as Kindle and iPads), have brought these characteristics to the fore.
Further details of the ideas underpinning this work, the research findings and the practical guides are available in the following papers:
Kucirkova, Littleton & Cremin, 2016, Young children’s reading for pleasure with digital books: six key facets of engagement
Kucirkova & Sakr, 2015: Child-Father creative text-making at home with crayons, iPad, collage & PC
Kucirkova, Sheehy & Messer, 2015, A Vygotskian perspective on parent-child talk during iPad story sharing
Recommended reading
Reading Communities and ‘books in common’
In this recent blog for the National Association of Advisers in English Teresa Cremin reflects on research which shows when the adults opened up as readers and shared their personal affective responses, this helped them develop more authentic reader to reader relationships with younger readers.
researchrichpedagogies.org
School libraries should not be taken for granted
In her blog Margaret Merga of Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, reflects on the many ways in which school librarians support reading for pleasure in school.
researchrichpedagogies.org
Understanding reading experiences to support motivation and engagement
In this blog Sarah McGeown reflects on her research and the Growing Up A Reader project which highlights why we read often influences what we read.
researchrichpedagogies.org