As the whole world seems to be going digital (or so it seems), parents are faced with a dilemma:  Should my child be reading traditional printed books or switch to digital e-books?  Well, that depends.

If your child is very young, under the age of five or six, the recommendation is that he or she read the traditional printed book.  Recent research has found that young children AND their parents alike prefer printed books to e-books at this early stage of reading.  The joy of snuggling up with a child in your lap and reading a book together, turning the pages, feeling the paper, sharing the fun of a “touch and feel” book or a pop-up book cannot be experienced with an e-book. Enjoying this kind of closeness is precious.  It is the best way to develop in children a lifelong love of books and at the same time create lasting memories of special private bonding times.

Does this mean that your littlest ones can’t ever touch a computer or iPad?  Of course not  There are many excellent learning games and activities available digitally which your child will enjoy and benefit from educationally. But for their very first reading experiences, choose printed books for them and for you to cherish together.

Once your child is in school and is undoubtedly immersed in digital learning, he or she may prefer to read e-books. This is fine.  E- books can be very captivating to children.  They are often interactive, giving the reader support for unfamiliar words or concepts and providing enriching information in a variety of media presentations.  For a change, you might go occasionally with your child to a library or bookstore (while they still exist!) to look at printed books or perhaps even take one home with you. It would be a relief for your child’s brain and eyes to read something that is not on a digital screen.

The most important thing is that your child READS books whether it be printed or e-book!