Question: Now that we are in the age of electronic books, what are the pros and cons of using them in the classroom? Do they really help kids learn to read? -- Avid Reader
Answer: There hasn't been a lot of investigation into the use of ebooks in the classroom. The features that really help children learn to read have not truly been identified. There are those with animated characters, just text, narration, games and much more.
What has been observed is that ebooks can serve as a motivational force for children with a low level of interest in reading, especially when the ebooks have both narration and animation. Furthermore, ebooks have been shown to increase fluency when stories are read to students, as they hear proper intonation and pronunciation. They also have been effective as instructional tools when new vocabulary is introduced by the teacher before the story is read.