Screens are an ever-increasing part of our lives and an easy way to keep children entertained. While our digital world is expanding, so is our understanding that shared reading is far more beneficial for children than screens. Technology, no matter how sophisticated, cannot replicate the reciprocal exchange of human relationships that are the foundation for healthy brain development and strong early relationships.
We can see the power of this back-and-forth exchange when adults engage with young children through conversation, stories, games, songs, and shared reading. Books are the perfect tool to encourage this type of interaction that is crucial to the developing brain.
When children and adults read together, children learn more than words. They are learning the rhythm of language, the power of facial expressions, gestures, and tone. Books invite connections. Babies respond to being spoken to or read to by vocalizing. Toddlers learn to point to direct an adult’s attention, and preschoolers learn to ask questions to expand their understanding of the world. This is how books become more than simple stories. They become a shared emotional experience.
Screens, on the other hand, invite passive interaction. Although there are plenty of digital tools that are designed for educational purposes, they do not respond to a child’s unique cues. As children develop, they make sense of new information by making connections to what they already know. Their brains are working and changing constantly. A screen cannot detect a child’s confusion or inspire their curiosity. Emotional attunement from a caring adult is just as essential to a child’s developing brain as the information we try to teach them.
In an ever-expanding digital world, how can we make sure that young children are getting enough of the responsive human interaction that they need? We all have a role to play, whether we are a parent or family member, a pediatric care provider, or a community member concerned with the wellbeing of children. It begins with awareness and small changes can have a large impact.
What can parents do?
- Make reading a part of your everyday routine. Choose time of day when you read together such as bedtime. Even just a few minutes makes a difference
- Limit screen time where you can. Instead of giving your child a screen in the car, on errands or in waiting rooms, try using those times to encourage your child to look up rather than looking down and engage with them about what they see.
- Keep books close. Adults tend to keep their phones in sight at all times. Try keeping books visible to children. Weather is a stack of books from your local library or your collection or RORRI books; visibility keeps reading at top of mind for children and adults.
What can pediatric care providers do?
- Offer a literacy-rich waiting room. When children and families walk into your office, they can feel that it is a place that encourages books and connections. You can offer a little free library, literary themed artwork, and cozy spaces to share a book.
- Use the book throughout the visit, not just at the end. Model reading during the visit and talk to children and families about how they can make reading part of a daily routine.
- Reinforce the message that a few minutes a day can make a difference.
What can community members do?
- Remember that change starts with you! If you feel concerned that children appear to be using screens more and interacting with adults less, start by modeling the behavior you want to see. The next time you reach for your phone in public, look around to see what you might be missing. It could be a chance to exchange a smile or wave to a baby or to hold the door for a parent with a toddler.
Perhaps you could choose a book over the phone when you are waiting. Young children are watching everyone, not just their caregivers, to gather information about the ways we communicate and relate to each other. We all have a role in raising secure, connected kids with a strong foundation in early literacy and a sense of belonging.
