E-books Or Paperbacks?

Some parties have voiced their concerns that the expansion of electronic devices in schools may undermine the position of paperbacks.

16:47 02 February 2016

The National Literacy Trust has been conducting research over the past year to understand the impact of e-books to schoolchildren. At 40 schools across the country, 800 children were encouraged to use e-books and share their feelings.

 

The research shows that average boys made 8.4 months reading progress by using them. The progress among girls is 7.2 months. There is also a 25per cent increase in boys reading daily.

 

Summit, who is 11, said: ''If you really want a book, you can just get it online. It's so easy and it's made me read more. I probably read every day now.''

 

10-year-old Hebah disagreed. ''I've always been a real bookworm,'' she said. ''Personally I still prefer paperbacks, because I get more of the feel of the real book.''

 

Jordan McNamara, who teaches using e-books in his classes, said: ''We're just trying to create a bigger library. The children get to choose the books themselves. We're just after more reading, so anything we can do to get the kids to read more is great.''