Partnering With Parents

Abstract

Contributing to a decade of national research on device ownership and app usage, this study provides evidence of how children from 120 homes across 46 classrooms use apps and portable technology to support their reading development. Parent survey data reveals 99% of children use technology to support reading in the home, primarily on iPad and laptop devices. Apps used most frequently include Istation, YouTube, and PBS Kids Video. To gather parent perceptions and depth of children's technology use, 13 individual interviews were conducted with parents from the same sample. Parents preferred their child read with print books, yet parents allowed their child to use portable technology, in response to their child's interest in technology and general pressure to keep pace with technology skill demands. The finding that nearly all children in this study supported reading skills with portable technology in the home demonstrates the need to foster partnerships between parents and teachers that builds on children's technological knowledge and use to deepen learning between home and school.