Young children increasingly encounter digital media on a daily basis (Rideout, 2013). While e-books have been shown to positively influence emergent literacy skills (Neuman & Neuman, 2014; Shamir & Korat, 2015; Takacs, Swart, & Bus, 2015), the connection between specific e-book affordances and emergent literacy skills is muddy (Glaubke, 2007; Hisrich & Blanchard, 2009). This mixed-methods study investigated the use of e-books, specifically the affordance of word highlighting, in the development of early literacy skills in emergent readers. In the quantitative portion of this study, two groups of preschool children (N = 50) in a pretest/posttest control group design listened to the same stories as e-books on iPads or as print books in a Listening Center. The word highlighting feature of the e-books did not have the expected impact on emergent literacy skills, specifically concept of word. A home survey of subject families found little screen time spent on e-books. Additional analysis found a negative correlation between the amount of time spent on digital devices at home and emergent literacy skills, calling into question parents' expectations that time spent on educational apps would improve their child's literacy skills. The qualitative portion of this study sought to give voice to the children's perceptions of reading and e-books. Overall, children found e-books on iPads to be fun and motivational but not equal to print books. The children view e-books as tools to help them read regular books. Given the positive results Shamir and Korat (2015) found using e-books to help emergent literacy skills, this study suggests that e-books will be more beneficial for emergent literacy learning if an adult jointly engages with the child to scaffold learning. This study also offers recommendations for joint media activities and suggestions to e-book designers for an Emergent Reader Mode aimed specifically at supporting emergent literacy skills.
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