Technology is everywhere in our daily lives these days. Kids are constantly exposed to technological tools at home, at school, and even in malls and while spending time with friends. There has been serious concern expressed by parents, educators, and researchers about the effects and repercussions of this tech boom. Children who are constantly exposed to screens and technology have a shorter attention span and less focus, as well as delayed speech and language development. Social skills and social development can also be negatively affected. As a result, parents are constantly looking for creative solutions to help draw their kids away from screens and closer to classic hardcovers. A personalized book might be the answer. Research shows that personalized books not only enhance attention spans but also improve learning outcomes.
1- Personalized books boost language skills
When we talk about language skills, we mean vocabulary and speech. Research shows personalized books help young children build their vocabulary. Also, they’re related to higher word learning rates. This means children learn more words through personalized texts.
Personalized books can also affect kids’ verbal behavior because they talk more spontaneously and use more self-reference when discussing the read material. According to a study by the National Literacy Trust (NLT), “children produced significantly more speech in the personalized context, which also lasted significantly longer than in the non-personalized context.”
2- Personalized books encourage social interaction between the reader and the child
In both research and experience, children react more to personalized books than non-personalized ones. Not only do children react more, but they also react more positively: their eyes light up with excitement, they smile, they laugh, and they express their enthusiasm. This creates a better chance for conversation around the book with the adult reading it and facilitates interaction between the adult and the child, whether they’re parents or educators. When children have personalized books, they can talk more openly about themselves, their individual experiences, and their feelings, which allows the adult to understand their situation better and offer support and help when needed.
3- Personalized books make learning more fun
Reading personalized books, the child is already familiar with a lot of the content, especially the characters. He’s able to focus more on the language, vocabulary, plot, and moral of the story because he’s familiar with it, which makes learning more fun.
4- Personalized books help children focus and pay attention
‘Gaming’ and ‘Zapping’ are two of the most prominent negative effects of technology and screens on kids. In addition to lowering motivation, they cause emotional suppression, poor mental health, relationship issues, social disconnection, poor academic performance, and reduced attention and focus. Game playing and zapping cause addiction and make it harder for kids to spend time without screens. However, research shows that getting the child involved in choosing the activity helps him focus and concentrate. A personalized book that features your kid is also much more likely to be read repeatedly and spent more time enjoying than a non-personalized book. Involving the kid in the process of creating the book makes this more obvious. Find out why personalized books boost children’s attention and focus in our article “Seven Reasons Why You Should Offer Your Child a Personalized Book” .