By Katelyn Fry

The next time you’re shopping for your little nieces and nephews, think twice before adding one of those cool, 3D “lift-the-flap” books to your cart. While this kind of children’s book may be the most appealing on the shelf, with their various textures and interactive features, a recent study shows that they may actually hinder a child’s ability to learn new words.

For a research study to be presented at the upcoming British Psychological Society's Developmental Psychology Section annual conference, Dr. Jeanne Shinskey of the University of London gathered 31 two-year-olds and divided them into two groups. Each group was given a book that contained nine food items, the only difference being that one book had “lift-the-flaps” and the other did not. Each book intentionally included one fruit that none of the children were familiar with – a starfruit. Researchers went through the book with each toddler, labeling every object six times, then tested them by presenting them with photos and realistic replicas of starfruit and seeing if they could identify it.

The researchers found that children who were given the books without flaps “were significantly more likely to correctly identify the starfruit slice.” Shinskey concluded that if we want “children to learn factual information about the world from books, it doesn't appear to help to make books more toy-like by adding 3D features. This seems to enhance their tendency to treat books as just another type of physical toy, rather than a tool for learning.”

While interactive books appear to be more beneficial by encouraging physical engagement, in reality, they actually discourage a child’s comprehension of the words he or she is learning. “Lift-the-flap” books aren’t bad, of course. And if a young niece or nephew has a favorite and wants you to read it together, go for it. Still, try to focus on books that help children build their vocabulary as this will make them better prepared for their first school days.

Photo: nata_zhekova
Published: October 5, 2016