Digital Reading: What Helps and What Doesn’t
Not all screen time is the same. E-books, audiobooks and interactive story apps offer very different experiences from passive scrolling or autoplay videos, but they are often all grouped together.
Good digital reading helps children engage with stories, build understanding and enjoy reading in new ways. Poor digital reading can distract from the story and leave children passive rather than involved. What matters most is not that it is on a screen, but whether it supports meaningful engagement with the story.
What the evidence tells us
Research suggests that the value of digital reading comes down to how children use it, rather than whether a story is on a screen or a page.
Digital reading can support children when it:
- Helps them understand and engage with the story
- Is shared with an adult through talking, questions and discussion
- Uses audio to support listening, vocabulary and comprehension
- Includes interactive features that add to the story rather than distract from it
For children, the aim of digital reading is the same as any other type of reading: to build understanding, confidence and enjoyment.
What counts as digital reading?
Digital reading can take many forms, and when designed well, it can be a valuable way for children to access stories.
It can include:
- E-books, with or without narration
- Audiobooks and audio stories
- Read-along books that combine text and voice
- Accessible formats with features such as adjustable text size or spacing
- Story apps that encourage children to engage with characters, ideas and narratives
The important thing is that the focus stays on the story. Digital reading should help children listen, understand, imagine and connect, just like reading a physical book.
Not everything involving words on a screen counts as meaningful reading. Some digital experiences can distract from the story rather than support it, such as videos that play automatically, games that interrupt the narrative, or features that encourage tapping and clicking without helping children understand what they are reading.
A simple question for parents is: Is my child engaging with the story, or just interacting with the screen?
Playful pathways for pre-readers
For young children who are not reading independently yet, digital stories can be a great way to explore books.
Pre-readers benefit from having opportunities to:
- Listen to stories while looking at pictures and illustrations
- Return to favourite stories again and again
- Talk about characters, events and ideas
- Choose when to pause, repeat or explore a story
- Extend the experience through drawing, toys or imaginative play
These moments help children understand that reading is about much more than recognising words. It is about enjoying stories, building imagination and making connections.
Listening to a story is reading. Talking about a story is reading. Enjoying a favourite story again and again is reading. The more positive experiences children have with stories, the more confidence and enjoyment they build.
Making digital reading more meaningful
Digital reading is most valuable when children are actively involved with the story, rather than simply watching or tapping. Small changes in how children use digital books and stories can help make the experience more engaging and meaningful.
Parents and carers can support this by:
- Sharing digital stories together where possible
- Pausing to ask what children think might happen next or how a character might feel
- Turning off features that distract from the story
- Using audiobooks during car journeys, quiet time or everyday routines
- Extending the story through drawing, toys or imaginative play
These simple additions help children think about what they have heard, make connections and engage more deeply with stories. Digital reading should not replace conversations about books, it should create more opportunities for them.
Making reading more accessible for every child
One of the key strengths of digital reading is that it can make stories more accessible. For some children, it removes barriers that can make traditional reading harder or less enjoyable.
Digital reading can be especially helpful for:
- Dyslexic children, who benefit from audio support and reduced pressure to decode text
- Children with visual impairments, who need flexible and adaptable formats
- Autistic children who prefer clear structure and predictable narration
- Children with physical disabilities that make handling books difficult
- Reluctant readers who feel anxious or overwhelmed by print
For these children, digital formats can help build confidence and make stories feel more approachable and enjoyable. Digital reading isn’t a “lesser” form of reading. It’s another route to the same goal – helping children enjoy stories, build understanding and develop a love of reading.
Final thought
Digital reading is not about replacing books. It is about widening the ways children can access and enjoy stories.
When used well, digital formats can support comprehension, confidence and a real enjoyment of reading. What matters most is not the format itself, but whether children are supported to engage with stories in a meaningful way.