The rise of e-readers was predicted to be the death of printed books. However, time has shown that print and digital books can exist side-by-side. Benefits range from space and finance economy to flexibility in the classroom and at home. Schools are increasingly turning to resources like Bug Club and online library subscriptions for low-cost, space-saving options to increase the opportunities for pupils to read.

However, not everyone sees the eBook expansion as positive; some parents are concerned that the use of devices could erode traditional reading skills. A position sometimes augmented by a lack of confidence or understanding in using and exploiting the digital potential – something schools need to engage with regularly and frequently to overcome. One-off or annual information sessions aren’t sufficient, it’s more about little and often – updates, tips and tools to help parents get the most out of e-reading at home, because the benefits are substantial:

• E-reading platforms often provide support for parents and families to help their children. For example, for those parents for whom reading at home is difficult, either from a basic literacy or an EAL perspective, the use of read-aloud functions can remove a barrier to home support and provide a way for children to be read to or better still, to read together.
• Books can be changed instantly, at any time, so children can read as frequently as they like without waiting for books to be changed during school hours. Increasing and facilitating access to books removes a barrier, and feeds children’s literary appetite, if it’s there. It’s fundamental given the acknowledged fact that the more children read, the better their reading becomes.
• Teachers can swiftly allocate the best book for each child, track and monitor what children are reading, how often and how much they’re reading, to effectively stay on top of how books are consumed at home. This is invaluable in terms of a linked approach to reading across home and school, which in turn is pivotal to successful, fast reading progression.
• Accompanying online comprehension activities can also show how much progress children have made, which makes assessing reading easier, more relevant and more purposeful. 

Parents might be concerned that this would lead to even more screen time, however for those children who lack the desire to read, devices can be one way to engage them, offering an alternative to the print format which for various reasons may not be working. Some children will always prefer the turn of a physical page, others may be switched on to reading by a screen, and as digital capabilities continue to progress, so too do those opportunities.

At the end of the day, we cannot fight the ubiquity of devices. Children are growing up in a culture where everything is instantaneous, accessible and screen-based. Schools, and indeed parents, who want to see genuine, universal reading engagement, need to embrace the use of digital books. Not as a replacement for traditional print but rather as an augmentation of what schools already do. Use the resources you have at hand to encourage a love of reading in your pupils; digital books are another tool in your arsenal to develop the vital skills pupils need to be successful in later life.