Two recent studies say you’ll do more to encourage literacy, foster imagination, and get a better chance to bond with your small fry if you stick to plain old books and toys…

Soon-to-be-published research from Temple University’s Infant Lab found that parents and preschool children ages 3 to 5 shared more positive interaction and conversation when reading together from a traditional picture book than they did looking through what’s called an e-book — one of the increasingly popular brand of toys that reads and sings aloud, prompts kids (and their parents) to press buttons and flashes lights.

And another just-released report from the University of Washington found that toddlers who played with blocks actually scored 15 percent higher on language tests than average and were 80 percent less likely to watch TV…

The message to parents — one we’ve all heard before — is to slow down and not to worry about making every single moment a learning opportunity.

Source: Lowell Sun Online
http://www.lowellsun.com/lifestyles/ci_4693865