Mission Statement

INTRODUCTION

Use of Talking Book Software in the Early Years and Primary Context

A collaborative Project in association with Anthony Browne, author and illustrator of children’s books.

Talking books, as an educational resource, are not only great fun but
also have an enormous potential to encourage and support the basic mechanics of learning to read. Studies, such as the Talking Books Project (1995 - 1996), which have assessed the effectiveness of talking books as an educational resource, indicate that significant gains in reading accuracy were made by children who use such resources. Additionally, some children's attitude towards reading improved and confidence significantly increased.

In September 2001, the Books Alive!© project team was established with the aim of moving multimedia talking book literature into a new dimension. Since this time, the project has been building upon the outcomes of existing research and our own investigative findings (Wood, Ozturk and Rawlings 2003) to create innovative and exciting talking books. At present, the team are continuing to develop creative ways in which such digital resources may be embedded within and enhance the curriculum. Early indicators suggest that this facilitates the development of multiliteracies such as visual, media and digital literacy which children bring to school. This is becoming increasingly important within our ICT-based, e-learning society and with the continued emphasis upon the need to raise reading standards. Additionally, current research is not only highlighting the importance of developing children's reading comprehension skills but also the need to promote "more creative and imaginative approaches to the comprehension of texts." (Urquhart, 2002: 18)

As a starting point, we are keen to use quality picture books with multi-layered meanings to explore the ways in which children can navigate text using information from the visual image, the written text and the unique interface between the two (Wood, Rawlings and Ozturk 2004). In this way, we are currently creating a new genre of talking book based upon ‘Voices in the Park’ by Anthony Browne. Throughout the development of this resource, we have been working closely with the author/illustrator as we are keen to remain sympathetic to Anthony Browne’s original vision.

The Books Alive!© project team, based at Kingston University, believe that, working in partnership with schools and experts in the field, achievements in literacy can be raised through more flexible and creative approaches to reading and software design.