The Effect of Digital Media on Emergent Literacy Skills: A Systematic Review

This review examines the effectiveness of digital media on emergent literacy skills, specifically alphabet knowledge, print awareness, and phonological awareness, on children birth to four. A systematic search of the literature identified 13 studies that met the pre-determined inclusion criteria. Two independent raters evaluated each study for methodological quality and assigned appropriate levels of evidence based on ASHA levels of evidence. Results found that specific features of digital media can lead to positive effects on emergent literacy skills. A checklist with the highlighted features was created to guide clinicians, parents, and others in making decisions about the true educational quality of various screen media