Toddlers prefer books to tablets and screens, study says

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WPVI) -- If you want your kids to read and get more out of reading, put away the tablets and stick with books.

The study, reported in the journal Pediatrics, found that toddlers prefer print books to tablets, whether looking at stories or being read to.

Researchers saw much more interaction between kids and parents with books rather than with screens. And the benefits go beyond the book.

"Children learn to read, and develop a love of reading, actually through the interaction with their loved ones, with their teachers, and probably the most important teacher that's in their life, which is their parent," says Dr.Gregory P. Weaver of Cleveland Clinic Children's.

Dr. Weaver says children learn vocabulary and pronunciation from hearing adults read.

Discussions are vital for learning, because they help kids connect concepts.