Children?s visual attention and comprehension from synchronous video book reading

There is consistent evidence that children can learn from screens, but learning from screens can be cognitively challenging, particularly when features cause distractions. This study experimen-tally tested whether child participants learned more when they could see their own image on the screen during a video conference book reading experience or when their own image was hidden from their view. Additionally, this study examined children???s visual attention to different areas on and off the screen to assess the relationships between on-task visual attention and distracted attention on children???s learning. Results demonstrate that children in both conditions demon-strated learning above chance. Additionally, learning was positively related to on-task visual attention and negatively related to distracted attention. The study provides initial evidence that young children can learn from interactive online read aloud experiences but that on-task attention should be supported and distractions should be minimized for best learning outcomes.