Parents are being told that giving boys iPads could encourage them to read more at a young age as it was revealed that children who use the devices have more advanced vocabularies.

Touch-screen technology could be used as a way to engage boys and children from poorer families - two groups who traditionally lag in early years reading, according to a report published today.

And all children aged three to five who read stories on tablet computers as well as books also had a better grasp of vocabulary than those who just read printed stories, research has revealed.

Valuable tool: The survey revealed that 36 per cent of boys use touch screens more for education than entertainment. It suggested that the technology could be used to engage them from a young age (file image)

The report, published by the National Literacy Trust, also found that boys were more likely than girls to use such technology to learn.

The study marks the second year that the organisation has collected information on young children’s reading practices.

The data is collected via a survey of parents and practitioners - assessing both access to books and technology, and the impact that this has on vocabulary.

It showed that just over 91 per cent of children have access to some form of touch screen technology at home.

Between 2012 and 2013, the proportion of children who owned a tablet device, such as an iPad, jumped from 38 per cent to 65 per cent between 2012 and 2013.

Some 28 per cent of children look at or read stories on a touch screen at least once in a typical week.

Independent: Girls are more likely than boys to read a story without the help of an adult (file image)

The research concluded that the affordability of e-readers and tablets, along with increased access to broadband internet, has led to a dramatic rise in household ownership of such devices.

It revealed that this form of technology appears to be most used by boys and those from low-income families.

Roughly 43 per cent of children from poorer households use touch-screen technology for educational reasons more than entertainment, compared to just over a third of their more affluent peers.

A similar disparity is found between boys and girls. The survey revealed that 36 per cent of boys use touch screens to learn more than play games or watch films, compared to just over 28 per cent of girls.

It also found that nearly a quarter of boys read stories for longer on a touch screen than they would a printed book. This is compared to just 12 per cent of girls.

The report concluded: 'Touch-screen technology has the potential to positively influence the reading behaviour of children of lower socioeconomic status and boys.'

In other key findings, it found that children who read daily are more likely to have above average vocabulary attainment (19.6 per cent) than children who read less often (12 per cent).

The study also showed that the attitude towards reading is important.

Children who enjoy stories 'a lot' are also more likely to have above average vocabulary attainment than children who enjoy stories less.