Children who read on an iPad or Kindle are falling behind in the classroom as figures showed for the first time the majority of youngsters now prefer ebooks to printed versions.
The advance of technology means that young people who read on a screen have weaker literacy skills and fewer children now enjoy reading, experts have said.
A survey, conducted by The National Literacy Trust, found that 52 per cent of children preferred to read on an electronic device – including e-readers, computers and smartphones – while only 32 per cent said they would rather read a physical book.
Worryingly, only 12 per cent of those who read using new technology said they really enjoyed reading, compared with 51 per cent of those who favoured books.
Pupils who get free school meals, generally a sign they are from poorer backgrounds, are the least likely group to pick up a traditional book, the research found.
The poll of 34,910 young people aged between eight and 16 across the UK found that those who read printed texts were almost twice as likely to have above-average reading skills as those who read on screens every day.
via Children who read on iPads or Kindles have weaker literacy skills, charity warns | Mail Online.
No great surprises here. Children have levels of motivation linked with various social exposures. Low literacy households lead to an avoidance or aversion to literacy practices. Research that has been published bears this out.
This study seems to show only that students who choose electronic books do not enjoy reading as much, NOT that they have weaker literacy skills. I would love to see an article which actually had some accurate information and conclusions. There is a strong link between students excelling at things they enjoy, but I think that the conclusions reached about electronic texts are being manipulated to suit the views of an anti-technology movement. I could use the word Luddite, but wouldn’t that be overstating it in the same fashion as the article overstates the link between enjoyment and superior literacy skills.
Thanks for your comment Angela.
Often we will include mentions about research like this because it stimulates further discussion which increases pressure for more detailed research.
Also, given that the current trend is towards greater uptake of technology in the classroom, research questioning the wisdom of such trends is important as it encourages us to re-examine our assumptions.
There can be a myriad of reaons as to why the children reading ebooks have lower literacy skills compared to the students reading from books. It is important that while we investigate advantages and disadvatages we dont make generalised statements such as ….’Children who read on IPADS or kindles have weaker literacy skills’.
I’m sorry but I find it frustrating when statements are made where there can be so many variables at play that have not been identified and accounted for.
What children?, from where?, prior to Kindle and access to ebooks where would these students have been performing? – what would their interest in reading have been prior to electronic books, have their skills improved, how was the sample group drawn – just way too many variables to make such a comment worthy of serious time.
I cannot agree more that research and resulting theory should always underpin practice but please, could we go about this with some level of efficacy rather than statements that people can latch onto and say….research says…..’Children who read on IPADS or kindles have weaker literacy skills’.
Thanks Emma, yes the title of the blog post was intended to be a bit provocative- and it seems to have worked!