WAB Learns: Digital Parents: Digital Reading

Reading in the Digital Age

Becoming a proficient reader is a difficult and time-consuming task. MaryAnn Wolf, in her books Proust and the Squid (2008) and Reader come Home (2018) uses some vivid imagery to explain just how complex the process is, reading issues such as dyslexia, the problems of illiteracy and digital disruption to the reading brain. There has been substantial debate on the impact of reading using digital devices. The discussion began with an article by Nicolas Carr (2008) followed by his book, The Shallows (2011). The Guardian article of Wolf (2018), resulted in a further flurry of discussion, while other researchers, including Willingham (2017) argue that the brain is plastic and changes are not permanent.

As parents and teachers, how do we navigate the apparent contradictions in research? General consensus leads us to believe that both digital and paper reading has a place and purpose, and we should be mindful of what is done when.

Digital Reading Pros and Cons

Focus on information, facts and concrete detail
Portability and accessibility
Other modality affordance such as audio and dictionary lookup
Scanning and zeroing in on keywords
Reading of the first line and word spotting (called non-linear or F/Z shape reading)

More superficial comprehension
Potential for more distractions
Less time in deep reading processes

Tips for parents:

The majority of student’s reading should still take place off-line using physical books
Students should be able to read at least one book for pleasure reading per week at their level of comfort – ensure you are setting aside time for undistracted print reading
Encourage students to read in their home language
For students who need help with reading we suggest pairing an audiobook with the physical book

Read-aloud to your children – even in middle and high school
Model good reading hygiene including screen-free reading time and book discussions
When students are researching for facts and overview, digital reading is fine, but employ a pop-up blocker or tool (such as Evernote webclipper, AdBlockPlus or Mercury Reader) so they can read without distractions.

Paper Reading Pros and Cons

Allows a higher level of abstraction
Better for grasping complexity of thought and argument
Results in deep analysis

Promotes understanding emotions and developing empathy

Focuses on perceived beauty
Heavy physical item that may get lost or damaged
Sometimes harder to find or access

Resources at WAB

Three trained and experienced Teacher-Librarians who welcome requests for recommendations
Over 67,000 books in three libraries – Sabina Brady Elementary School, Red Scroll Middle School and Green Sky High School.
Access to eBooks and AudioBooks through Kindle Books and iPod Shuffle (MS) and Overdrive/Sora (Whole school)
Access to over 7,000 magazines and newspapers in their native languages with the further ability to translate into 18 languages, in 120 countries through PressReader

Find Out More

For more information, feel free to borrow the referenced books from our libraries, or see the articles saved in our Libguide.

Reading in the digital age

Learning to Read in a Digital World
With digital texts ubiquitous in both homes and classrooms, understanding their
influence on the way children read is of the utmost importance for researchers,
educators, media designers, policy makers, and parents. The aim of this edited volume is to examine how advances in technology are influencing children’s reading
skills and development across a variety of environments and populations.

Skim reading is the new normal. The effect on society is profound
When the reading brain skims texts, we don’t have time to grasp complexity, to understand another’s feelings or to perceive beauty. We need a new literacy for the digital age
Is the Internet Changing Kids’ Brains?
Has habitual Internet browsing altered kids’ brains? In this excerpt from his new book The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads, Daniel T. Willingham argues that the brain is always changing, so the effects of web activities aren’t likely to be permanent. In fact, the biggest challenge for young readers may be staying focused on the printed page when having a smartphone means they never have to be bored.
Children learning to read in a digital world
Children’s earliest experiences of written language increasingly involve digital text — on phones, tablets and computers. This shift has triggered worry about the potential harm to children’s ability to read in a deep, focused manner on the one hand, and optimism for the potential of technology to support reading among different groups on the other. In this article, we explore research evidence concerning the impact of digital text on children’s developing literacy skills. Our review advocates the need for a more nuanced understanding regarding the challenges and potential of digital environments and highlights the uniqueness of each child’s digital reading experience.
Audio: Is digital reading changing ...
Lynn talks with neuroscientist Dr Maryanne Wolf, director of the center for dyslexia, diverse learners and social justice, at UCLA whose research looks at how the brain takes on knowledge. She says research is surfacing in many parts of the world suggesting that those who read on digital devices don’t comprehend as well, don’t sequence details well and don’t recall the plot as well as those reading the same material in print.

References

Carr, N. (2008, July 1). Is Google Making Us Stupid? Retrieved April 23, 2019, from The Atlantic website: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/

Carr, N. G. (2011). The shallows: what the Internet is doing to our brains. New York: W.W. Norton.

Willingham, D. T. (2017). The reading mind: a cognitive approach to understanding how the mind reads. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Wolf, M. (2018, August 25). Skim reading is the new normal. The effect on society is profound. Guardian.

Wolf, M., & Stoodley, C. J. (2008). Proust and the squid: the story and science of the reading brain. New York: Harper Perennial.

Wolf, M., & Stoodley, C. J. (2018). Reader, come home: the reading brain in a digital world. New York: Harper.