Seamless Technology Literacy: Student Reading Patterns Research

Scholastic has just released the 2008 Kids & Family Reading Report, and as much as the clear self-interests of Scholastic in funding this research have to be taken into account, the report makes some interesting findings with implications for teachers interested in technology integration:

• a majority of children think it is important to read for pleasure (68%)
• pleasure reading of books drops off steadily after the age of 8
• 2/3 prefer to read a physical book than read on a digital screen
• high frequency internet users are more likely to read books for fun every day
• 2/3 of children went online to find out more information regarding physical books they were reading
• parents who read frequently are 6 times more likely to have children that read often
• mothers read more, and recommend books more effectively, for their children than fathers

While these findings should be taken with a grain of salt, it seems that a big take-away for educators is that digital technology and book technology can work in synergy for a coordinated approach to developing children's literacy, and that the older a child gets, the more important digital information skills become.

"Advanced iPhone" will be a course coming to a high school near you.