The more time kids spend going online or using a cell phone, the less time they spend reading books for fun, according to a new study conducted by Scholastic. This presents new challenges for parents, although Scholastic chief academic officer Francie Alexander points out there is also a positive side of the story.
One in four kids between the ages of six and 17 say texting with friends 'counts' as reading... and their parents disagree. That's one of the findings in a new study released by Scholastic, which also details how parents see that as kids get more involved in the digital age, the time spent reading books for fun declines. Scholastic's chief academic officer Francie Alexander says the challenge for parents is to keep a balance between technology and traditional book-reading. She makes the case for keeping books in kids' hands...
"They have to develop their reading stamina. They can easily go back and forth. They can make their own kinds of markings, or turning down the corners, or whatever, on the text."
The study also found ways that technology can be a positive motivator to get kids reading, with 57-percent of children indicating interest in reading an eBook, and one-third of kids saying they would read more books for fun if they had access to eBooks.
"Opportunities for the digital devices for reluctant readers. If you're reading perhaps not on the level of other kids, you can read easier texts without being so - quote - exposed."
Alexander says parents are powerful influencers to get kids to read for fun. The 2010 Kids and Family Reading Report shows that parental limits on technology time works best between the ages of nine and 11. For older kids, Alexander advises making sure interesting books are in the home and readily available.
One in four kids between the ages of six and 17 say texting with friends 'counts' as reading... and their parents disagree. That's one of the findings in a new study released by Scholastic, which also details how parents see that as kids get more involved in the digital age, the time spent reading books for fun declines. Scholastic's chief academic officer Francie Alexander says the challenge for parents is to keep a balance between technology and traditional book-reading. She makes the case for keeping books in kids' hands...
"They have to develop their reading stamina. They can easily go back and forth. They can make their own kinds of markings, or turning down the corners, or whatever, on the text."
The study also found ways that technology can be a positive motivator to get kids reading, with 57-percent of children indicating interest in reading an eBook, and one-third of kids saying they would read more books for fun if they had access to eBooks.
"Opportunities for the digital devices for reluctant readers. If you're reading perhaps not on the level of other kids, you can read easier texts without being so - quote - exposed."
Alexander says parents are powerful influencers to get kids to read for fun. The 2010 Kids and Family Reading Report shows that parental limits on technology time works best between the ages of nine and 11. For older kids, Alexander advises making sure interesting books are in the home and readily available.
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