Welcome back to Science of Reading: The Podcast!
We often assume children are digital natives, but research shows that many are not being taught to use technology even when they’re surrounded by it. And though some students prefer to read digitally, research has demonstrated that this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re reading more effectively. How can we, as educators, best utilize the strengths of both technology and print to build strong foundational skills in reading?
As we saw in this pandemic, reading digitally is not going anywhere … and, in fact, is what made learning even a possibility the past year and a half.
—Dr. Lauren Trakhman, Professor, University of Maryland, College Park
In this episode, Susan Lambert sits down with Lauren Trakhman and Patricia Alexander, professors from the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology within the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, to discuss their research on the effectiveness of teaching reading in print vs. digitally.
Their conversation explores the ways in which teaching reading in print remains vital even in a digital world. Trakhman and Alexander also explain why it’s important to avoid making assumptions about students’ abilities to use technology and how that can be a detriment to reading success. Lastly, they discuss strategies for using technology to boost children’s foundational skills.
