Boys take to reading - when it's on an iPad

Submitted by Mastodon on Mon, 2013-12-02 12:29

Article here. Excerpt:

'Technology is helping to boost the appeal of reading for young boys, and they're getting smarter because of it, new research has found.

Primary school-aged boys with little interest in reading are finding that using iPads and netbooks in the classroom adds a touch of competition and fun.

Massey University researcher Jenny Poskitt studied two year 4 classes and two year 5 and 6 classes in Palmerston North this year to measure pupils' reading comprehension when using technology.

She said boys aged 10 and 11 made gains in their reading ability of six times the nationally expected average when using the devices.'

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Comments

At the age of seven, my son had finished all of Harry Potter -- in English and in Norwegian, both.

This is not a testimony to any genetic predisposition.

I am hearing impaired and have hearing aids. Even with them, I must watch television with the closed caption on.

As a baby, my son would hear the words and see the symbols scroll across the screen. (I urge every parent to make sure to turn on the close-captioned when watching television with their kids.)

Thus, I am not surprised to hear this news reported here. I think that boys learn better when they "visualize" communication --- but mostly the type of communciation that interests them and in a contemporary medium.

I also note that many schools today enforce collaboration and group work. Boys are resistant to that. Reading on an Ipad, even in a classroom, has an element of independence about it.

I have huge hopes for the education of boys in the future.

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Submitted by ThomasI on Mon, 2013-12-02 16:34