Sign in to confirm you’re not a bot
This helps protect our community. Learn more

Opening the front cover of the panel discussion about reading and the brain, medical journal and author Rita Carter shares the significance of reading to spark a child’s imagination and develop theory of mind. Utilizing the imagery of taking a walk in another’s shoes, she explores the role of empathy and creativity, two undeniably important qualities for the real world, in this important process. Carter remarks that both the act of reading and the content involved alters a child’s brain, and emphasizes that reading is one of children’s most important activities!

9:55

Turning the page, the panel continues their discussion on the implications of reading on children’s cognitive development. Akin to Carter’s comments about how reading can alter a child’s brain function, Dr. John Hutton, a highly-regarded pediatrician and assistant professor at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, shares research about the plasticity of the child brain. Highlighting results from MRI brain imaging studies, Dr. Hutton verifies the benefits of parent-child reading in developing the different parts of children’s brains which are wired for reading, and differences in engagement across books in visual and audio formats.

27:07

Beyond the question of whether there are differences in cognition with print vs digital reading, parents and educators alike are asking: is digital or print-reading preferable for children? Dr. Kristen Hawley Turner, Professor and Director of Teacher Education at Drew University, further elucidates the nuances and complexities of the question, noting the various forms of reading--short, medium, and long form--that exist across both media. So, what does it mean to read in a digital age? Amid the shift to the digital landscape, teens are reading both print and digital texts. She reports that modern teens still prefer print because they've been doing it for such a long time. However, she believes the skills of digital reading and annotating should be taught, and teens can learn to do it well.

45:03

In the final chapter of the discussion, Dr. Naomi Baron, Professor Emerita of Linguistics in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at American University, builds upon Dr. Turner’s findings, highlighting the importance of one’s mentality and motivation when reading. She comments on contemporary trends, summarizing research about reading comprehension scores after reading digital versus print texts; most students do better with print. Dr. Baron reminds us how critical it is for parents and teachers to model active reading on different media and to foster a love of reading!

1:06:35
Ask The Experts: Oh, The Places They'll Go? Reading In a Digital World
12Likes
649Views
2021Mar 3
On Wednesday, February 24th, Children and Screens hosted an action-packed “Ask the Experts” webinar, “Oh, The Places They’ll Go? Reading in a Digital World.” From the workshop’s forward to its epilogue, a group of esteemed reading experts engaged in a thought-provoking and insightful conversation about the current research on digital reading behavior, as well as the role of reading both on- and off-screen on cognitive development, language acquisition, and more. This vibrant discussion was moderated by renowned scholar Dr. Maryanne Wolf, the Director of Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice, and Professor of Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at University of California, Los Angeles. [9:55] Opening the front cover of the panel discussion about reading and the brain, medical journal and author Rita Carter shares the significance of reading to spark a child’s imagination and develop theory of mind. Utilizing the imagery of taking a walk in another’s shoes, she explores the role of empathy and creativity, two undeniably important qualities for the real world, in this important process. Carter remarks that both the act of reading and the content involved alters a child’s brain, and emphasizes that reading is one of children’s most important activities! [27:07] Turning the page, the panel continues their discussion on the implications of reading on children’s cognitive development. Akin to Carter’s comments about how reading can alter a child’s brain function, Dr. John Hutton, a highly-regarded pediatrician and assistant professor at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, shares research about the plasticity of the child brain. Highlighting results from MRI brain imaging studies, Dr. Hutton verifies the benefits of parent-child reading in developing the different parts of children’s brains which are wired for reading, and differences in engagement across books in visual and audio formats. [45:03] Beyond the question of whether there are differences in cognition with print vs digital reading, parents and educators alike are asking: is digital or print-reading preferable for children? Dr. Kristen Hawley Turner, Professor and Director of Teacher Education at Drew University, further elucidates the nuances and complexities of the question, noting the various forms of reading--short, medium, and long form--that exist across both media. So, what does it mean to read in a digital age? Amid the shift to the digital landscape, teens are reading both print and digital texts. She reports that modern teens still prefer print because they've been doing it for such a long time. However, she believes the skills of digital reading and annotating should be taught, and teens can learn to do it well. [1:06:35] In the final chapter of the discussion, Dr. Naomi Baron, Professor Emerita of Linguistics in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at American University, builds upon Dr. Turner’s findings, highlighting the importance of one’s mentality and motivation when reading. She comments on contemporary trends, summarizing research about reading comprehension scores after reading digital versus print texts; most students do better with print. Dr. Baron reminds us how critical it is for parents and teachers to model active reading on different media and to foster a love of reading! To learn more about Children and Screens, visit our website: www.childrenandscreens.com Follow Children and Screens on social media! Instagram: @childrenandscreens Facebook: Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development Twitter: @childrenscreens

Opening the front cover of the panel discussion about reading and the brain, medical journal and author Rita Carter shares the significance of reading to spark a child’s imagination and develop theory of mind. Utilizing the imagery of taking a walk in another’s shoes, she explores the role of empathy and creativity, two undeniably important qualities for the real world, in this important process. Carter remarks that both the act of reading and the content involved alters a child’s brain, and emphasizes that reading is one of children’s most important activities!

9:55

Turning the page, the panel continues their discussion on the implications of reading on children’s cognitive development. Akin to Carter’s comments about how reading can alter a child’s brain function, Dr. John Hutton, a highly-regarded pediatrician and assistant professor at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, shares research about the plasticity of the child brain. Highlighting results from MRI brain imaging studies, Dr. Hutton verifies the benefits of parent-child reading in developing the different parts of children’s brains which are wired for reading, and differences in engagement across books in visual and audio formats.

27:07

Beyond the question of whether there are differences in cognition with print vs digital reading, parents and educators alike are asking: is digital or print-reading preferable for children? Dr. Kristen Hawley Turner, Professor and Director of Teacher Education at Drew University, further elucidates the nuances and complexities of the question, noting the various forms of reading--short, medium, and long form--that exist across both media. So, what does it mean to read in a digital age? Amid the shift to the digital landscape, teens are reading both print and digital texts. She reports that modern teens still prefer print because they've been doing it for such a long time. However, she believes the skills of digital reading and annotating should be taught, and teens can learn to do it well.

45:03

In the final chapter of the discussion, Dr. Naomi Baron, Professor Emerita of Linguistics in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at American University, builds upon Dr. Turner’s findings, highlighting the importance of one’s mentality and motivation when reading. She comments on contemporary trends, summarizing research about reading comprehension scores after reading digital versus print texts; most students do better with print. Dr. Baron reminds us how critical it is for parents and teachers to model active reading on different media and to foster a love of reading!

1:06:35

Follow along using the transcript.

Children and Screens

3.3K subscribers