Digital skills and computing are not killing off books.
We were pleased to see that all age groups noted an increase in reading enjoyment since 2020. More children are reading outside of their class daily – 30.1% in early 2021, compared to 25.8% in 2019. Source - Click HERE
Literacy has gone high tech with digital literacy being treated as an important skill at Aldwyn Primary School. But, what amazed me is the amount of information that children contributed to class discussions during lessons with many children being pre-armed with facts and figures not found on the internet but gained from books. Children have brought in a variety of books to show me covering many subjects- (see picture above). These have been purchased for them by parents or grandparents, who, perhaps, belong to the older generation and appreciate the importance of books.
Today, educational experts agree that children should use both books and computers. The issue is how to combine the two forms of media in an engaging way. Thankfully, reading and computing have something in common: the students' interests. When it comes time to mix the two pastimes, kids need content both physical books and digital software can offer. By assembling a small collection of content for each medium, educators can easily develop a program that benefits students in both areas: their logical and creative thinking abilities, and their reading and writing skills.
Aldwyn Primary - The Learning Zone