Books: eBooks vs. Print Books- A Study on Reading

This week, Scholastic posted results from their recent national survey of parents and their kids - ages 6-17  (conducted in conjunction with the Harrison Group) "Kids and Family Reading Report - 4th edition*" asking them about their reading habits and preferences, and the results are interesting.

Here are some of their results on the increase and motivational aspects of ebooks:

From: paidcontent.org

• The percent of children who have read an ebook has almost doubled since 2010 (25% in 2010 vs. 46% in 2012);
• Half the children ages 9-17 would read more books for fun if they had greater access to ebooks (an increase of 50% from 2010);
• One in four boys who has read an ebook says he is now reading more books for fun (there was no marked increase for girls);
• 57% of moderately frequent readers (defined as kids who read one to four days a week) who have not read an ebook agree they would read more if they had greater access to ebooks;
• Kids say that ebooks are better than print books when they do not want their friends to know what they are reading and when they are traveling;
• 31% of parents who have read an ebook say they personally read more books now than they read before starting to read ebooks;
• ebooks are read primarily at home (75%) then at school (27%), at a friend's house (15%); at the library (13%) or someplace else (9%);
• Children and parents identify convenience and interactive properties (such as dictionaries, note taking, and read-aloud options) as the top benefit of ebooks over print books for children;

Here are some results on the the motivational aspects of print books:

• 80% of kids who read ebooks still read books for fun primarily in print;
• 58% of kids ages 9-17 say they will always want to read books printed on paper even though there are ebooks available (a slight decline from 66% in 2010);
• Print books are seen by kids as better sharing with friends and reading at bedtime;
• 49% of parents prefer their child read print books, 47% do not have a preference, and 4% prefer their child read ebooks. However, 68% of parents with younger kids (ages 6-8) prefer they read print books;
• Children and parents say the top benefits of print books for kids are not having to charge a battery and being able to see how much they read;
• 54% of parents say a benefit of print books over ebooks is to give their child time away from technology;

Regarding girl/boy gender preferences, the report notes that the gender gap in reading frequency and attitudes towards reading is narrowing; however, the narrowing of the gap is driven more by decreases among girls than it is by increases in boys.

• Among girls since 2010, there has been a decline in frequent readers (42% vs. 36%), reading enjoyment (39% vs. 32% say they love reading), and the importance of reading books for fun (62% vs. 56% say it is extremely or very important).
• Among girls ages 12-17 there was an increase in the amount of time they spend visiting social networking sites and using their smartphones for going online.
• Among boys since 2010, there has been an increase in reading enjoyment (20% vs. 26% say they love reading), and importance of reading books for fun (39% vs. 47%). Reading frequency among boys has stayed steady, with 32% being frequent readers.
• The percentage of boys who read 5-7 days a week drops at every age, whereas girls level off in their teens;

What factors most influence kids' reading:

From: blogs.msdn.com

"The study also looked at the influences that impact kids’ reading frequency, and parents ranked extremely high. The report found that having a reading role-model parent or a large book collection at home has a greater impact on kids’ reading frequency than does household income. Plus, building reading into kids’ daily schedules and regularly bringing home books for children positively impacts kids’ reading frequency."

Additional findings related to reading preferences and patterns:

• 49% of the parents feel their children do not spend enough time reading books for fun (an increase from 2010 when only 36% of parents were dissatisfied with time their child spent reading);
• Nine out of ten kids say they are more likely to finish a book they choose themselves (same as in 2010);
• 32% of parents say they are reading new kinds of books they never thought they would read, including children's books and teen fiction;
• Compared to 2010, fewer boys age 12-14 are playing video games while more boys age 15-17 are going online via computer, visiting social networking sites, and playing video games 5-7 days a week;
• Young children age 6-11 are more likely to read books (for fun and for school 5-7 days a week) than older children age 12-17;
• 83% of the children noted positive outcomes of reading a book required for school (42% said they would not have read it otherwise, 40% noted they were surprised by how much they liked it, 39% found a character they really liked, 27% found a series they really liked, 21% said they wanted to lear more about a topic they read about in school, 20% noted they found an author they really liked);
• 83% of parents have acquired books for their children in the past six months (13 books on average). This is higher for younger children compared to older children;
• 65% of parents of 6-8 year olds read to their children at least weekly. This drops to 37% of parents with 9-11 year olds.

For the visually literate, here are some of their findings in charts and graphs:

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS:

• Model reading.  Let your kids see you read for pleasure and for work; have books around the house, take them out when at the table to share interesting stories/facts/images/maps.  Make them part of your life.
• Read aloud at bedtime, while traveling, while waiting at the doctor's office.  Make reading fun and show them the incredible worlds books open up for them.
• Schedule reading times at home and/or at school - time your kids know are devoted to reading for fun.
• Read aloud to your OLDER kids at bedtime for as long as they'll let you!  This is particularly important as reading has been found to drop off for older kids.  Reading aloud will keep the world of books alive for them.
• Graphic novels are great reading choices for good, slow, reluctant and enthusiastic readers, and older readers who move away from print books, and while they may not be readily available to browse in the book store, libraries are great places to check them out, as are many of my blog posts: great non-fiction /historical fiction graphic novels, great kids' graphic novels encouraging critical thinking, my favorite kids' graphic, more great suggestions).
• Visit libraries and books stores
• Talk about favorite books or books you are currently reading at family meals, when driving the kids places.  Make books an important part of your life.

Thank you as always for your visit.  Please leave your reading preferences and ways of encouraging your kids to read in the comments.

NOTE: *As noted by Scholastic:

 The study was conducted by Scholastic and managed by Harrison Group, a YouGov Company. Survey data were collected by GfK, and the source of the survey sample of 1,074 pairs of children age 6-17 and their parents was GfK’s nationally representative KnowledgePanel®. 

To download the Kids & Family Reading Report and access audio sound bites, visit www.scholastic.com/readingreport. 

To learn more about Scholastic, visit our media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com. To learn about our global literacy campaign, visit www.scholastic.com/readeveryday.

Raising Boys into Readers: A Response

Thomas Spence, president of Spence Publishing, in The Wall Street Journal (September 24, 2010 "How to Raise Boys Who Read") addressed a recent report from the Center on Education Policy where:

“…substantially more boys than girls score below the proficiency level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test….Everyone agrees that if boys don’t read well, it’s because they don’t read enough…[research found] Boys with video games at home spend more time playing them than reading, and their academic performance suffers substantially…"

Spence's remedy:

“…keep electronic media, especially video games and recreational Internet, under control (that is to say almost absent).  Then fill our shelves with good books….[and not] books that exploit love of bodily functions and gross-out humor.”

So WHAT DO WE AS PARENTS DO NOW if our sons don't read well? And what do we do if we aren't even home to enforce internet control?  Here are some suggestions:

• No one is ever to old to be read to.

•  If your son is falling behind in school, help him catch up (while encouraging him to read for fun on his own).  Read aloud the books he needs for school, or introduce him to the audio or video versions (if available).  Watch the video together, talk about it.  Talk about how the movie and book are different.  Make reading less daunting and more fun.

 
 

• Make reading come alive.  Find places near you to visit that relate to the theme or time period of the book.  Talk about the content, use the internet together to find related clips, satire, pieces that make it more fun. 

• Introduce/have access to fun books (with low "gross-out factors", solid vocabulary and varied sentence structures).  If he 'isn't into books' begin with graphic novels (ONLY for older kids 5th grade or older).  While there are some poor graphic novels with a great deal of sex and or violence, there are also some really good ones (two of which I list below).  Begin with these, read them together (independently), talk about them and then go to the library or book store to find books of related genres and topics.

• If your child loves sports, find books about athletes, with their favorite sport in them.  Find high-interest books to begin with, then slowly introduce other genres.

• Start a parent/son book club with his friends.

• Read aloud whenever you can and depart the text.  Talk about the illustrations, the characters and their problems/issues and brainstorm possible resolutions.  Make the text meaningful on multiple levels.  (Please see my earlier blog entries: "Goodnight, Sweet Gems!" and "Departing the Text 101" for more details).

• If you can enforce limited access to gameboy, nintendo, wii, the Internt, do so, allowing for occasional viewing and play when earned.  We did this in our home and I have never regretted it - but you have to make it work for you.

Some of my favorite classic books (please recommend yours in the comments):

Frindle by Andrew Clemens - about a 5th grade boy who tries to outmaneuver a teacher who wants to give homework by distracting her with the age-old question 'what makes a word a word?'

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques.  Action packed middle age adventure with woodland characters.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (the first The Chronicles of Prydain series) about a boy, Taran, ward of a prophetic pig who becomes a reluctant hero fighting evil to save all he holds dear.

The Graveyard Book (or Stardust another favorite) by Neil Gaiman, a contemporary author for kids of all ages.  The Graveyard is an empowering book about a boy raised in the graveyard by a motly crew. 

Dragonwings by Laurence Yep (the first of two historical fiction books) takes place in San Francisco at the turn of the twentieth century and is all about immigrants, the Great Earthquake, and flying.

Note three of the five books suggested belong to a series.  Read the first aloud.  Let it grab him with great characters, adventure and fun and he will begin reading them on his own, for fun.

My favorite graphic novels (please recommend yours in the comments):

Mouse Guard a series of graphic novels by David Petersen - about mice struggling to live and prosper among all of the world's harsh conditions and predators.  It is beautifully illustrated and the characters must cooperate and think creatively to ensure safety and success.

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Nimura - is a gripping stoary of a young teenage girl battling monsters and giants, both real and imagined, and how she faces her greatest fear.


Mr. Spence's final reflection:  "...a boy raised on great literature is more likely to grow up to think, to speak, and to write like a civilized man...I offer a final piece of evidence that is perhaps unanswerable:  There is no literacy gap between home-schooled boys and girls.  How many of these families, do you suppose, have thrown grossology parties [based on the gross-out humor and literature of Goosebumps and Captain Underpants series]?"


I have taught language arts honors/enrichment courses for many years in grades 1-8, and am currently teaching a critical reading course for Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.  When teaching in school, class membership was optional BUT the students had to be reading well above their grade level.  Interestingly,  in the lower school the girls had a slighter edge.  In the upper grades, however,  (above grade 5) there were consistently more boys in my class than girls.  Furthermore, in middle school I noticed a tendency for the girls to 'dumb down' because it was not cool to be smart.  Why is it that reading is so important but also so overlooked by our youth?  I don't think it is about restricting internet and games, I think it is about making reading come alive, making it more fun and making it more meaningful.  More about this in future blogs, just wanted to sow seeds for further thought.

What do you think?  What are your reading with your boys/girls?  Please leave comments.

Preview

Final Flings and Chasing Summer

Soon we will be knee deep into August.  Some of you may have kids beginning school, others may be contemplating one last vacation or summer fling before sending the kids off to school.  Summer's heat though, is making it difficult to think of school or the rush for school supplies.  So I thought I would talk about enjoying August just a bit longer, while enriching your kids' skills and intellect and having fun whether you leave your neighborhood or not.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Visit a sculpture garden or park, and/or create your own!  Collect old boxes, plastic drink cartons, old furniture, old sheets and towels, empty paper towel rolls, glue and rope.  Have your kids and their friends create 'sculptures' in the back yard.  Then, have the artists give a tour.  If you want them to practice writing skills, have them write up a promotion advertising their park and their art.  Then, go visit sculpture gardens near you.  You may want to talk about how long you think it may have taken to make the sculptures.  Talk about the materials selected and used by the artists.  Talk about how the sculptures were placed in the garden to enhance the view or landscaping.

2. Go Apple or berry picking.    Then come home and bake or make jam with the fruit you picked.  As an incentive or reinforcement, (especially if your kids are young) read Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.

3.  Go on a Safari.  Hunt for bugs, or bears, for the most fragrant flower or elusive bird, or for a dreaded pirate.  Your hunt can be real or virtual!  Either way, it can be lots of fun.  And, there are some really cute books about kids going on hunts which you can read aloud as well.  You can even go on book hunt at the local library or bookstore about kids going on hunts.


One book I love reading with younger kids is We're Going On a Bear Hunt Retold by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.  What is so nice about this book is that there is a distinctive pattern in the story that makes it fun to read and chant together.  As the family goes on the hunt they go over tall grass, cross a river, slop in mud, navigate a forest and survive a snow storm, making really cool sounds as they overcome each obstacle. Not only can you find and make your own (real or virtual) obstacles, creating your own sound effects can be loads of fun.  The other thing I like about this book is that it deals a lot with sequences and patterns and pointing out these patterns and making your own is a wonderful way to build these skills in your kids' repertoire.

IF there are a lot of flies and insects on your hunt, you may want to read a vivid picture book for kids of all ages:  Diary of a Young Fly by Doreen Cronin, pictures by Harry Bliss.  This is truly a wonderful book whose illustrations and fun facts will enable numerous fascinating text-departures.  I just loved it!



3. Go Kite Flying.  You may even want to make the kites and have a contest - have your kids design and experiment with aerodynamic designs.  To supplement this activity, there are some wonderful stories about kite flying kids.

One is a picture book by Jane Yolen, The Emperor and the Kite illustrated by Ed Young and winner of the Caldecott award.  The story is about the Emperor's smallest daughter who is not thought of very much by her family (if at all) and spends her days playing with a kite made from paper and sticks.  The Emperor is captured and imprisoned and it is this daughter and her kite who save the day.

Another favorite read aloud book of mine is for older kids, a wonderfully engaging chapter book, called Dragonwings by Laurence Yep.  It is a Newberry honor book and the first of a trilogy about a Chinese immigrant boy who is brought to San Francisco at the turn of the century (1909) to join his father, Windrider. This is excellent historical fiction that deals with the great earth quake, Chinese immigrants and the railroad, bigotry, segregation and aeronautics (Windrider is a master kite maker who builds an airplane).


4. Visit Historical Sites in your area. I live on the East Coast and there are so many colonial homes and sites.  If you have any of these landmarks in your area, go visit them.  Then when you come home, imagine what your home would be like if you lived in that era.  Maybe make some home made ice cream as they would have in Colonial times, or try preparing a Colonial dinner.  Be creative!

These are just a handful of suggestions.  I'd love to hear your ideas!  I will be sharing more about taking advantage of your 'neck of the woods' in future blog entries.  In the meantime, enjoy these final summer flings!

Departing the Text 101: Beginners Manual

While I have received some really nice comments to my blog entries there was one response to my "GoodNight Sweet Gems" entry that I want to respond to formally:  "Hi-- I am very unsure of what the phrase actually means: putting the book away? best j.

While I am not sure if "j" was joking or not, I figured it may be prudent to respond.  So often we make assumptions that just aren't valid and I am always the one saying, "don't assume anything!"

 

So first, a definition:

departing the text (v): requires an action or actions in which the reader and/or audience take a mind trip, in this case when reading.  These mind trips are best used for savoring language, humor, and for battling angst and idleness. It requires taking a moment and relating what is read (or said or viewed) to past memories and experiences, in an effort to get just a little bit more out of it.


Please note the background to this blog.  It's intention is to simulate the above definition visually!

So, dear readers, with this definition in mind, below is a beginner's manual, if you will, on how to best depart the text when reading aloud.  Note, that you can and should substitute the word "reading" with "viewing" and "listening" when appropriate.  All are most highly recommended.  Also note that these directions have been written for reading aloud with your child, but feel free to improvise at will.

How to Depart the Text:

1.  Select a book.  Selecting books to read to your child can be a tough. My recommendation is select a book with rich illustrations/photographs or with compelling text that your child is already familiar with.  While you can also select a 'new' book, experience has shown me that often kids are anxious to hear what happens next in a story they aren't yet familiar, with and so are not as eager to depart the text.

 [Note:  Don't push departing the text.  If they don't want to, just wait for another opportunity OR depart the text  after reading the story.]


2.  Select a comfy spot to read.  Comfort is essential!  Maybe you want to cuddle, or just find a place that is cozy and induces mind wandering.  Fluffy pillows or a nice warm lap are both recommended.  Opus' bunny jammies were a nice touch in Goodnight Opus, but you may not want to depart the text at bedtime (see note).

[Note:  I would not depart the text at bedtime as it will stimulate attention, memory and problem solving all of which are not necessarily desirable when you want the kids to go to sleep so you can get on with your life.]


3.  Choosing when and how to depart: My mind naturally wanders and so departing the text is a knee-jerk reaction for me.  My advice here is to relax and as you come across an illustration with interesting detail, or text that reminds you of something your child can relate to and have fun talking about, depart!  You can depart with word definitions too, but they are not nearly as fun as departing with rich detail or something to think about.  Berkeley Breathed books are rife with detail in the illustrations and these were favorite 'departing' books in my family.

4.Departing doesn't just mean talking.  While "departing the text" often means talking about something interesting, it doesn't have to be.  It could involve singing, dancing, and banging out a beat.  It always involves brainstorming and creativity.

 Examples of singing and dancing: 

Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger  comes with music for the Abiyoyo song.
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester has great parts to sing and cheer.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak has two pages to rumpus.


4.  Frequency of Departures:   This is totally your call.  It will depend on how much time you have for reading and departing.  It also depends on how long your child can sit.  Know, however, that the more you do this and the longer you do it, the longer you are increasing your child's attention span and ability to sit.

5.  Have fun.  The main thing is to have fun enriching the reading experience and your time together.

So, please let me know how this works out for you, and let me know what your favorite read aloud books are for departing the text.  Happy travels to all!

Goodnight, Sweet Gems!

I would love to hear what you think about when you read the words, "departing the text," because I am not sure we think of the same things.  That's the beauty and challenge of language.  Sometimes words and phrases can be so pregnant with imagery and meaning. In raising effective communicators and lifelong readers, our kids need to be exposed to the nuances of language and the absolute joy and fun playing with language can bring.

I first heard  "departing the text" years ago when reading Goodnight Opus to my kids.  Breathed's book opens with Opus, a quirky penguin in bed wearing his 'pink bunny jammies' while his Granny is reading his favorite book,  Goodnight Moon, for the two hundred tenth time. (Sound familiar?)  And as Granny pauses ("for a snooze and a snore") Opus departs from the text and says "goodnight" to, among others, the peculiar purple monster under his bed.  Together, the monster and Opus say "goodnight" to mythical and historical figures around the world (and beyond).  They visit Abe Lincoln and take a dip in the pool (the one in front of the monument) and later meet the cows in the Milky Way (to name only two visits).  And, what's really cool is that all these departures are connected  to 'collectibles' Opus has in his bedroom but never really noticed before (including the monster).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GoodnightOpus.jpg



The beauty here is that are so many levels of meaning and departure.

First, there's the allegory:

How many times do we go through life - on one path or another, and fail to notice the gems all around us?  How often do we read and not fully appreciate the music and rhythm of the words?

Then there's the literal enrichment:

Reading aloud is enriching and important.  It's not just for the soothing voice or the cuddling.  It's about hearing  the rhythm of the language and the exposure to different words, worlds and ideas, all of which are integral for building essential skills such as attention, language, and problem solving (to name a few).  Plus there's the social dimension where relating to stories and characters in a book makes it easier for kids to address and build possible solutions for their own issues.

Now think about the added value of departing the text when reading:

For one, it's not the same boring book for the two hundred tenth time.  The characters and objects in the pictures can take on a whole new life and meaning.  When you depart the text when reading aloud, you are stretching the sitting time and concurrently holding and stretching your child's attention.  You are problem solving and brainstorming, and playing with words and imagery.  And, you are building relationships, sequences, patterns.  All of these skills are so important for school and for life, and we'll be revisiting them frequently in the blogs.


So as you depart this text, look at those gems all around you and let them take you to magical, mysitcal places far and near. But, before you go, I'd love for you to share a comment.  What do you think about when you read "departing the text?" 

Thanks.  Happy journeys, and hope to see you soon.