Untitled Document
 In
today’s modern world, more and more
children are beginning to own cell phones. Elementary students and even
kindergarteners can be seen
carrying mobile phones, texting their friends and
playing games. Many adults fear that children value their phones more than
their books and novels.
Many believe that there is a direct connection between
the increase of students having
a cell phone and the decline in reading. Almost
9 out of 10 students now have a mobile phone while fewer have easy access to books
outside of school. A study by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) suggests that there is a
link between students having
access to books and high test scores.
According to the study, 80 percent of children who scored above the average reading skill level
owned many books at home.
Meanwhile, more than half
of the students who scored below-average never tried
to pick up a book outside the
classroom. Another recent study found that having
just 20 books at home can enhance a child’s ability to do better in school.
The NLT surveyed more than 17,000
school children aged 7 to 16. It found that
more students owned cell phones than books - 85.5 percent opposed to 72.6 percent.
Among this age group, 79.1 percent of children from age seven to eleven
- mainly elementary school
students - owned a cell phone, while 72.7 percent had access to books.
“Our research illustrates the clear link with literacy resources at home
and a child’s reading ability, as well as the vital importance of family
encouragement,” stated Jonathan Douglas,
director of the National
Literacy Trust. “By ensuring that children have access to reading
materials in the home and
by encouraging children to love reading, families can help them do
well at school and to enjoy opportunities throughout their lives.”
According to Douglas, if a child starts to read for pleasure then their overall academic performance will
get better. “Involvement with reading
activities at home has significant positive influences not only on reading
achievement, language comprehension, and expressive language skills,
but also on pupils’ interest in reading,
attitudes towards reading, and attentiveness in the classroom.”
 Many
teachers and parents are concerned and afraid that modern technology
can negatively affect young people. In a
study last year, researchers from Monash University in Melbourne,
Australia said mobile phones made youngsters less attentive and more
prone to making mistakes.
The University of Nevada in the U.S. also found that young people
coming from a more “bookish home” were more likely
to finish school and pursue their careers than those with empty bookshelves.
New studies show over and over again that
reading skills are directly connected to reading books at home. Children
who read for pleasure, have higher test scores and do better in school.
Although it is obvious to some that reading
helps you in school and makes you smarter, many others would rather choose their flashy cell phones than anything
with words written on it. |
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