Learning Objectives

• Identify the current preferred reading choices of students.
• Understand the importance of using digital text in teaching and learning.

Digital Natives 

In 2001, educator and author Mark Prensky coined the term digital native to define those students who were "native speakers" of the language of technology—computers, video games, cell phones, and the Internet. The digital natives of today have never known a world without a computer small enough to fit in the palm of their hands or the answer to a million questions available with a few keystrokes. But how does their native language translate into reading text in their natural habitat? Read the findings below to find out how digital natives read. 

Scholastic Reading Report

In fall 2016, Scholastic, in conjunction with YouGov, conducted its biannual survey to explore family attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun. Their findings are published in the Scholastic Reading Report.

According to their report:

• 16% of kids ages 6-17 who have read an ebook in the past year say that they prefer eBooks.​
• 65% of kids say they will always want to read in print, even though eBooks are available. Boys are less likely to agree than girls. 
• Less than 20% of children ages 6-17 prefer eBooks to print books.​

​College Students Studies

​2014 and 2015 studies by Diane Mizrachi and Nancy Foasberg highlight the reading preferences of college students.

According to Mizrachi's study:

• The majority of undergraduate college students still chose to read print texts for class as opposed to digital text—over 72%.
• When students accessed texts digitally, many said they printed them to read them.
• Students chose print over digital even when the text was available for free online.

According to Foasberg's study:

• Most students preferred print for long and academic reading because of their comfort in annotating print.
• Digital text was acceptable for shorter, nonacademic reading.
• Students strongly disliked digital textbooks. 

Adult Readers

The 2019 Pew Research Center Study on reading reveals the trend of how adults read—print or digital. 

According to the Pew Research Center Study:

• Adult reading of any book format has decreased slightly.
• The preferred form for adults is print—65% read print books versus the 25% who read eBooks. 

Why Does Supporting Digital Natives Matter?

Studies show that readers still prefer print over digital. However, the methods for delivering text for learning are increasingly electronic in nature. Online testing, increasing numbers of students enrolling in distance education courses, higher rates of e-textbook adoption, and the transformation of college library collections from mostly print to largely electronic require us to reboot the way we teach PreK-12 students to read. To analyze and synthesize what they read on a screen, whether for information, entertainment, or persuasion, Ohio's students need to master the skills to read and comprehend eBooks and other digital texts. 

Read the INFOhio flyer Reading on the Screen: Why Supporting Digital Natives Matters to provide a foundation for the objectives of this class. 

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Reflecting on Your Learning

Consider the questions below to determine your own reading preferences. (Adapted from Digital Reading: What’s Essential in Grades 3-8, Sibberson and Bass, 2015.) 

1. What devices do you rely on as a reader?
2. What are some challenges you face as a reader in the digital age?
3. What are deciding factors in choosing a digital text over a traditional (print) text?
4. What types of content do you consider to be “reading”?