Digital Reading and Comprehension Study

 For years, research showed that print reading, whether for leisure or school, improved developing readers’ ability to comprehend text. However, the explosive use of digital reading devices, constant access to these devices, and new types of reading materials have introduced new reading habits. Now, a new comprehensive review of research on digital leisure reading habits finds a virtually nonexistent relationship between digital reading and improvement in reading comprehension among students.

Altamura, L., Vargas, C., & Salmerón, L. (2023). Do new forms of reading pay off? A meta-analysis on the relationship between leisure digital reading habits and text comprehension. Review of Educational Research. Prepublished December 13, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543231216463

Print versus digital books research

 "While a recent study concluded that paper books yielded better comprehension than e-books when many of the digital tools had been removed, the effect sizes were small. A 2021 meta-analysis further muddies the water: When digital and paper books are “mostly similar,” kids comprehend the print version more readily—but when enhancements like motion and sound “target the story content,” e-books generally have the edge. There’s plenty of evidence that writing with pen and paper encodes learning more deeply than typing. But new digital book formats come preloaded with powerful tools that allow readers to annotate, look up words, answer embedded questions, and share their thinking with other readers." (excerpted from Eutopia)

Furenes, M. I., Kucirkova, N., & Bus, A. G. (2021). A Comparison of Children’s Reading on Paper Versus Screen: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 91(4), 483–517. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321998074

Reading Comprehension for Nonfiction Versus Fiction Books

The Accelerated Reader software, according to this study, offers computerized comprehension quizzes of real books individually chosen by children, giving children (and teachers, librarians, and parents) feedback on performance. Children can also express preferences for books they enjoy. Quizzes taken by 150,220 children in 967 schools are reported. Considering highly preferred books, children were reading very difficult books with a high degree of success. Non-fiction books were not read or understood as carefully as fiction books. Implications for future research and practice are outlined as well.

Topping, K. J. (2014). Fiction and non-fiction reading and comprehension in preferred books. Reading Psychology, 36(4), 350-387. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2013.865692

Library Resources Help Build Skills

A recent study at a large, public, research-extensive university “suggest(s) that first-year students who used a library resource at least once were significantly more likely than their peers who did not use the library to report development of critical thinking and analytical skills, written communication skills, and reading comprehension skills”.

Soria, K. M., Peterson, K., Fransen, J., Nackerud, S., & Association of Research Libraries (2017). Impact of academic library resources on first-year students’ learning outcomes. Washington, D.C.: Association of Research Libraries. http://publications.arl.org/rli290/5

Study Shows Decrease in Reading Skills Amongst Fourth Graders in United States

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, also known as PIRLS, has recently found that reading comprehension among fourth-grade students in the U.S. has gradually slowed down since 2001, allowing education systems in other countries whose students used to perform worse than those in the U.S. to catch up – and even surpass – the U.S. in an international ranking. When it comes to the standing of U.S. students, fourth grade reading comprehension has slipped since 2011 – though not statistically significantly – lowering its position in the international ranking to 16th place. In 2011, four education systems scored higher than the average reading score of U.S. students, while in 2016, 12 education systems scored higher. These statistics are important as they allow for a greater understanding of how the reading knowledge and skills of U.S. fourth-graders compare with fourth-graders from other countries. PIRLS informs national discussions about education policy as well as international competitiveness

Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Foy, P., & Drucker, K. P. (2012). PIRLS 2011 international results in reading. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2011/downloads/P11_IR_FullBook.pdf