This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

R U Reading Online?

Elizabeth Birr Moje; Ken Pugh

Does surfing the Internet count as reading?

Many kids spend hours online. They move from site to site, check e-mails and chat. Are they reading? That question is at the heart of a current debate.

Yes!

Sometimes we read in short bursts and snippets. That is the way we read when we're surfing the Web. Studies show that reading on the Web is a sophisticated reading experience because readers must process information in so many different forms: photos, videos, charts and graphs. The information that readers access is unlimited. Links may lead to related information, which might enrich the reading experience. Giving home Internet access to low-income kids has been shown to improve standardized reading test scores.

Without Internet access, these kids would not have been reading in their free time. The more people read, the more likely they are to develop stronger skills. If surfing the Web motivates kids to readóeven if it is only for a short period of timeóthen that is a good thing. All reading, whether on- or offline, can be good. It just depends on the type of text and how you use it. Just as there are some offline texts that are better or worse than others, some online texts are good and some are not.

Elizabeth Birr Moje is a professor of literacy at the University of Michigan. She studies adolescents' reading and writing practices.

No!

Reading is an activity that requires focused attention for an extended period of time. When you read a narrative, you create pictures in your mind to go along with the story. So reading books is a mentally stimulating activity. It's good for the brain.

But a lot of the reading that we do online is not the same sustained, focused reading that we do when we read narratives. If you spend most of your time online, not really exploring texts or staying on topic for an extended period of time, then you're not getting the full benefit of reading.

I don't want students to be discouraged from exploring the online world. It can add greatly to their education. If you're studying mummies, you can find pictures and links to more sites to create a more enriched study. But it's hard to explore the online world if you're not a good reader. Becoming a good reader takes practice, and reading interesting books is really good practice.

Ken Pugh is an associate professor at Yale University School of Medicine. He studies the brain and reading disabilities.

Next: A Super-Sized Crisis