Teaching Literacy Using a Kindle

Children interact with the text of an electronic book differently than they do with printed text, according to a college professor of elementary education.

Lotta Larson at the University of Kansas says being able to write comment on the Kindle as they read makes the book more pertinent. Larson has been studying the reading habits of some second graders. Albeit a small sampling, she says tests have shown that the student's perception of their own reading ability has improved. She acknowledges that gathering quantitative data on how reading scores are affected will the proof of the pudding. She has expanded her study and is working with e-readers for students who have special needs. "I think that's where we'll really be able to make a big difference," Larson said.