Skip to main content

Do Books Make You Smarter?



This recent study states that the more books you own, the further your children will advance in their education. It would have me believe that if I just go out and buy a bunch of books and put them on shelves, my kids will go to college! How wonderful!

Unfortunately, it doesn't ask any of the relevant questions about reading today. For example, how does reading on a digital device compare? Can my kids read on an iPad or Kindle and still go to college? If they read books (which they do), should they also read digitally? Should they be well versed in attaining knowledge in a variety of ways, including video, audio, still image, print, digital text, etc...? Will this help or hurt their chances of going to college?

I have said it before. I am not anti-reading. I'm not even anti-traditional reading from a book. My kids read books daily. They are excellent readers. But... this isn't the question in my mind. The question is, "Do other media negatively impact a student's ability to attain knowledge?" If my kids read books, and watch video, and listen to podcasts, and, and, and... does this hinder their education or benefit it? My contention is that it benefits them.

The key is that they have a love of learning and the initiative to delve deeper to learn more substantively. Do books on a shelf do that simply by being in the house?

Read more on the study at http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/home-libraries-provide-huge-educational-advantage-14212/.

Photo thanks to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brokersaunders/3500220701/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Creating Traditions

Over the winter break, my wife and I got talking about traditions. At this time of year, there are many. Somehow or another, the conversation ended up on technology. (I don't know how... really!!) We were talking about how traditions are a part of our core values. For us, a love of nature is a core value. We have planned a couple of family trips to take advantage of the nature that is accessible throughout our country. We talked about how many people, including us at times, feel like technology can be a threat to our core values. It might be in conflict with our work/life balance, our love of the outdoors, our perceptions of what good relationships are about. But then we began talking about how technology has helped us build on our core values. As we planned our trip to Utah to go to the National Parks, we used the Internet to research the parks, find a flight, book a hotel, rent a car, and look at maps of the area. We might use a GPS system to help us get around while we are there...
4 comments
Read more

Smart Libraries

I came across this video from Library Ireland Week. Library Ireland Week It got me thinking about today's libraries. Our school and community libraries are really in a state of transition. They want kids and adults alike to continue their love of reading yet what reading looks like is really changing. As reading becomes increasingly digital , how do libraries (or media centers, if you prefer) provide literature, research resources, and etc... in a format that people want? Do we still need brick buildings to provide them. Many libraries have robust websites for reserving books, doing research, downloading ebooks, etc..., but at what point, if ever, do we cease to need a place to go. I know,  I can hear many people arguing that the library is also a community space and we need to bring people together. When I visit the library (Yes, I go often!), I often see tutoring, meetings, collaborating, sharing, and librarians helping people. I love the collaborative spaces that libraries provi...
2 comments
Read more