Reading is simply the communication of ideas through alphanumeric symbols. I'm not sure why this represents such sacred ground for teachers, but it does. Personally, I would be more concerned with reading habits, reasons for reading, the quality of reading materials, etc. Symbols change, forms change, media change. Consider GIFs, memes, language and acronyms that become words, and words that become metaphors. This is your audience, and these are the symbols they are drawn to.

With more personalization, more access, and more connectivity, we should be creating a generation of avid readers who can’t get enough. So, if that isn’t happening, the question is, why isn’t it happening? The pieces are there.

Technology Improves Reading

1. Readers are online readers

Through apps with social components, readers can connect through texts. Book clubs, reading contests, reasons to read, book recommendations, establishing social credibility for the reading process, and more are possible when reading is, at least to some extent, a social act.

No, we don't always “need to be connected.” However, this is not an either/or circumstance. We can be alone with our book and then socialize our reaction to the book. We can have an idea for a book and then be alone to read, and then socialize afterward. We can “socialize” an idea and gain prior knowledge for a given chapter of a book, then read alone and not “socialize” at all afterward. The point is that we can choose with whom we socialize and with whom we do not, when, and how we do it.

We have the choice.

2. Adaptive algorithms can lead to personalization

With adaptive learning algorithms, readers can instantly personalize the pace, diversity, complexity, and form of their reading materials.

3. Better access and more options

Through digital stores, free e-books, RSS feeds, social magazines and more, there has never been a time when students had more content at their fingertips. Do you like this book and use an e-reader such as Kindle or iBooks? Here are 25 more like it.

Also, here are 10 other authors that readers who liked this book also enjoyed.

And here are 750 reviews you can browse to get a sense of what others think. And please, download a free sample of any book you like.

And now it is easier to publish, so while that means there is more junk on the market, there is also more variety. Fanfiction has exploded. If you can’t find something you like, it’s because you are not looking hard enough.

4. Technology can distract, technology can focus

Technology can enable readers to annotate texts and share notes, which is physically interactive and “social.” There are also apps, such as white noise apps, that can block distractions in class, among other functions. Before blaming technology for “distracting” students, make sure you are honest with yourself about how focused they were without the technology.

5. Technology makes learning easier

Let’s divide reading into three distinct categories: Before reading, During reading and After reading.

During each of these stages, readers have different needs.

Before reading: A young reader beginning a story set in a different culture can benefit from watching a YouTube video about that culture or reading a quick summary on Wikipedia about it.

During reading: A high school student reading a poem may want to search Google for the literary allusions in that poem to better understand it.

After reading: A doctoral student may want to verify previous studies conducted by the authors of that study to evaluate a claim being made or to delve deeper into another data point found in the study and learn more.

The point is that technology (when used appropriately) enhances understanding. No, it is not absolutely necessary in the same way that I do not need to drive a car to go to Henry County, Kentucky. I could walk if I wanted, and there are benefits to walking. Cars are not “superior.” But thanks to that technology, I have the opportunity.

6. Analytics can personalize the mechanisms of reading

Analytics can be, well, analyzed for the practice of reading: time spent reading, how often readers click on certain words, etc. I know this is vague. I am not a reading specialist nor an app developer. The point is that data can be used to keep all readers in their literacy “sweet spot,” supporting struggling readers, challenging advanced readers, and offering choices to readers at the grade-appropriate level.

7. Texts can be adjusted instantly

Taking the data from the previous point, we have a powerful combination. This involves having sentence structure that is more or less complex, syntax, vocabulary, etc. Platforms like Epic Reader and News-O-Matic facilitate matching a student’s reading level to a text, as do various apps and desktop programs.

Furthermore, by using e-reading apps, students can tap a word and get its definition instantly. This does not necessarily mean they will do so; keep in mind that careful reading remains a matter of willingness. But they have the option to do it.

8. The reading speed is more “visible”

With apps that allow practicing high-frequency words, others created specifically to increase reading speed, and others that measure time spent reading, words read per minute, and more, reading speed is now more visible than ever, and higher reading speed generally translates into better comprehension.