Meg’s Musings

Interesting article shared by Jen Dorman this morning from NYT .  I know, as an elementary , (primary and intermediate) vocabulary is a strong indicator of reading strength. The Report of the National Reading Panel  (2000), for example, concluded ” the importance of vocabulary knowledge in the development of reading skills. As early as 1924, researchers noted that growth in reading power relies on continuous growth in word knowledge.The more words a child knows (uses & recognizes) the better they read.” (pp. 4-15).  Through wide independent reading, students come in contact with more literary vocabulary than they ever could or would through spoken conversations. Unfortunately this becomes a vicious cycle affecting the weaker students. The more the students read, the more vocabulary they learn, the less a student reads, the farther behind she falls. My questions are this:

Do children who are computer literate but no so literate in the world of text acquire as much new vocabulary as the textually literate? Does it matter?

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.