web analytics

The September issue of Today’s Parent magazine is on newsstands across the country and it features Screen Doors, my article on digital literacy in adolescent boys.

Here’s a sample:

“Having a button-mashing, book-bashing son is worrying for many parents. For the last six years, literacy tests have shown Canadian boys trailing girls in reading and writing skills. In 1998, for example, 15 percent of 13-year-old girls scored higher than boys on reading tests and, in more recent writing exams, girls continue to do better. Are video games and other digital distractions to blame? While many parents and teachers are quick to say yes, some educators are coming to the defence of video games. Boys aren’t becoming illiterate, they say. Boys are redefining literacy and gaining “digital literacy” skills. And in the workplaces of the future, these skills might just give them a head start on their book-reading buddies.”

The whole article is available in the September issue of Today’s Parent, which is for sale across Canada. Alternatively, you can read the piece online here.

Related: Over at Nesta Futurelab there’s been some great articles relating to digital literacy, video games and education for kids. Check out: More Than Just a Game and Digital Literacy and the I-Curriculum Project.