The Future of READing

I just finished 2 installments of a piece in the NY Times (thanks to the internet!) on the future of reading. Those of us involved in print materials in our daily life know that things are changing. And the focus is on what direction to take in nurturing skills in children that will make them better prepared for their future. A lot of "talk" these days revolves around the comparison between computer literacy and print reading proficiency. My personal take on the issue is that both are important. But, I think, print reading proficiency will still be a marker of those destined for higher degrees and more complex thinking. Life skills are online now. And most kids are comfortable with that. Not all kids need or even should go to college. But they all need to know how to use a computer for things like basic research, electronic communication, filling out online forms, etc. Our most gifted students will also be readers who can delve, reflect, and respond to what they read by forming new ideas about their future. Adults who value and nurture both digital and print fluency are needed to help steer young people toward success.