Open your favorite website (maybe you are already on it!). What do you notice on the page? What percentage is text, pictures, videos, ads, or links? Chances are the sites you typically frequent do not feature endless pages of information. You are far more likely to encounter sites that rely heavily on visuals, audio, and graphics to convey information. So what kind of skills do students need to develop good reading behaviors across print and digital media? Let’s explore how we can foster readers as learners.
In today’s digital society, information has become more widespread and easily accessible, which means our students have more knowledge at their fingertips than any other generation in history. Literacy in our digital world means students must learn to evaluate ALL the information they encounter to make sense of the world. Fostering readers as learners means ensuring students understand that reading skills are life skills.