Reading is simply the exchange of ideas via alphanumeric symbols. I’m not sure why this is such sacred ground for educators, but it is. Personally, We are more concerned with reading habits, motivations for reading, the quality of reading materials, and so on. Symbols, forms, and media all evolve. Look at the gifs, memes, language, acronyms that become words, and words that become metaphors again. This is your target audience, and these are the symbols they are drawn to.

With more personalisation, accessibility, and connectedness, we should be able to raise a generation of voracious readers. So, if we aren’t doing so, why isn’t that happening? All of the parts are in place.

Reading Is Made Easier by Technology. Here’s How to Do It.

1. Social readers are connected readers

Texts can connect readers through apps with social components. Reading groups, reading contests, reasons for reading, book recommendations, establishing social credibility for the reading process, and other activities become possible when reading is, at least in part, a social act.

We don’t always ‘need to be connected,’ no. However, this is not an either/or situation. We can spend time alone with our books before socializing our reactions to them. We can get an idea for a book and then read alone before returning to socialize. We can’socialize’ an idea and gain background knowledge for a specific chapter in a book, then read alone with no’socialization’ afterwards. The point is that we have the ability to choose who we socialize with, when we socialize with them, and how we socialize with them.

We have the choice.

2.  Adaptive learning algorithms have the potential to lead to personalization

Readers can have the pace, diversity, complexity, and form of their reading materials personalized instantly using adaptive learning algorithms.

3. Better access and selection

There has never been a time when students had more content at their fingertips than now, thanks to digital storefronts, free eBooks, RSS feeds, social magazines, and more. Do you want to read this book on an eReader like Kindle or iBooks?
It’s easier to publish than ever before, so while there’s more garbage out there, there’s also more variety. Fanfiction has exploded in popularity. You’re not trying if you can’t find something you like.

4.Technology can both distract and focus

Readers can use technology to annotate texts and share notes, making them physically interactive and ‘social.’ There are also apps–white noise apps, for example–that can block out class distractions, and more. Before you blame technology for ‘distracting’ you, be honest with yourself about how focused they were prior to the technology.

5. Technology facilitates learning

Let’s divide reading into three parts: before reading, during reading, and after reading. Readers have different needs at each of these times.

Before Beginning a Story: A young reader beginning a story set in a different culture may benefit from watching a YouTube video about that culture or reading a quick Wikipedia overview about it.

During Reading: If a high school student is reading a poem, they may want to Google the literary allusions in that poem to help them understand what they’re reading.

Following Reading: A PhD student may want to look into previous studies by the study’s authors to evaluate a claim made in the study–or to follow up on another data point found in the study to learn more.

The concept is that technology can help with ‘sensemaking.’ No, just as I don’t need to drive a car to get to Canary Wharf,  it’s not absolutely necessary. I could walk if I wanted to–and walking has its advantages. Automobiles aren’t’superior.’ But, thanks to technology, I now have the opportunity.

6. Analytics can personalize reading mechanics.

The practice of reading can be examined using analytics—time spent reading, how often readers clicked on certain words, and so on. I realize this is a little hazy. I’m not a reading expert or an app creator. The premise is that data may be used to keep all readers in their “literacy sweet spot,” assisting struggling readers, pushing advanced readers, and providing grade-level readers with options.

7. Text levels can be changed in real time.

Take the information from #6 and combine it with the information from #7 to create a powerful combination. This refers to the complexity of phrase construction, syntax, vocabulary, and so on. Epic reader and news-o-matic, as well as a range of apps and desktop tools, make it easy to match a reader to a text level.

You can also use eReader apps to touch a word and instantly acquire its description. Not that they’ll necessarily do so–close reading is a must.

8. The speed with which you read is more ‘visible’

With applications that allow you to practice sight words, apps designed specifically to boost reading speed, and apps that track time spent reading, words read per minute, and more, reading speed is more evident than ever, and faster reading speeds often equate to increased comprehension.