In this episode of Maybe It’s Rocket Science, our host dives into the importance of reading. The episode is broken up into 2 different parts; part 1 focuses on reading creating better humans and how schools are affected by administrations and what that means for the young students, part 2 talks about who gets to read and the organization Reach Out and Read Colorado’s impact on marginalized communities. 

Sources:
Breznitz, Z. (1987). Reducing the Gap in Reading Performance Between Israeli Lower- and Middle-Class First-Grade Pupils. Journal of Psychology, 121(5), 491. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1987.9915503
Cheema, Jehanzeb. (2018). Adolescents’ enjoyment of reading as a predictor of reading achievement: new evidence from cross-country survey. Journal of Research in Reading, Vol 41 (Issue S1), pp S149-S162. DOI:10.1111/1467-9817.12257
Christian, B., & Bloome, D. (2004). Learning to Read is Who You Are. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 20(4), 365–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573560490489847
Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2010). Reading and the Brain: What Early Childhood Educators Need to Know. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(2), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-010-0387-z
Kenny, C. (2016). Focus on family: it’s OK to play: The importance of playing while reading aloud to young children. Childhood Education, Vol 92 (Issue 2), pp 161-163. DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2016.1150760 
Merga, M. K. (2017). What motivates avid readers to maintain a regular reading habit in adulthood? Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 40(2), 146–156.
Mohamed, A. (2016). Voicing the Voiceless: Including the Stories of Marginalized Students in Classroom Literature. Language Arts Hournal of Michigan, 33(1), 36-42. https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.2151
Morgan, P. L., Farkas, G., & Wu, Q. (2011). Kindergarten Children’s Growth Trajectories in Reading and Mathematics: Who Falls Increasingly Behind? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(5), 472–488. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219411414010
Smart, D., Youssef, G. J., Sanson, A., Prior, M., Toumbourou, J. W., & Olsson, C. A. (2017). Consequences of childhood reading difficulties and behavior problems for educational achievement and employment in early adulthood. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 87(2), 288–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12150 (Links to an external site.)
SMITH, M. C. (1990). A Longitudinal Investigation of Reading Attitude Development from Childhood to Adulthood. Journal of Educational Research, 83(4), 215–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1990.10885958
Sui Chu Ho, E., Lau, K. (2018). Reading engagement and reading literacy performance: effective policy and practices at home and in school. Journal of Research in Reading, Vol 41 (Issue 4), pp 657-679. DOI:10.1111/1467-9817.12246
von Hippel, P. T., Workman, J., & Downey, D. B. (2018). Inequality in Reading and Math Skills Forms Mainly before Kindergarten: A Replication, and Partial Correction, of “Are Schools the Great Equalizer?” Sociology of Education, 91(4), 323–357. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038040718801760
Yurick, A., Cartledge, G., Kourea, L., & Keyes, S. (2012). Reducing Reading Failure for Kindergarten Urban Students: A Study of Early Literacy Instruction, Treatment Quality, and Treatment Duration. Remedial & Special Education, 33(2), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932510365359

Childhood Reading

In the piece, The Use of Touch- Screen Tablets in Early Childhood, the authors share that, “Children’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards tablet technology found that, In the United States, 98% of children aged 8 and below live in a home with some types of mobile devices, 95% of families with children have a smartphone, and 78% have a tablet device. The report shows that 42% of children have their own tablet, and they spend an average of approximately (2:15) hours a day with screen media.” With this in mind, this episode of Maybe It’s Rocket Science we dive into a few major aspects of electronical learning. 
Part 1 focuses on how electronics impact children’s development and the impression it leaves on them throughout school. We will also be going over what this means for students who are now logged in for school due to COVID-19. Part 2 discusses how students and families who do not have the means to own electronics or access to WIFI are affected by remote learning with discussion about the organization PCs for People.

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