By: Brenna O’Neill

Freedom in Education

Executive Summary:

     As schools increasingly adopt digital tools and online reading platforms, concerns have grown about their impact on student literacy, especially at lower elementary levels. Increasing research shows that students consistently demonstrate stronger reading comprehension when using printed texts rather than digital ones. This trend is particularly significant for students in grades K-5, who are still developing foundational skills such as basic comprehension and decoding. 

     Large-scale studies analyzing hundreds of thousands of students indicate that print reading is more strongly associated with comprehension outcomes, while digital reading often results in a more surface-level engagement with texts. However, schools continue to expand technology usage, sometimes without sufficient strategies to support effective digital reading. 

     This brief argues that the goal should not be to fully eliminate digital reading, but to adopt a more balanced, hybrid approach. By maintaining access to print materials while also intentionally teaching digital reading strategies, instructors can better support literacy development in early grades. Additionally, new state-level legislation aimed at limiting screen time in schools highlights the significance and urgency of addressing this issue through both policy and classroom initiatives. 

Challenges with a digital shift have led to a declining comprehension rate.

     Within the past decade, schools across the country have quickly moved toward using more digital tools for reading and instruction. While this change has made learning more accessible in some ways, it also raises concerns about how well students are actually understanding what they read on screens. 

     Researchers have a name for this issue called the “screen inferiority effect.” This means students tend to perform worse on comprehension tasks when reading digitally than when reading print. One explanation for this is the “shallowing hypothesis,” which holds that people read differently on screens, often more quickly and less attentively. This then leads to a more surface-level understanding of content. 

     Another component is that reading print provides a more physical, immersive experience. Being able to flip the pages and see how far you are in a text can help students better process and remember what they read. These benefits are missing when reading on a screen. 

Data and Research:

Meta-Analysis: 170,000+ students 

A large-scale meta-analysis combined results from multiple studies found that students who read texts on paper were consistently scoring higher on comprehension assessments than students who were reading the same exact texts digitally. The tests included summaries, comprehension questions, and recall of story elements from the content. 

Long Term Study: 450,000+ students

Another study analyzed data from 25 studies published between 2000 and 2022 and found a much stronger association between print reading and comprehension. The correlation was about 0.30-0.40 compared to the digital reading correlation, which was approximately 0.05.

5th Grade Study

In a study focusing on 5th graders, students performed worse on comprehension tests when reading digitally, even though many stated they preferred it. The outcomes were even weaker when the digital texts did not include tools like highlighting or note-taking features. 

Print Reading and K-5 Students:

     Print reading enables the use of crucial skills for strong comprehension. Students tend to stay focused for longer periods, process information more deeply, and remember what they read more effectively. On the other hand, digital reading often leads to more skimming, more distractions, and less engagement with the text. These differences have a significant impact, especially on younger students who are still learning to read. 

     During grades K-5, students are still learning basic reading skills such as decoding words, building vocabulary, and understanding the meanings of different story elements. If students do not build strong habits early on, it then becomes much harder for them to succeed throughout their education.

Current Legislation Initiatives:

Concerns about screen time in schools are beginning to show up in state policies. 

• In Tennessee, lawmakers are considering a bill (HB 2392) that would ban all use of digital devices for educational instruction in K-5 classrooms. 
• In Virginia, Senate Bill 568 requires the state to create clear guidelines that limit how much screen time students have during instruction. 
• Other states, such as Kansas, Missouri, and West Virginia, are also looking into similar restrictions. 

Hybrid Approach Initiatives:

     Instead of eliminating digital reading entirely, schools should focus on using both print and digital platforms in a balanced way. 

Some strategies teachers can use include: 

• Using both printed and digital texts in the same lesson
• Breaking digital readings into smaller sections to make them easier to focus on
• Strongly encourage students to annotate while reading — tools can include highlighting, underlining, asking questions, summarizing, etc. 
• Asking questions before, during, and after reading
• Teach students how to best navigate through digital texts, like using hyperlinks
• Setting time limits for digital reading in order to reduce the amount of skimming
• Include active discussions, quizzes, and other checks for understanding

This approach helps students build strong reading skills while also learning how to best handle digital texts. 

Sources:

Delgado, P., Vargas, C., Ackerman, R., & Salmerón, L. (2018). Don’t Throw Away Your Printed Books: a meta-analysis on the Effects of Reading Media on Reading Comprehension. Educational Research Review, 25(25), 23–38. Don’t throw away your printed books: A meta-analysis on the effects of reading media on reading comprehension – ScienceDirect 

Sareen Habeshian. (2023, December 15). Reading print is better for comprehension than screens, study finds. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2023/12/15/reading-comprehension-print-digital Reading print is better for comprehension, study finds 

Halamish, V., & Elbaz, E. (2020). Children’s reading comprehension and metacomprehension on screen versus on paper. Computers & Education, 145, 103737. Children’s reading comprehension and metacomprehension on screen versus on paper – ScienceDirect 

Merod, A. (2026, March 3). States weigh limits, outright bans on ed tech in schools. K-12 Dive. https://www.k12dive.com/news/states-weigh-limits-outright-bans-on-ed-tech-in-schools/813500/? States weigh limits, outright bans on ed tech in schools | K-12 Dive 

Gowing, G. (2024, February 6). Reading on screens instead of paper is a less effective way to absorb and retain information, suggests research. Reading on screens instead of paper is a less effective way to absorb and retain information, suggests research