Technology has spread throughout our lives, to the extent that digital-based reading becomes an integral part of primary school children’s educational experience. The increasing use of digital reading for learning has raised a relevant question: is text comprehension comparable when reading from paper and reading from screen? Meta-analytic findings show that students comprehend better when reading on paper than on screen, particularly when considering informational texts (e.g., Clinton, 2019). However, these meta-analyses were of studies that did not involve beginner readers and mainly considered computers as digital mediums. Recent evidence suggested that tablets are not detrimental to upper primary school children's text comprehension (Sálmeron et al., 2021). Therefore, it remains an open question whether the screen inferiority effect manifests even in beginner readers when hand-held devices are considered. Comprehension monitoring is a higher-level metacognitive component of text comprehension. It involves deliberate reflection on one’s comprehension to identify anomalies or inconsistencies in written texts (Language and Reading Research Consortium & Yeomans-Maldonado, 2017). Mature readers are less metacognitive aware of their comprehension when reading from screen than from paper (Clinton, 2019). This could lead to worse text comprehension performance when reading digitally. To our knowledge, however, comprehension monitoring has not been examined in relation to reading from paper and screen in beginner readers. Aims The study had two aims. First, we examined the effect of medium (paper vs. laptop vs. tablet) and text genre (narrative vs. informational, i.e., descriptive) on text comprehension in children at the end of the first year of primary school. Comprehension was investigated at the more superficial levels of main idea and explicit information, and at the deep level of inferential comprehension. Second, we investigated whether differences in reading medium and text genre were related to children’s comprehension monitoring skills. Children’s reading comprehension was considered as a control. Methodology Fifty-eight first graders (35 F; Mage = 6.8 years) were involved in a within-participants design. Most of the children (65%) interacted with tablets at home and spent 2-4 hours per month interacting with technology at school. Each child read six linear texts (Florit et al., 2022), one narrative and one descriptive text in each medium (paper, laptop, tablet), in a counterbalanced order. Text comprehension was measured using multiple-choice questions: one main point question, three literal questions, and three inferential questions for each text. Comprehension monitoring was assessed with an inconsistency detection task (Language and Reading Research Consortium & Yeomans-Maldonado, 2017) in which children were required to detect inconsistent sentences in texts. Reading comprehension was assessed through a standardized assessment. Results Analyses were performed with R. First, three linear mixed models tested the effects of medium, text genre, and their interaction on correct answers to main idea, literal and inferential questions, controlling for reading comprehension (Aim 1). For main point questions, a significant main effect emerged of text genre, qualified by a significant interaction Text Genre X Medium (ps < .05). As shown by Figure 1, comprehension of the main point was higher on tablet than paper and screen for descriptive texts (p < .01). No differences were detected for narrative texts. For literal questions a significant main effect emerged of text genre, qualified by a significant interaction Text Genre X Medium (ps < .05). As shown by Figure 2, comprehension of literal information was higher on tablet when considering descriptive texts, and on paper when considering narrative texts (p < .05). Only a significant main effect emerged of text genre on comprehension of inferential information (p < .01), showing higher performance in narrative than descriptive texts. Second, three linear mixed models tested the effects of comprehension monitoring and the two-way interactions with medium and text genre on comprehension of main idea, literal and inferential questions (Aim 2). The predictors considered in models addressing Aim 1 were also included as controls. A significant main effect emerged of comprehension monitoring on main idea and literal questions (ps < .01), showing higher main point and literal comprehension as comprehension monitoring skills increased. A significant main effect emerged of comprehension monitoring on inferential questions, qualified by a significant interaction Comprehension Monitoring X Text Genre (ps < .01). As shown by Figure 3, overall, inferential comprehension was higher on narrative than descriptive texts, but high comprehension monitoring skills lead to a similar performance in narrative and descriptive texts. Theoretical and educational significance The study suffers from limitations such as the small sample size. Despite the limitations, the findings have theoretical significance because they did not support a digital-based comprehension disadvantage for informational texts, particularly when beginner readers read from a familiar hand-held device and at a more superficial level of comprehension. At the deep level of inferential comprehension, however, children showed better narrative than informational text comprehension: narrative texts are very familiar to children and likely relevant knowledge (e.g., knowledge of narrative structure) for inference generation is easily available. Comprehension monitoring accounted for text genre differences at the inferential level; specifically, monitoring skills may compensate for the lack of relevant knowledge for inference generation in informational texts. Considering educational significance, our results are in line with evidence that, when digital-based reading is considered, tablets can support better comprehension than computers. Finally, it is relevant to introduce children to a variety of text genres and to support metacognitive processes for promoting better text comprehension from early educational experiences.
Reading from paper, computers, and tablets in first grade: the role of comprehension monitoring
Florit E.;
2023-01-01
Abstract
Technology has spread throughout our lives, to the extent that digital-based reading becomes an integral part of primary school children’s educational experience. The increasing use of digital reading for learning has raised a relevant question: is text comprehension comparable when reading from paper and reading from screen? Meta-analytic findings show that students comprehend better when reading on paper than on screen, particularly when considering informational texts (e.g., Clinton, 2019). However, these meta-analyses were of studies that did not involve beginner readers and mainly considered computers as digital mediums. Recent evidence suggested that tablets are not detrimental to upper primary school children's text comprehension (Sálmeron et al., 2021). Therefore, it remains an open question whether the screen inferiority effect manifests even in beginner readers when hand-held devices are considered. Comprehension monitoring is a higher-level metacognitive component of text comprehension. It involves deliberate reflection on one’s comprehension to identify anomalies or inconsistencies in written texts (Language and Reading Research Consortium & Yeomans-Maldonado, 2017). Mature readers are less metacognitive aware of their comprehension when reading from screen than from paper (Clinton, 2019). This could lead to worse text comprehension performance when reading digitally. To our knowledge, however, comprehension monitoring has not been examined in relation to reading from paper and screen in beginner readers. Aims The study had two aims. First, we examined the effect of medium (paper vs. laptop vs. tablet) and text genre (narrative vs. informational, i.e., descriptive) on text comprehension in children at the end of the first year of primary school. Comprehension was investigated at the more superficial levels of main idea and explicit information, and at the deep level of inferential comprehension. Second, we investigated whether differences in reading medium and text genre were related to children’s comprehension monitoring skills. Children’s reading comprehension was considered as a control. Methodology Fifty-eight first graders (35 F; Mage = 6.8 years) were involved in a within-participants design. Most of the children (65%) interacted with tablets at home and spent 2-4 hours per month interacting with technology at school. Each child read six linear texts (Florit et al., 2022), one narrative and one descriptive text in each medium (paper, laptop, tablet), in a counterbalanced order. Text comprehension was measured using multiple-choice questions: one main point question, three literal questions, and three inferential questions for each text. Comprehension monitoring was assessed with an inconsistency detection task (Language and Reading Research Consortium & Yeomans-Maldonado, 2017) in which children were required to detect inconsistent sentences in texts. Reading comprehension was assessed through a standardized assessment. Results Analyses were performed with R. First, three linear mixed models tested the effects of medium, text genre, and their interaction on correct answers to main idea, literal and inferential questions, controlling for reading comprehension (Aim 1). For main point questions, a significant main effect emerged of text genre, qualified by a significant interaction Text Genre X Medium (ps < .05). As shown by Figure 1, comprehension of the main point was higher on tablet than paper and screen for descriptive texts (p < .01). No differences were detected for narrative texts. For literal questions a significant main effect emerged of text genre, qualified by a significant interaction Text Genre X Medium (ps < .05). As shown by Figure 2, comprehension of literal information was higher on tablet when considering descriptive texts, and on paper when considering narrative texts (p < .05). Only a significant main effect emerged of text genre on comprehension of inferential information (p < .01), showing higher performance in narrative than descriptive texts. Second, three linear mixed models tested the effects of comprehension monitoring and the two-way interactions with medium and text genre on comprehension of main idea, literal and inferential questions (Aim 2). The predictors considered in models addressing Aim 1 were also included as controls. A significant main effect emerged of comprehension monitoring on main idea and literal questions (ps < .01), showing higher main point and literal comprehension as comprehension monitoring skills increased. A significant main effect emerged of comprehension monitoring on inferential questions, qualified by a significant interaction Comprehension Monitoring X Text Genre (ps < .01). As shown by Figure 3, overall, inferential comprehension was higher on narrative than descriptive texts, but high comprehension monitoring skills lead to a similar performance in narrative and descriptive texts. Theoretical and educational significance The study suffers from limitations such as the small sample size. Despite the limitations, the findings have theoretical significance because they did not support a digital-based comprehension disadvantage for informational texts, particularly when beginner readers read from a familiar hand-held device and at a more superficial level of comprehension. At the deep level of inferential comprehension, however, children showed better narrative than informational text comprehension: narrative texts are very familiar to children and likely relevant knowledge (e.g., knowledge of narrative structure) for inference generation is easily available. Comprehension monitoring accounted for text genre differences at the inferential level; specifically, monitoring skills may compensate for the lack of relevant knowledge for inference generation in informational texts. Considering educational significance, our results are in line with evidence that, when digital-based reading is considered, tablets can support better comprehension than computers. Finally, it is relevant to introduce children to a variety of text genres and to support metacognitive processes for promoting better text comprehension from early educational experiences.
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