Report finds texting a 'valid educational tool'
Dayly txts hlp kids read n rite
Kids who frequently use mobile phone text abbreviations are unlikely to be bad at spelling or lack reading skills, a new British study has claimed.
Dr Clare Wood, Reader in Developmental Psychology at Coventry University, studied the use of “textisms” – abbreviations such as ‘plz’ and ‘hmwrk’ — by a group of kids aged between eight and 12 over the course of one academic year.
Texting “appears to be a valuable form of contact with written English for many children, which enables them to practise reading and spelling on a daily basis,” Wood concluded.
“If we are seeing a decline in literacy standards among young children, it is in spite of text messaging, not because of it.”
Frequent texting also helps develop a child’s phonological awareness – their ability to detect, isolate and manipulate patterns of sound in speech — the report added.
Unsurprisingly, the report also found that the frequency of texting terminology in speech increases with up the age range, from just 21 per cent in school year four to 47 per cent in year six. Wood attributed this to the fact that more sophisticated literacy skills are needed for texting use.
Lessons in text message speech are unlikely to become a mandatory part of the national curriculum. However, Wood is confident that further research will help teachers and parents recognise “the potential to use text-based exercises to engage children in phonological awareness activities”. ®
COMMENTS
It was always sunny in the summer
This being 70's and everything, sunny in the summer, blackouts because of the strikes in the autumn, snow in the winter and a loveley crisp spring.
And we could leave our door unlocked and never be burgled (not having anything worth taking)
I think the point the original commenter made was why does an 8 year old child NEED a mobile phone given that the world any reasonably caring parent would allow these children to inhabit is home, school and maybe a couple of friends houses. Would you let your 8 year old go wandering around the streets unsupervised on a weekend and think that was acceptable because they have a phone?
8 year olds use mobiles?
That really is sad.
An 8 year old's world consists of school, home, a couple of friends houses and the park, yet they're already feeling a need for a constant wireless connection between the people at those places?
Holy crap I feel sorry for them.
Doesn't anyone use the brief moments they get alone to do some good old fashion thinking anymore? Does anyone still take time out of their day to just look at and admire their surroundings? Don't kids have an innate interest in the world around them? Hell even exercise would be a better way to spend your alone time.
But no. If you haven't been talking to anyone for longer than 5 seconds, out comes the mobile for some more "social networking". Can't ever shut that damn mouth, it might stop working.
Stop the world I want to get off.
Evidence
See if you can find it, article is linked from bottom of here
http://www.britac.ac.uk/news/news.cfm/newsid/14
Mostly refers to other peoples work so far as I can tell.
What happened to
Abstract, Background, Method , Results Conclusions as a way of writing a report?
Science?
"How people get paid to study the use of text messaging by children is just beyond me. "
It's a valid investigation into human communication. I'm sure there are linguists who find investigations in particle physics bafflingly pointless, but to a curious mind, it's all good.
I am interested in how speech, signing, written language, maths and symbol processing in general relate to our understanding of mind, culture, knowledge, etc; to not be so, would be unscientific, in my opinion. And txtspk is just another (equally valid) symbol system.
"We used to live in a world where real things got done."
Baseless assertion of the day: nothing much of any value gets done without good theory behind it. How much science do you think consists of real things getting done?
I hope Englist teachers take note..
.. and that proper English spelling and grammar is taught as an antidote to txt spk.
If it isn't, those who use it outside the confines of texting are likely to be taken as uneducated chavs and treated accordingly. Few things make a more unfavorable impression than txt spk and bad grammar in business letters and e-mails or on the technical newsgroups.
