Child Crafting

Traditional Encyclopedia VS The Internet

Many people suggest that traditional encyclopedias are now obsolete in the presence of the Internet. It is true that the Internet has potentially much more information than any encyclopedia, and its presentation is not just limited to text. Sounds and videos can produce precise and accurate impressions of various matters. Retrieval of data is quick and convenient with the help of search engines, instead of lengthy research through mountains of books. However, the knowledge empowering Internet has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to education and young learners.

1. Loss of focus and reading impairment

The ease of access to the information available on the net has resulted in a significant reduction in our ability to focus for long periods of time, a vital skill when absorbing long articles and learning new concepts. Being a major key to knowledge, the decline in reading focus results in great adverse effects on learning.

A recently published study of online research habits , conducted by scholars from University College London, suggests that we may well be in the midst of a sea change in the way we read and think. As part of the five-year research program, the scholars examined computer logs documenting the behavior of visitors to two popular research sites, one operated by the British Library and one by a U.K. educational consortium, that provide access to journal articles, e-books, and other sources of written information. They found that people using the sites exhibited “a form of skimming activity,” hopping from one source to another and rarely returning to any source they’d already visited. They typically read no more than one or two pages of an article or book before they would “bounce” out to another site. Sometimes they’d save a long article, but there’s no evidence that they ever went back and actually read it. The authors of the study report:

It is clear that users online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense.re not reading

Thanks to the ubiquity of text on the Internet, not to mention the popularity of text-messaging on cell phones, we may well be reading more today than we did in the 1970s or 1980s, when television was our medium of choice. But it’s a different kind of reading, and behind it lies a different kind of thinking-perhaps even a new sense of the self. “We are not only what we read,” says Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist at Tufts University and the author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. “We are how we read.” Wolf worries that the style of reading promoted by the Net, a style that puts “efficiency” and “immediacy” above all else, may be weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading that emerged when an earlier technology, the printing press, made long and complex works of prose commonplace. When we read online, she says, we tend to become “mere decoders of information.” Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged.
It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense.

- Excerpt from “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr  
(theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google)

The very nature of how information is presented to us on the web has various implications to our reading behavior.

In a research study, although people spend more time on pages with more words and more information, they only spend 4.4 seconds more for each additional 100 words. By calculating reading rates, they concluded that when you add more verbiage to a page, people will only read 18% of it. On an average visit, users read half the information only on those pages with 111 words or less. Also, people spend some of their time understanding the page layout and navigation features, as well as looking at the images. People don’t read during every single second of a page visit. On average, users will have time to read 28% of the words if they devote all of their time to reading. More realistically, users will read about 20% of the text on the average page. 

- Excerpt from “The Stats Are In: You’re Just Skimming This Article” by Sarah Perez   
(http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_stats_are_in_youre_just_skimming
_this_article.php)

Reading books are still the best ways to cultivate focus and patience. A child will be able to acquire more than the information he/she was looking for during the looking up and reading of the articles in encyclopedias.

2. Inaccuracies and undiscriminating of information

Anyone can upload information to the Internet, regardless of the integrity of the data. Indeed, the Internet can be a valuable extension to information collection, but it being mammoth in scale, unordered, and mainly unchecked calls for discernment.

WIKIPEDIA and other online research sources were yesterday blamed for Scotland’s falling exam pass rates.

 

The Scottish Parent Teacher Council (SPTC) said pupils are turning to websites and Internet resources that contain inaccurate or deliberately misleading information before passing it off as their own work.

The group singled out online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which allows entries to be logged or updated by anyone and is not verified by researchers, as the main source of information.

 

Eleanor Coner, the SPTC’s information officer, said: “Children are very IT-savvy, but they are rubbish at researching. The sad fact is most children these days use libraries for computers, not the books. We accept that as a sign of the times, but schools must teach pupils not to believe everything they read.

 

“It’s dangerous when the Internet is littered with opinion and inaccurate information which could be taken as fact.”

 

- Excerpt from “Falling exam passes blamed on Wikipedia ‘littered with inaccuracies’ ” by Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman   
(http://news.scotsman.com/education/Falling-exam–passes-blamed.4209408.jp)

 

It would be a tall order, but parents around the world may want to make every effort to keep their kids away from Wikipedia.com, the enormously popular, user-generated online encyclopedia.  While doing homework, research for term papers, or for just plain fun, millions of kids visit Wikipedia every day.  That’s why parents may be alarmed to learn that, as recently exposed by WorldNetDaily.com, Wikipedia features hundreds, if not thousands, of hardcore pornographic images and online sex videos, making them easily accessible to children. 

 

- Excerpt from “Wikipedia Peddles Porn to Kids” from CWA   
(http://www.cwfa.org/articles/15167/MEDIA/pornography/index.htm)

 

3. Research skills depreciated

A Google query may or may not lead to valuable resources online, but many students today are unable to discern legitimacy. Online information is taken as true, without any cross reference or further enquiry by the user.

Pressure from Queen’s Park to increase high school graduation rates has led to a generation of “Wikipedia kids” who are not prepared for university, a survey of professors and librarians has concluded.

Students are immature, they rely too heavily on Internet tools such as Wikipedia as research sources, they fail to learn independently and they expect success without putting in the effort, said respondents to the survey by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.

- Excerpt from ” ‘Wikipedia kids’ ill-prepared for university” by Joanne Laucius, The Ottawa CitizenApril 8, 2009   
(http://www.ottawacitizen.com/News/Wikipedia+kids+prepared+university+professors/
1475293/story.html)

Furthermore, the option of “copy and paste” has resulted in prevalent cases of plagiarism in the student’s work, and independent writing is compromised.

Encyclopedias and other books promotes the value of  research in a child by cultivating their focus during the reading of long articles, and introducing the written books as another great source of knowledge, instead of just relying on the Internet. According to the national Teachers Association, encouraging children to use encyclopedias also teaches them invaluable research skills and helps in learning how to spell. The logic is that if a student is looking up the information they have to have an idea about how to spell it, how to research it and then what to do with the information. Once the skills of research are learnt, they will be able to apply it to their education, regardless of the research medium.

When a child with a cultivated reading habit is presented with an encyclopedia, the doors of knowledge are opened to him/her. Besides being a faster and better reader, information processing and formation of thoughts will be improved.

In elementary school Bill Gates quickly surpassed all of his peer’s abilities in nearly all subjects, especially math and science. He read the World Book Encyclopedia from A to Z by the time he was nine years old. He was so far ahead…

- Source from “The Road Ahead” by Bill Gates

What makes a Great Encyclopedia

The following is excerpted from a speech given by encyclopedia reviewing critic Ken Kister, a writer, librarian, educator and author, one of the most respected reviewers of encyclopedias in the world.

I hardly need to tell you that encyclopedias are the lifeblood of any reference collection - whether in the home or library or classroom or office. It is good to come together on occasions like this to remind ourselves that, as your conference theme suggests, Encyclopedias Do Change Lives.

That is exactly right! Over the years I have talked with or heard about numerous people who in later life recall how an encyclopedia was instrumental in their early intellectual development.

The late C.P. Snow, the famous British scientist and novelist, often told the story of how, at age 8, he read about the atom in a children’s encyclopedia. It was “the first sharp mental excitement I ever had,” he said. This profound early experience set Snow, a poor working class boy, on a path to a grammar school education, a university degree, and eventually an illustrious career in the top circles of science, government and literature. Suffice it to say that an encyclopedia helped change his life.

But here is the rub. Not all encyclopedias have what it takes to change lives. Let’s face it, some encyclopedias have trouble just delivering the basic facts in a readable manner. Some encyclopedias are about as exciting as leftovers.

In order to turn people of any age on to the thrill and rewards of learning, an encyclopedia must do more than simply record facts accurately and intelligibly. It must consistently meet the highest editorial and production standards. Every page, every article, must offer the reader the potential for that “sharp, mental excitement” C.P. Snow recalled so vividly.

Which brings me to my basic question: What makes a great encyclopedia? Herewith are my thoughts on the matter and I’ll immodestly call them KISTER’S TEN HALLMARKS OF A GREAT ENCYCLOPEDIA:

1.  To be great or outstanding, an encyclopedia requires exceptionally talented and dedicated people. Over the years World Book has been blessed by enlightened ownership and innovative editors.

2.  A great encyclopedia should provide both broad and deep coverage of the world’s basic knowledge. It is here that mediocre encyclopedias and their makers are overwhelmed. The great ones like World Book accomplish this difficult editorial work confidently and expertly.

3.  My third hallmark of a great encyclopedia is reliability. Not surprisingly, World Book passes the reliability test with flying colours.

4.  A great encyclopedia must be clearly and interestingly written, as well as comprehensible to its intended readership. World Book offers its users a high degree of clarity and an extraordinary broad readability range, from elementary school students to educated adults.

5.  A great encyclopedia must be up-to-date and well maintained - meaning that it is conscientiously revised on a regular basis to keep abreast of the world’s burgeoning knowledge and information. I know of no encyclopedia with a better record over the years on continuous revision other than World Book.

6.  It must present its material in a fair and impartial manner. Here again World Book is up to the mark. For instance, the article “Fluoridation” concludes with a paragraph labelled “Controversies over Fluoridation,” which briefly discusses both sides of the question of putting fluoride into the public water supply.

7.  The encyclopedia should include both informative and aesthetically pleasing illustrations and maps. From the beginning, World Book has been an industry leader in the area of quality illustrations, including colour reproduction when it was introduced in the 1930s.

8.   A great encyclopedia must be organised in such a way that it is convenient to use and readers can quickly and easily retrieve even the most specific bits of information from the text. With its more than 100,00 cross-references, and its detailed analytical index, World Book is among the most user friendly encyclopedias currently on the market.

9.   A great encyclopedia must have an inviting and well constructed physical format. I apologise for sounding like a broken record, but again World Book passes the greatness test with ease as far as physical form is concerned.

10.My tenth and final hallmark of a great encyclopedia is that it must possess all of the other nine hallmarks. Only when an encyclopedia passes all of the tests can it be considered great.

- Source (www.worldbook.com.sg)

Part 1

Part 2

The advent of the personal computer has opened up a whole new interactive platform for people all over the world. Be it for entertainment (games, videos music etc) to education (Internet, e-learning, eBooks etc), and even edutainment, the combination of learning and playing. However, like many other things, the computer is a double-edged sword.

When used with discernment, the computer can become the most useful tool for learning. Sadly that is not the case most of the time. Gaming addiction, in particular online games, have caused mental and physical health problems in children, teens and even adults. According to an article from the January 2008 issue of The Journal of Nurse Practitioners, a patient suffered from depression brought on in part by his wife’s addiction to Second Life, a massive multi-player online game. TIME also reported that parents in china were impelled to send their addicted child to military like school to break the vice.

Gaming is only a part of Internet addiction. Chat rooms, social-network sites and pornography are also prevalent. An 18-year old promising teen arrived to start his first year at a university in the northeast. Within days, he was arrested on charges of armed robbery and attempted rape. Seeking money to fund his hours in Internet cafés, Zhang allegedly stole mobile phones and cash from two girls, then attempted to imitate what he’d learned surfing pornographic websites.

Internet addiction is an increasingly recognized problem in ultra-wired societies. The consequences ranges from anti-social behaviors, physical health decline due to the sedentary nature of the activity, to crimes like theft and even rapes to fund their cravings. Indeed these are all typical upshots of addiction.

The computer and the internet are amoral. It is up to us to decide how to use it. If even adults are susceptible to the temptations, we have to allocate much more attention in shielding our kids from them, and at the same time allowing them to utilize one of the greatest innovations in modern times. The key is to cultivate a desire for learning in them from a young age, and the best way is to start with cultivating the reading habit.

Introducing the computer media to your unprepared child can be as dangerous to his/her intellectual development as handing them a knife is to their life. Indeed, excessive computer use can permanently affect the structure of the brain in young children.

“… computer technology, if introduced too early and without supervision, can have a negative effect on children. Apart from becoming ‘computer nerds’, they can miss out on vital social and intellectual development, as well as being in danger of developing anti-social tendencies – like a somewhat distorted view of life devoid of human compassion…. …

Mr Shelper and his wife, Pat, who both work for World Book Encyclopedia, and are parents of six children, are calling for the salvation of books, becoming obsolete in the big scramble for technology. … … As a child learns to sit up before it crawls, and crawls before it walks so should children be acquainted with the written word and its socialising and civilising qualities before being encouraged to sit in isolation with a machine. … … video screens only develops a part of the brain, to the detriment of imagination and concentration, and even some thought processes.”

- Excerpt from “Computers or books?” by Maria Galinovic, The Border Mail, Sunday, May 18 , 1996

The domination of computer over books could breed a generation of children deficient in imaginative skills. While some may argue that computers are vastly more interactive and intellectually challenging than TV programs, they are essentially stimulating identical areas of the brain.

“The brain processes visual and verbal stimuli differently… … It is verbal stimuli which is necessary to the development of critical thinking and literacy skills. When the brain is given the choice between visual and verbal stimuli, it will focus on the visual… … not all lessons a child needs to learn can be conveniently packaged into software. Even if children access a computerised novel, they won’t get the same benefit as from reading a paper version of the book. It is aalmost impossible to read text from a computer screen for any length of time, Dr Juan said…. … many children will be turned off reading pages of computerised text if they know a click of the mouse could start up a more visual program… … reading a book is an emotional experience which children should not be denied. If parents read to their children, it also develops a bond between them. … … “

- Excerpt from “Children better off doing it by the book”, The Sunday Telegraph, Feb 18, 1996

The importance of reading is further expounded in the following article.

“Reading is rather like eating: not only essential to the mind, as eating is to the body, but also a pleasure in itself. Indeed it has an advantage over eating – the enjoyment lasts longer. A good book, and the knowledge, insights and ideas it gives you, can stay in your mind, maybe for a lifetime. It is the books we read when we are young, when our minds are less cluttered and distracted, that tend to make a lasting impression.

When you read, you imagine, you become close to what you are reading about, you learn to take a sympathetic or critical view of characters and their actions and decisions.

Children, even when they can read for themselves, still enjoy having books read to them. In this way they can get a taste for books that are too difficult for them to read on their own. And being read to also means that for a special part of the day they have their parents undivided attention. … … And so reading becomes associated with some of the best things in life – family, security, contentment.”

- Excerpt from “Reading is like eating” by Joamma Hennings, Grow Magazine

Once the desire of reading is cultivated in a child, the desire for learning comes naturally. From the stories they read and the words they come across, they will begin to ask questions and reason within themselves. Critical thinking, imagination, vocabulary improvement and moral judgements are all promoted. By further providing them with non-computer resources like children/graded encyclopedias, dictionaries and reference books, they will become independent learners. Parents play a vital role in the first few steps of their independent learning journey by guiding them to looking for information through books and other printed materials.

Computer software can be very useful in developing analytical thinking due to their interactive potential. Higher order thinking can also be promoted by a range of softwares. But is your child ready to embrace the freedom of information and endless possibilites in the virtual world? True, edutainment can be beneficial to your child, but only under the prerequisite that he/her is an eager learner. And even then, reading should always be a major part of learning.

“Bill Gates, founder of computer software giant Microsoft, extols the virtues of the written word: “People cannot become truly knowledgeable without being excellent readers. While multimedia systems can use video and sound to deliver information in compelling ways, text is still one of the best ways to convey details.

“I try to make time for reading each night. In addition to the usual newspapers and magazines, I make it a priority to read at least one newsweekly from cover to cover. If I were to read only what intrigues me I would finish the magazine the same person I was when I started. So I read it all.”

- “No Substitute”, The Guardian

Here is a simple chart to illustrate why reading to your child during his/her early years is so beneficial.

Reading Readiness

So start reading!

“The time to start reading to a child as soon as he can sit on your lap.” - Angelo Patri

Since this post is pretty short, let’s end off with a meaningful poem.

The mind of a child is a beautiful place,
An Eden where many things grow,
A garden of beauty where sheltered by love
Grow flowers in row upon row.

The mind of a child is a wonderful place
Where wishes and dreams are quite real,
And kittens and puppies and gingerbread men
Can talk and can actually feel.

The mind of a child is a mystical place
Where character grows like a tree
And children become either better or worse
From actions of you or of me.

- Herbert Parker

Language is the doorway to all knowledge, and it all starts with reading and talking to your child. The neurological foundations for rational thinking, problem-solving and general reasoning is largely established by the age of one, and spoken words have a staggering encroachment on the baby’s brain development. Some researchers believe the number of words an infant hears each day is the single most important predictor of later intelligence, school success and social competence.

British researchers discovered that a new-born baby was able to discern a tune that was played to the mother during the 20thweek of pregnancy. Research has also concluded that infants are able to identify and generalize simple rules about the patterns of language and grammar. Do not doubt your child’s learning ability at birth. It is never too early to start reading and talking to your child.

Talking

Talking to your baby is one of the first interactive stimulation they experience.  Repeated experience are what wires a child’s brain. Even during pregnancy, an unborn child is tuning into the tonal pattern of the mother’s voice. Through speaking to frequently, a six month old can discern vowel sounds, the foundation of speech. Talking to your child often can also markedly speed up the process of learning new words. The high-pitched, singsong speech style known as Parentese will help your child connect objects with words. Indeed, you are your child’s first and most important teacher.

What you can do

First month: Low stimulation to reduce stress and increase the infant’s wakefulness and alertness. When talking, avoid distracting noises, like radio.

Months 1 to 3: Light/dark contours, like high-contrast pictures or objects, foster development in neural networks that enocde vision.

Months 3 to 5 : Vision gives most information. Use increasingly complex designs that are real objects in the baby’s environment and use motion to get attention and to impress   words.

Months 6 yo 7: The infant becomes aware of cause and effect. Talk about and show situations. For example, how turning a doorknob can open a door.

Months 7 to 8: Sounds are linked to a meaningful activity or object. Running water in the bathroom signals a bath.

Months 9 to 12: Sensory and motor skills coordinate. Let the child use a tap or a light switch, under supervision. More physical interaction can be done when speaking.

Months 13 to 18: The toddler’s brain can handle a rich environment. Be creative.

- Referenced from Dr William Staso’s study

Reading

“People cannot become truly knowledgeable without being excellent readers. While multimedia systems can use video and sound to deliver information in compelling ways, text is still one of the best ways to convey details.

“I try to make time for reading each night. In addition to the usual newspapers and magazines, I make it a priority to read at least one newsweekly from cover to cover. If I were to read only what intrigues me I would finish the magazine the same person I was when I started. So I read it all.”

- Bill Gates

Indeed, books and reading of books are an vital in learning. And as in the cultivation of any habit, the reading habit must be formed from young.  Your child will have a huge advantage in school having gained reading skills.

“The kit, put together by the organisers of National Reading Month (NRM), includes tips to parents on how to recognise and develop reading skills in their children, as well as book lists on parenting and post-natal care.

Five thousand of these kits were sent out to mothers in the maternity wards of Singapore hospitals this month. When the NRM ends on Sept 30, babies will have goggled, gugled and perhaps nibbled their way through the little board book that was included in the kit.

Entitled Poldy’s Friends, from Early World of Learning, it is a brightly coloured picture book on animals…”

- Exerpt from The Straights Times, Monday September 9 1991

Apparently, Singapore has acknowledged the importance of cultivating a reading habit right from the start. Do not be bothered if you did not get that kit though, as there are some helpful tips below.

Promote Interest
Read aloud to your child often and provide them with plenty of reading materials. Cuddle them as you read and be expressive such that they enjoy it. Take a journey down to the library with them for member enrolment. The young child will associate reading with some of the best things in life - family, security, happiness and a feeling of being loved, and the desire to read will carry on into later life.

Be an Example
Research shows that children model their own behaviour on their parents’. Parents who read broadly and zealously (books, magazines, newspaper etc), and go through encyclopedias and maps for information will establish in their children that reading is an enjoyable activity. Peer group influence by parents and friends is very significant.

Foster Reading Readines     (see also)
A good language foundation is vital to reading interest. Children dislike things they are bad at. A good vocabulary can be imparted through frequent reading to and conversing with the child. Appropriate exposure to TV programs are beneficial too. Sight vocabulary can be fostered by pointing out signs and banners (for example). Above all, encourage them to speak.

 Know Their Standard
The last thing to do is to coerce your child to read. It is a sure-fire method of removing any last interest in reading. Make sure your child is eager to begin (see Foster Reading Readiness). But be sure to be actively involved once your child is ready! Start of with nursery rhymes and picture books which have simple words. Even the handling of books and and even toys that look like books will cause the child to be more confident when they begin reading.

 Method
Many parents are concerned if they are using the right method for teaching. The fact is they themselves are the key factor, not the method. Help your child believe in him/her own abilities and build a good self-esteem. Comparing your child with a more capable sibling can be very detrimental.

Selective Reading
Tactful persuasion is the key here. Your child will soon have a favourite story he/she wants repeatedly. Read it, but try to find opportunities to go into another story. Even repeating the same story would let your child realise the enjoyment of reading. Do not forbid your child from comics, but read it occasionally with them, while tactfully directing him/her to better materials. 

“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” - Mark Twain

Difficulties
Babies are exceptionally sensitive to negative emotions, and adversely affected by them. A peaceful emotional setting is ideal for learning. Also note that longer words does not always equate to greater difficulty. A noun like “dinosaur” would be conveniently linked to a mental picture for the child, but the word “an” would be more abstract and harder to grasp.

Be sure not to underestimate your child. A 4 year old child Andreana, who was nurtured from young to read, was able to go through a book by Hemingway. Be sure to realize your child’s potential!

 ”The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” - Mark Twain