The Science of Reading: E-Screens or Paper Books

In the November 2013 issue of Scientific American, the stark differences between reading a 'paper' book and reading a book on screen are examined. In the article, ....”The Science of Paper Versus Screen”, we learn about the influences each reading style has on the brain's capacity for memory, remembering, knowing and seeing. ...The tactile manipulation of the paper book helps promote a better understanding of text while establishing better long term memory. Electronic devices, with their portable, small screens, pose a greater strain on the eyes, and the brain's ability to think, understand or read the print, in an easy manner. ...
                                . ..."reading on paper still boasts unique advantages". ...

Screens on today's hand held devices are tiny versions of the television screens of yesteryear and today's modern day big screen viewing windows. Once upon a time, my mother would remind me not to sit to close to the television screen because it would 'hurt' my eyes. Funny, how things have changed. Or have they ? Understanding what is being read may be less efficient for the reader using electronic reading devices than reading the actual 'paper' book, a product of man's evolution.

From the beginning of time, man has been using his hands to manipulate both writing tool and the surface on which these ideas, thoughts and pictures are documented. Does our brain work more efficiently using the paper pages of a book to advance our understanding of the text? It would seem so. E-books are being touted as the next best thing in reading, a way of ridding our planet of paper books as we simplify the whole process of reading and learning. ... The Folio Society, book clubs, libraries and museums might beg to differ on whether the elimination of paper books is a welcoming departure from what history has given us. The Momsey loves books, newspapers, 'focus' magazines that enlighten, teach and enthrall. (A friend uses an e-reader when travelling by plane, thus reducing the 'bulk' consequences of paper books.)


Though e-readers are new age technology, paper books are our history's footnotes, a reminder of our existence, at one point in time. ... Books are constant reminders of where we have been, what we know and what happened, along the way. ... Like photographs, books tell a story about us, previous generations, our collective place in history and can be revisited anytime, anywhere. With e- readers, these magnificent reading machines, if the power grid goes, so does the screen and the print that accompanies it. Of course, the paper book is unreadable for only a moment while a camping lantern, candle or flashlight is switched on. ... When daylight arrives, the paper book still retains its properties: the text still remains intact, exactly where you left it. For the e-reader, daylight has no meaning. If the power grid is still down, our incredible reading machine is also. ..,


The printed word began our history. The e-reader was probably the mother of invention, an alternative way of reaching an audience, losing touch with books and their sometimes, ridiculous associated costs. (University/college textbooks are notoriously costly. Captive audience, perhaps?) The paper book can survive on its own. Can the same be said of the e-reader? This new reading device requires a host from which it can operate. It is sad to think that a paper book is being thought of as a regressive step, a relic of the past. ...  Authors are born when their paper book gets published. Magazines-the great ones- provide us with information in a format that is not necessarily available in their entirety 'on the net'. The net changes its landscape, sometimes, almost daily. What you located yesterday might not be there tomorrow or might be altered in a format not expected. We are used to instantaneous gratification. There is no permanence to an e-reader. There is with a paper book.


A chemistry book, 50 years after its publication debut, a 'relic' from my 'school days', is a treasured 'paper' memento to this day. Would it exist today on an e-reader? Another hard cover book, published in the 1800's, over a century ago, is as delicious as a piece of Italian rum cake. There is no contest. There is room for both. ...

"When Did Math Phobia Begin?"

Soon after my first term grade three 'E' mark in math, with the teacher's 'Can do Better' comment, I did do better, much better. From there, I completed grades 4-6 in two years, thrilled on reaching high school sooner than expected. In this new learning environment, I was intrigued and infatuated by math's appeal and the excitement it generated. Now a label called 'math-phobia' is being tossed about, maligning and casting aspersions upon one of the greatest subjects on earth. ... (Has the media helped to point us in this direction?)

Mathematics is both logical and a mystery of solutions, formulas and shapes. Its applications in life are real, relevant and numerous. Wherever I walk, I imagine the shortest route to my destination, always thinking about the hypotenuse of a triangle. (The sum of the two sides of a right angle triangle squared equals the opposite straight line squared, called a hypotenuse, and commonly referred to as the Pythagorean theorem.) This theory has fascinated me, to this very day. ... By grade 10, I became immersed in the wonderful world of algebra and geometry. ... My high marks made me the student to call on whenever the class needed help. Though the math teacher mispronounced my name, on a regular basis, I simply grimaced and answered his questions, nonetheless. (I loved math, without hesitation.) When invited to join the grade 13 math club, I jumped at the opportunity. Like choir, the math club challenged my senses to their limits. ... To be a 14 year old in a senior math club, with much older students, seemed as if I had jumped to the front of the class, again. ... I was thrilled to be a member of such an illustrious club. My 90's first term final math mark had helped catapult me into this new world of higher math. I had much to learn and experience. ... Soon after, the math club folded. I was crestfallen. My trip into wonderland was officially over. (Math and music stayed with me till 'grade 13')

The study of math in school is critical to functioning ably in today's high tech world. But, somehow, along the way, math phobia was born. Why? When did that happen? I was never aware of this condition, growing up. With the proliferation of calculators in our lives to simplify all our math problems, are we crippling our children's minds in the process? Understanding math takes time. (Using a calculator in schools, non-stop, can mask our failings in math. That is not a good thing.)

Math is exciting. ... In the beginning, we learn to recognize, then count numbers, in sequence. From there, it's onto the fabulous world of 'zero' and its incredibly fun properties when paired with other 'real' numbers. Zero is an anomaly, nothing on its own, but incredibly powerful when added on to other numbers. Then you enter the world of percent-%- where zero takes on a new perspective, yet again. Zero is a fascinating character, in a class all its own! The process of adding numbers, subtracting them, multiplying and dividing them helps to quantify and describe people, places and things. ... Then we have mass, density, weight, length, volume, perimeter and area- explained by using numbers in structured formulas. Nothing is left to chance in math. The subjects of geometry, algebra and calculus give us an intricate look into our world, in great detail. Word puzzles involving numbers are asked, helping to further our understanding of this unique math game. ...  How can any of that be scary? Numbers and our understanding of them brings structure, peace and tranquility to our lives, in countless ways. The alternative is chaos and stress. Math eliminates stress. It does not cause it.... (All three sons took calculus, algebra and geometry in high school. Math is the key that opens the many doors to our future) ...

Math is a fun subject, It is an intimate and integral part of our everyday lives from balancing our budgets to measuring all that is required for a home renovation and determining its total cost. Car payments, mortgages, interest rates, debt repayment, amortization schedules brings math up close and personal. .... Math builds bridges, cities and brings inventions to life. Being afraid of numbers is to be afraid to explore and live our lives to the fullest....(We then must rely upon and trust others to sort out our math lives because we do not understand it ourselves.) Mathematics begins as a counting game for children then builds to a crescendo in high school.. The bigger and more complicated our life becomes, the more we need math and all that it represents. It is the greatest equalizer on earth, our friend and a way to find answers in this modern, complex world.

The 'Cost' of the Stay-At-Home Parent

Stay-at-homes present a valuable -'free'- source of labour and support for both family and community alike. The work is unpaid, in the traditional sense. But work it is, nonetheless. I became a sudden on-the-spot daycare facility, with an exceptional pupil teacher ratio, when our first-born arrived-three months too soon- in 1979. ... Within the next two years, two more children were added to our family, in addition to our two large furry children who had been with us from the start.

There is a saying that money saved is money earned. It would seem that a corollary to that statement would be that income not earned equals the costs of professional services-(speech pathologist/therapist, chef, teacher, housekeeping, taxi, wait staff, daycare, pet care) - not incurred, now and for the future. As a parent, you are on the job, at the scene, and able to make on-the-spot decisions for your family. Your areas of expertise are many; your income earning potential, simply, re-directed towards a more worthwhile cause, momentarily.

Children matter in a most basic way. Our children are the future of the civilized world and are the most vulnerable species on earth, taking years to finally becoming self sufficient, in every way.  Nearly every other species on the planet becomes an adult within a year or less of birth, and self sufficient while reproducing along the way. The job we do while our young are developing matters very much, both in mind and body. 

Caring for society's young is a calling, not to be taken lightly. It is exhausting, exhilarating work and challenges the brain like no other. (It earns the highest praise when done well but garners little respect or income, along the way.) ...As we are well aware, the gold standard of care afforded each child is not always equal. In the absence of a loving parent, grandparent, aunt or family friend, someone has to be 'hired' to care for our children. When there is doubt in the mind of a parent as to who can care for our child, it is incumbent upon us to do the job ourselves. It is a dilemma unlike any other we face as parents. The bottom line: someone has to care for our children. They cannot care for themselves.

As a stay-at-home parent, I recall one incident that stood out as potentially life altering. It was the late eighties and 911 was not available, where we lived. One weekday morning as I waited for our sons to eat breakfast, our youngest began to choke. (911 would not have made a difference, had it been available then.) ... (Time and distance do alter outcomes in medical emergencies.) I prayed for the miracle that would happen. ... As his colour began to change, our son's distress became apparent. I took action. Performing the Heimlich maneuver saved his life as the food plug dislodged in his throat  popped out of his mouth, rolling onto the floor. That moment became etched in my mind, forever. (Crying, breaking down, screaming or panicking were pointless. They were useless exercises in doing nothing) ... Years earlier, my husband and I had taken a lifesaving course for children when our youngest was a baby! Now, our son, a grade 3 student, had become the beneficiary of that life saving course. ...

In today's high tech, mobile world, stay-at-homes are sometimes maligned and viewed as lazy, coffee drinking (I don't drink it), television/soap opera loving people who can't do anything. Having been the main breadwinner for several years - as a high school teacher- I was now a much needed stay-at-home. (Since I spent many years volunteering at our children's schools, the stay-at-home moniker is a misnomer.) ... My 'career' as a stay-at-home was worth every penny of unearned income. ...

In the beginning, my husband was the full time parent to two dogs, for two years. A few years later, our roles became reversed. I was the one staying at home to a gaggle of three little boys, the oldest of whom required ongoing therapy and special care. He arrived three months too soon. During a period of sudden family unemployment and high stress, with a sense of focus, discipline and boundaries in tact, I remarked to my husband one day, “You take care of everything on the outside of the front door and I'll I take care of everything on the inside." It was a simple, unadorned plan that has worked for us.

The Circus Did Not Come to Town.

We entered the lab for simple blood tests, firsts for our sons. A dress rehearsal at home, on a few occasions and yesterday, helped prepare them for what was to happen at the lab today. There was nothing to fear, I had told them. Nearly everyone has had these tests done to help diagnose an underlying health problem, I continued. They would conduct themselves accordingly. 

This common test helped to establish a clear picture of what was happening inside our bodies, like a window looking inside, to give us important information about the health of our blood, organs and body. Our blood always told us our personal, unique health story. Their father's health had manifested some blood concerns, back then. Since we had sons, it seemed prudent to have their blood tested, also, while establishing a baseline of health for future comparisons. If some problems are genetic, the sooner 'treatment' is initiated, the sooner the problem can be ameliorated or corrected ...Diet was always a priority for me, even before I married. With children, however, nutrition was even more critical for their developing bodies. 

Taking their blood would tell us what we needed to know now and for the future, too. One by one I waited for the moment to begin. Soon we would leave. As we sat patiently in the waiting room for the last of the blood tests to be completed, the technician spoke to me with a candour not always afforded parents of children who enter her lab for the simple technique of taking blood.  These ladies in white, these blood technicians, had watched a mother and her three little boys enter the lab, moments ago. (Another horror show had just entered their quiet laboratory, an encore performance of gigantic proportions was about to begin, they were certain!!) ... 

The lab technicians braced themselves for the screaming and crying that would soon begin. It always did with little children. They should know. Why would today be any different, they thought?  But today was different. These three little boys, ages, 6, 5, and 3, would be quiet customers, sitting and doing what was expected of them, without a squirm, rant or scream. These children understood and had followed the simple rules surrounding the taking of blood. 

Mom had prepared them for this ritual several times. ... It was no big deal, they knew. Falling or fighting amongst themselves and other unremarkable events, resulting from their daily play routine and life, in general, sometimes, exposed them to more 'pain' than could this simple act of having their blood taken.  They had all agreed. They could cause more discomfort to each other or to themselves that could rival any experienced in a lab.

Preparation is key to the success of any event in our lives. In the case of taking blood from little children, a simple demonstration is all that is required, a 'representative' pinching of the skin on the upper arm to help familiarize the child with the unremarkable pain of the technician's needle going into it for the removal of a blood sample. ... A test that takes almost no time to administer, and is almost rarely noticed to those who are prepared, was carried out with no fuss or fury to three little boys who waited for their turn, in quiet adult fashion. 

Role playing helped to answer our sons' questions as they vicariously experienced the 'pain' of the 'needle' entering their arm for next day's lab work. We talked at length about what would happen, who wanted to go first, and the people who would be there taking their blood. These people were trained professionals who knew what they were doing. (Mom did not know how to take blood. She was not trained for the job.) These people were.

I thanked the technician for telling me her story. I was not aware that our children's public deportment in the lab, that day, was such an eye opener for these professionals. In public, our boys were always expected to behave accordingly. To do so otherwise would be most unacceptable; the consequences, unpleasant. Being silly was welcomed and expected - at home- where 'it' belonged! The public did not want to hear screaming children, under any circumstances, I had counseled them, many times.

The technicians had seen it all until our three boys showed them there was another way. They were amazed and I was a proud parent, once again. Our boys had been prepared for the unknown and had trusted mom to prepare them for the event. They had demonstrated, quite admirably, to the technical staff that the circus had not come to town.