Reclaiming Literacy
With 54% of Minnesota third graders struggling with reading proficiency, child rights advocate Reginald Ankrah highlights how excessive device use impacts learning. By setting screen-free windows, modeling healthy habits, and reading together, parents acting as First Educators can create a healthy balance between technology and literacy.
Children in Minnesota ages 8 to 12 spend four to six hours on devices daily. That
contrasts sharply with statewide reading proficiency: a Minnesota Comprehensive
Assessment (MCA) study found that 54% of third graders are not proficient in reading.
Research further shows that each additional hour of daily screen time is directly linked to
declining proficiency in reading and math.
Given these numbers, the question becomes: how do you help children minimize
screen time and still read in an era saturated with devices?
Planting People Growing Justice hosted a community forum to discuss practical
strategies for building literacy and managing screen time. I interviewed Reginald Ankrah,
a child rights and protection advocate, to gain practical insight into the learning journey.
Q: Are screens all bad for our households?
A: The goal of this work isn’t to demonize devices. Screens have become a permanent
part of life, and fighting them outright is usually futile. They can serve us positively, but
overreliance on them is what proves problematic for children. Parents should find a
healthy balance between reading and screen time, which can also support improved
literacy.
Q: Does screen time affect reading proficiency?
A: Some argue screens can also aid reading, but studies show a correlation between
reduced screen time and stronger schoolwork performance in device-free environments.
Children in device-free settings scored 15% higher on subsequent tests. Screens can be
allowed, just not during time set aside for work, since they tend to distract children.
Q: What is one way a family can reduce screen time
A: Set specific periods in the home when children have access to devices. In my own
home, screens aren’t allowed during certain hours of the day, and children are limited to
an hour during the week and a bit more on weekends and holidays.
Q: Does modeling play a role in reducing screen time?
A: Absolutely. Children see their parents as role models and tend to imitate their
actions, good or bad. It’s imperative for parents to set a good example. A child who
consistently sees a parent absorbed in a phone, laptop or television may come to see that
as normal. A child who instead sees a parent reading, or engaging in activities that build
literacy, will develop an interest in reading, too
Q: How can balancing screen time help address Minnesota’s broader reading
challenge?
A: There is a reading crisis in Minnesota, driven by a range of data-driven factors,
and there’s no quick fix. Balancing screen time won’t single-handedly solve the problem, but it’s a step in the right direction. Parents are First Educators and carry the
responsibility of instilling reading habits in their children, in part by reducing the time
spent on screens for everything but reading.
Call to action
“First Educator” refers to the fundamental role parents and caregivers play in a child’s
early development and education. They instill essential life skills, morals and behaviors.
Can First Educators make children love books as much as they love screens? The
benefits of reading are well documented, equipping readers with skills that carry them
through life. Parents and caregivers can strike a balance between these two worlds,
shaping habits that build the future leaders our community needs. Here are a few practical
ways to promote reading and foster leadership development:
One book, one conversation: Instead of screen time, pick a book each month as a
family. Spend time each day reading and discussing it together. Keep the books
age-appropriate and interesting enough to spark real conversation.
Screen-free periods: Set aside periods during the day when screen time is off-limits,
for parents included, to make it a shared family practice rather than a rule only for kids.
Volunteering: Enroll as a family in community literacy programs. A good example is
volunteering with the nonprofit Planting People Growing Justice. Programs like Leaders
Are Readers help families see firsthand the value of literacy work.
Be the change you want to see: As a parent and First Educator, limit your own
screen time, too. Start today. Pick up a book, share stories, or make a grocery list
together, and your child will be inspired to do the same.
Giving children books instead of devices isn’t deprivation. It simply lets both worlds
strengthen each other. A well-read child, more often than not, knows what to do when
handed a tablet, and when the interest in reading takes hold, screen time is more likely to
be channeled toward educational material. Books enlighten children and broaden their
horizons in ways no other medium can. Let’s not deprive our children of that kind of
learning experience.
Join Planting People Growing Justice every first Saturday for the Leaders Are
Readers program, an intergenerational reading circle that brings children and families
together through storytelling and interactive activities, plus a free lunch and book
giveaway from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jimmy Lee Recreation Center. For more information,
visit www.ppgjli.org. You can also reach Dr. Artika Tyner directly at
drartikatyner@gmail.com.