Children learning to read in a digital world

Children's earliest experiences of written language increasingly involve digital text - on phones, tablets and computers. This shift has triggered worry about the potential harm to children's ability to read in a deep, focused manner on the one hand, and optimism for the potential of technology to support reading among different groups on the other. In this article, we explore research evidence concerning the impact of digital text on children's developing literacy skills. Our review advocates the need for a more nuanced understanding regarding the challenges and potential of digital environments and highlights the uniqueness of each child's digital reading experience.