Learning to read has long been a basic part of education for the young, but the world is being taken over by electronic devices where icons are more important than the written word. The newest students in today’s schools must know how to interpret these icons so they can navigate the world of cyberspace, but they must also learn to read. It is becoming a fight to keep electronics at bay long enough to interest some students in the written word.
A fundamental part of the world for many centuries was knowledge for those who could read, but reading is beginning to change. Languages have always had their own alphabets and icons in the form of words for those who had learned to understand them, but visual icons are now part of everyday life. It may not be too far into the future when young students are given classes in how to read and understand the most popular icons on their electronics rather than the words in books and papers.
