Wednesday, March 11, 2009

IDKWYTA! Texting Is Good for You!

Sometimes I get an e-message that looks something like this:

Pls c atchd doc 4 wc thx

Just in case you need help deciphering the message, it says, “Please see the attached document for the writing class. Thanks.” When I get such notes, I like writing back:

IDKWYTA

(I don’t know what you’re talking about.)

But I’m just having some fun, because the truth is that text-message style doesn’t really bother me—as long as I can understand it. The School Library Journal (http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/) reports that at least two studies, one by the British Journal of Developmental Psychology and the other by the University of Toronto, have suggested that texting is actually helpful in developing reading and writing skills among young children. The sentiment is that writing for fun in any form is better practice than none at all. Here’s the link to the article:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6640877.html?desc=topstory