In our technological Information Age, we spend our time “speaking” primarily by text, email, eBooks, or online forums. Gone seem the days of deep, personal conversations; cursive, handwritten letters; and real-paper, printed books. We defend our choices with their efficient outcomes, but few of us stop to consider what we might be losing in the … Continue reading “Giving Life to Words”
Category: General
Forgetting Information and Learning How to Remember
According to a paper published in the June 21, 2017 issue of the scientific journal Neuron, the brain is hard-wired to forget information. Neurobiologists Blake Richards and Paul Frankland, the authors of the study, challenge what has become the dominant theory of memory, which holds that forgetting involves the gradual loss of critical information. According … Continue reading “Forgetting Information and Learning How to Remember”
Reading Comprehension Not Limited to Humans
Most teachers and educators consider reading comprehension to be applicable to human students, usually starting in about the first grade. However, there is a fast-growing type of comprehension that has nothing to do with humans. It’s called “Machine Reading Comprehension (MRC),” and it reflects an artificial intelligence (AI’s) ability to understand specific knowledge found in … Continue reading “Reading Comprehension Not Limited to Humans”
AceReader Book Review – “Ms. Marvel: No Normal”
Today’s book review is a selection from the Montgomery County (MD) Public Library System. It’s a graphic novel, “Ms. Marvel: No Normal,” published by Marvel Now! and aimed at high school students. A while back, we discussed the potential benefits of using comics and graphic novels in the classroom as a way to aid reading … Continue reading “AceReader Book Review – “Ms. Marvel: No Normal””
Humans Hard-Wired for Speech but not for Reading and Writing
Humans communicate naturally by speech – that is to say, without any special training besides hearing individuals speak to each other. The reason is the structure of our brains. Researchers have shown that there are two specific centers in the human brain that oversee and control language acquisition; both are in the brain’s left hemisphere. … Continue reading “Humans Hard-Wired for Speech but not for Reading and Writing”
Guest Blog: Dr. David Bloch, Optometrist and Reading Specialist, on the AceReader Program
[Editor’s note and disclaimer: This is another in an occasional series of guest blogs from a variety of AceReader users. The content came from an interview conducted by Miriam Ruff, and it has been edited somewhat for length and fluency.] MR: What is your reading background (i.e. schooling, specialty, personal reading habits)? DB: I have … Continue reading “Guest Blog: Dr. David Bloch, Optometrist and Reading Specialist, on the AceReader Program”
AceReader Introduces Book Reviews
Starting today, we at the AceReader blog are going to be introducing a new feature – Book Reviews. The list of titles will come from area library systems and educational institutions and will represent a wide range of grade-appropriate fiction and non-fiction material. Sometimes, like today, we will be reviewing a book that we have … Continue reading “AceReader Introduces Book Reviews”
AceReader, Inc. Teams Up with the USAFA to Present at the Colorado Learning and Teaching with Technology (COLTT) Conference
On August 9, 2017, Bernie Marasco, co-founder of AceReader, Inc. teamed up with Professor Constance Leonard and Dr. Gary Mills, both of the U.S. Air Force Academy, to present an in-depth seminar entitled “’Read’ Warning: Side-effects Include Retention, Engagement, & Prolonged Intellectual Arousal” at the 2017 COLTT conference in Boulder. The USAFA has been using … Continue reading “AceReader, Inc. Teams Up with the USAFA to Present at the Colorado Learning and Teaching with Technology (COLTT) Conference”
How to Foster the Early Literacy Recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Last week we discussed the AAP’s policy statements and technical reports emphasizing the critical importance of early literacy for children – starting from the time they are born. Parents and caregivers should work with their pediatricians to ensure that their children are exposed to critical age-dependent skills so that they enter school ready to build … Continue reading “How to Foster the Early Literacy Recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)”
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ View of the Importance of Early Literacy
How important is early literacy in a child’s development? And when we say early, how early is that? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has weighed in on the matter with a number of policy statements and technical reports, and the results just might surprise you. The AAP recommends that pediatricians promote early literacy development … Continue reading “The American Academy of Pediatrics’ View of the Importance of Early Literacy”