The Reading / Listening - Screen Time - Level 0

Watching TV, tablet or mobile phone screens before bedtime is bad for children's health. Researchers looked at studies on this. Ninety per cent of the studies found that screen time means children go to bed later. They have less sleep, and poorer quality sleep. Screens are small, so children look at them in bed.

Children need more sleep than adults. Pre-school children need up to 13 hours a night. There are three reasons why screens are bad. First, the light from screens makes children think it is daytime. Second, videos keep children's brains active, so they cannot sleep. Finally, children do not exercise, so they are not tired.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Screen Time - Level 1,  Screen Time - Level 2   or  Screen Time - Level 3

Sources
  • https://qz.com/1120797/the-paradise-papers-data-leak-is-about-growing-inequality/
  • https://www.romper.com/p/too-much-screen-time-before-bed-is-affecting-how-much-sleep-kids-get-its-hurting-their-health-3227415
  • https://www.treehugger.com/health/screen-time-bed-hard-kids.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. mobile phone
  2. before
  3. bad for children's
  4. Researchers looked
  5. Ninety per cent
  6. children go
  7. poorer quality
  8. Screens are small, so children
  1. at studies on this
  2. to bed later
  3. look at them
  4. bedtime
  5. sleep
  6. screens
  7. of the studies
  8. health

Paragraph 2

  1. Children need more
  2. Pre-school children need
  3. There are three
  4. screens are
  5. the light from
  6. children think
  7. videos keep children's
  8. children do not
  1. it is daytime
  2. bad
  3. screens
  4. exercise
  5. sleep than adults
  6. brains active
  7. up to 13 hours
  8. reasons why

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Watching TV, (1) ___________________ phone screens before bedtime (2) ___________________ children's health. Researchers looked at (3) ___________________. Ninety per cent of the studies found that screen time means children (4) ___________________ later. They have less sleep, and poorer quality sleep. Screens (5) ___________________ children look at (6) ___________________.

Children need (7) ___________________ adults. Pre-school children (8) ___________________ 13 hours a night. There are three reasons (9) ___________________ bad. First, the light from screens makes children (10) ___________________ daytime. Second, videos keep children's (11) ___________________ they cannot sleep. Finally, children do not exercise, (12) ___________________ not tired.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

WatchingTV,tabletormobilephonescreensbeforebedtimeisbadforchi
ldren'shealth.Researcherslookedatstudiesonthis.Ninetypercentofth
estudiesfoundthatscreentimemeanschildrengotobedlater.Theyhav
elesssleep,andpoorerqualitysleep.Screensaresmall,sochildrenlooka
ttheminbed.Childrenneedmoresleepthanadults.Pre-schoolchildre
nneedupto13hoursanight.Therearethreereasonswhyscreensarebad
.First,thelightfromscreensmakeschildrenthinkitisdaytime.Second,v
ideoskeepchildren'sbrainsactive,sotheycannotsleep.Finally,childrn
ndonotexercise,sotheyarenottired.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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