The Reading / Listening - Pencils - Level 1

Technology is lowering children's ability to use pencils. Researchers said children spend so much time swiping screens that they cannot hold a pencil properly. Their hands do not have the muscle power to write properly. A researcher said: "Children are not coming into school with the hand strength...they had 10 years ago. Children...are being given a pencil but are increasingly not able to hold it because they don't have the...skills."

Technology is changing how children write, draw or make things. The researcher explained that it's easier to give a child an iPad than let them build muscles by playing, using building blocks, cutting and sticking, or pulling ropes. Children are not getting the skills they need to hold a pencil. Some researchers say technology creates bigger problems. If a child isn't strong enough to hold a pencil, perhaps their whole body is weak. They need to climb trees.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Pencils - Level 0 Pencils - Level 2   or  Pencils - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.treehugger.com/culture/kids-spend-so-much-time-ipads-they-cant-hold-pencil.html
  • https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/25/children-struggle-to-hold-pencils-due-to-too-much-tech-doctors-say
  • Schwellnus et al https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1851631


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. swiping
  2. they cannot hold a pencil
  3. the muscle
  4. children are not coming
  5. strength they had
  6. being given a
  7. able to
  8. they don't have
  1. 10 years ago
  2. hold it
  3. properly
  4. the skills
  5. pencil
  6. screens
  7. into school
  8. power

Paragraph 2

  1. write, draw
  2. build muscles
  3. cutting and
  4. getting the skills they
  5. technology creates
  6. strong enough to
  7. their whole body
  8. They need to climb
  1. bigger problems
  2. is weak
  3. or make things
  4. trees
  5. sticking
  6. need
  7. by playing
  8. hold a pencil

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Technology is lowering children's (1) ___________________ pencils. Researchers said children (2) ___________________ time swiping screens that they cannot hold (3) _______________. Their hands do not have (4) ___________________ to write properly. A researcher said: "Children are not coming into school with (5) ___________________...they had 10 years ago. Children...are being given a pencil but (6) ___________________ not able to hold it because they don't have the...skills."

Technology is (7) ___________________ write, draw or make things. The researcher explained that it's easier to give a child an iPad than let them (8) ___________________ playing, using building blocks, (9) ___________________, or pulling ropes. Children are not (10) ___________________ they need to hold a pencil. Some researchers say technology creates bigger problems. If a child (11) ___________________ to hold a pencil, perhaps their whole body is weak. They (12) ___________________ trees.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Technologyisloweringchildren'sabilitytousepencils.Researcherssaid
childrenspendsomuchtimeswipingscreensthattheycannotholdapenc
ilproperly.Theirhandsdonothavethemusclepowertowriteproperly.Ar
esearchersaid:"Childrenarenotcomingintoschoolwiththehandstreng
th...theyhad10yearsago.Children...arebeinggivenapencilbutareincr
easinglynotabletoholditbecausetheydon'thavethe...skills."Technolo
gyischanginghowchildrenwrite,drawormakethings.Theresearchere
xplainedthatit'seasiertogiveachildaniPadthanletthembuildmusclesb
yplaying,usingbuildingblocks,cuttingandsticking,orpullingropes.Chi
ldrenarenotgettingtheskillstheyneedtoholdapencil.Someresearcher
ssaytechnologycreatesbiggerproblems.Ifachildisn'tstrongenoughto
holdapencil,perhapstheirwholebodyisweak.Theyneedtoclimbtrees.

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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