Nooks increase student reading

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Last year, a student came to Mayflower Mill Elementary School with an e-reader, but was in the middle of reading a book. 

Mayflower Mill had a policy of not allowing electronic devices to be used during school hours.  After Mayflower reviewing and altering the policy, teacher Gina Boyd got the idea to write a grant to obtain the electronic book reader 'nook' for her classes. 

63% of the students increased the number of times they were willing to look up a word when they were using an e-reader, and 26% of the students increased the number of pages that they were reading per day when using an e-reader. 

Boyd said it has actually made her job easier.

"I certainly am not spending as much time having to define words.  I think my students are becoming better readers, because they're more motivated to look up a word that they don't know.  Once you add that vocabulary word to your arsenal, you've got it forever,"  says Boyd

Fourth-grader Abbie Benham said her reading life is easier with a Nook.

"They're easier to read, I think, because they don't make noises, you can just tap the page and it'll move.  It's a lot easier."

Another student, Madison Matz, said she likes the convenience of the Nook.

"You use the dictionary on the Nook, and you don't have to go halfway across the room and get a dictionary and take five minutes to look up this word, and read all the definitions it has."

The cost of stocking the class' bookcase with 15,000 new books would have been close to $45,000. 

The nook grant accomplished the equivalent for $3,600.