Children’s literacy is falling at the same time that screens are filling more of their day. A recent breakdown of U.S. reading data, Child Literacy Statistics United States 2025, notes that only about 31% of fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders are at or above “proficient” in reading, while roughly 40% of fourth graders and a third of eighth graders are below the most basic level. New NAEP results show those low performers now have the worst reading scores in over 30 years, and many can’t reliably use context to figure out a familiar word, which is a basic skill they need before middle school.
At the same time, screens are often used as stand‑in caregivers. Research collected by Child Care Aware’s “Research Round Up: Screen Time” notes that young children who exceed American Academy of Pediatrics screen limits tend to have lower scores in early literacy and expressive vocabulary, and brain scans show weaker connections in areas that support language and early reading. Pediatric groups now explicitly warn that heavy, unsupervised screen time can displace the back‑and‑forth talk, shared play, and read‑aloud time that actually build those skills.
The issue is less that iPads exist and more how they are used. A tablet that occasionally shows an age‑appropriate show or an interactive reading app while an adult sits nearby is not the same as hours of solo scrolling or being propped in front of videos as default entertainment. When screens fill that role, they don’t ask kids to follow a story, ask questions, sound out words, or negotiate turn‑taking—all the small interactions that go into becoming a confident reader.
If there is a way forward, it probably looks more like treating screens as tools, not default caretakers. The same pediatric guidance that limits screen time also points to practical swaps: keeping devices out of bedrooms, reserving certain hours for books and conversation, and co‑watching when screens are on so adults can pause, explain, and connect what’s on the tablet to the child’s real life. For a lot of kids, the problem isn’t that they have too much technology; it’s that they don’t have enough of the slow, offline attention that supports learning to read.