The Reading / Listening - Pencils - Level 0

Technology means today's children aren't good at using pencils. Children spend a lot of time swiping screens. This means their hands do not have the muscles to write. A researcher said: "Children are not coming into school with the hand strength...they had 10 years ago." Children do not have the skills to hold a pencil.

Technology is changing how children write, draw or make things. Children need to build muscles by playing, climbing trees, using building blocks, cutting and sticking, etc. Some people say technology creates bigger problems. If a child isn't strong enough to hold a pencil, maybe their whole body is weak.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Pencils - Level 1,  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. today's children aren't good
  2. spend a lot
  3. swiping
  4. have the muscles
  5. Children are not
  6. they had 10 years
  7. Children do not have the
  8. hold
  1. ago
  2. skills
  3. of time
  4. a pencil
  5. at using pencils
  6. to write
  7. coming into school
  8. screens

Paragraph 2

  1. Technology is changing how
  2. draw or make
  3. build muscles
  4. using building
  5. cutting and
  6. technology creates bigger
  7. strong enough to
  8. their whole body
  1. sticking
  2. hold a pencil
  3. children write
  4. is weak
  5. by playing
  6. blocks
  7. things
  8. problems

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Technology (1) ___________________ aren't good at using pencils. Children spend a (2) ___________________ swiping screens. This (3) ___________________ do not have the muscles to write. A researcher said: "Children (4) ___________________ into school with (5) ___________________...they had 10 years ago." Children do not have the skills to (6) __________________.

Technology (7) ___________________ children write, (8) ___________________ things. Children need to (9) ___________________ playing, climbing trees, using building blocks, cutting and sticking, etc. (10) ___________________ technology creates bigger problems. (11) ___________________ isn't strong enough to hold a pencil, maybe their whole (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Technologymeanstoday'schildrenaren'tgoodatusingpencils.Childre
nspendalotoftimeswipingscreens.Thismeanstheirhandsdonothavet
hemusclestowrite.Aresearchersaid:"Childrenarenotcomingintoscho
olwiththehandstrength...theyhad10yearsago."Childrendonothavet
heskillstoholdapencil.Technologyischanginghowchildrenwrite,draw
ormakethings.Childrenneedtobuildmusclesbyplaying,climbingtrees
,usingbuildingblocks,cuttingandsticking,etc.Somepeoplesaytechno
logycreatesbiggerproblems.Ifachildisn'tstrongenoughtoholdapencil
,maybetheirwholebodyisweak.

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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