29 May Raising Digital Kids: How Learning Has Changed Since You Were at School
Why Kids Today Learn So Differently From Us
“The young people of today love luxury; they have bad manners; they scoff at authority… lack respect for their elders…”
Whether or not these words came from Socrates, they’ve long been used to reassure parents: every generation complains about the next. But while it’s comforting to think “this too shall pass,” such wisdom rarely helps when you’re navigating today’s challenges with kids and screens, homework and digital distractions.
A Generational Tug-of-War: Holding On vs. Moving Forward
Education today can feel like a tug-of-war. One side wants to preserve what worked in the past; the other pushes toward change. Researcher Andy Hargreaves calls it “the paradox of ageing”—we know we’re different from our parents, yet we expect our children to grow up like us.
But with the speed of today’s technological change, that mindset doesn’t work anymore—especially in schools, where digital-native children are taught by digital-immigrant adults.
The Classroom Has Changed—Have Our Expectations?
Modern kids aren’t just glued to screens for fun. The way they learn has shifted, too. Psychologist John Suler notes that some children live and breathe cyberspace, while older generations are still catching up.
This divide matters. Some still argue that schools should return to the textbook-heavy, memorisation-focused model of the 1950s. But today’s students need more than facts—they need to learn how to think, search, question, and piece together information from many sources.
What a Dictionary Can Teach Us About Changing Literacy
Once upon a time, dictionaries were strictly curated, full of “proper” words and literary examples. Today, dictionaries reflect real language, as it’s actually used across the world—thanks to powerful digital tools that track billions of words in real time.
At Collins, for example, a 2.5-billion-word database constantly monitors how people use English in books, blogs, news, and even ads on buses. If a word becomes popular enough, it can make it into the next edition.
Why Kids No Longer Dread Looking Up Words
Remember teaching your child to use a dictionary? First letter, then second… skip forward, flip back. Frustrating, wasn’t it?
Today, digital dictionaries reduce that frustration. Misspell a word? The search engine suggests the right one. No more giving up halfway through. It’s faster, easier—and that means kids are more likely to ask questions and build their vocabulary.
From Alphabetical Order to Real-World Learning
Dictionaries used to be all about alphabetical order. But that doesn’t help kids understand how words connect. For instance, ‘tweed’ might sit next to ‘twee’ and ‘tweenager’—but those aren’t related.
Today’s digital tools allow kids to explore words by meaning, not just by spelling—encouraging deeper thinking and more meaningful learning.
What Teachers Say About Tech and Literacy
One public school teacher blends technology with tradition: students eagerly download his digital materials, but he still reads stories aloud in class. “Children love being read to,” he says. For him, digital tools support—not replace—the magic of storytelling.
A private school teacher fully embraces digital learning. “Kids used to groan at using a paper dictionary,” she says. “Now they’ll happily look up words online—and that means they’re learning more.”
Using digital tools, her students can explore older or unfamiliar words like ‘plimsolls’ or ‘pannier’ without losing patience. “We can focus on what the word means—not how to find it,” she adds.
Making Literacy Easier, Not Harder
We’ve always known that language is central to learning. What’s changed is how easily children can access it. Removing barriers—like the frustration of flipping through pages—means kids can focus on understanding, curiosity, and confidence.
And in a world where the future is constantly shifting, helping children learn how to learn is one of the most powerful gifts we can give them
Adapted from an original article by Ruth Wajnryb who explored the latest avenues for learning in the digital age. Illustrations by Ron Monnier
