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Robots Could Help Kids Become Better Readers, According to a New Study

Learning to read is difficult, and reading aloud is anxiety inducing for plenty of kids. From not being able to pronounce a word, to being mocked by their peers for stumbling while speaking, reading out loud can cause anxiety and make kids less likely to want to read. The University of Chicago, University of Illinois Chicago and University of Wisconsin-Madison have released a new study that shows there may be an unlikely ally that can help. Social robots may be the key in helping kids build conf

These Are the 8 Best Places to Buy Reading Glasses Online in 2025

Strength Reading glasses typically range from +0.25 to +2.50 diopters (the unit of measurement for eye prescriptions), though the average starting strength is usually around +0.75. In rare cases, reading glass strength can go up to +4.00. “Tips for buying reading glasses online are similar to buying ready-made reading glasses at the drugstore: it’s a convenient option, but it’s not a good idea for everyone,” says Dr. Ravi Goel, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “

Robots Could Help Kids Conquer Reading Anxiety, a New Study Suggests

For many children, reading aloud can be nerve-wracking. The fear of stumbling over the text, mispronouncing words and being judged for it in front of a group of peers can spike anxiety and dampen confidence. A new study by researchers from the University of Chicago, University of Illinois Chicago and University of Wisconsin–Madison suggests a surprising ally — robots — may ease that stress. As AI sparks concerns about whether it undermines learning and the effort required to think critically, t

Read to forget

Read to Forget 05 Jul, 2025 I read to forget. Even when studying or working on papers for a PhD, I approach texts with the same mindset: I'm not a storage device that needs to save all bits of information. I am more of a system of Bayesian beliefs, constantly evolving and updating in small, incremental steps. I remember co-workers highlighting large chunks of text, sometimes 40%. That doesn't make sense to me. We can only read a text once, given the number of compelling works and the limited

Children and young people's reading in 2025

Our surveys show that the reading crisis persists, with the number of children and young people who say they enjoy reading, and read daily, continuing to decline. This report is based on 114,970 responses to our Annual Literacy Survey from children and young people aged 5 to 18 in early 2025. It includes findings on reading enjoyment , frequency and motivation and explores responses by age, gender, socio-economic background and geographical region. Key findings Reading enjoyment: In 2025, th

US High school students' scores fall in reading and math

WASHINGTON (AP) — A decade-long slide in high schoolers’ reading and math performance persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th graders’ scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years, according to results released Tuesday from an exam known as the nation’s report card. Eighth-grade students also lost significant ground in science skills, according to the results from the National Assessment of Education Progress. The assessments were the first since the pandemic for eight

US HS students lose ground in math and reading, continuing yearslong decline

WASHINGTON (AP) — A decade-long slide in high schoolers’ reading and math performance persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th graders’ scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years, according to results released Tuesday from an exam known as the nation’s report card. Eighth-grade students also lost significant ground in science skills, according to the results from the National Assessment of Education Progress. The assessments were the first since the pandemic for eight

Writing code is easy, reading it isn't

Writing code is easy. Once you have a solution in mind, and have mastered the syntax of your favorite programming language, writing code is easy. Having an LLM write entire functions for you? Even easier. But the hard part isn’t the writing. It’s the reading. It’s the time it takes to load the mental model of the system into your head. That’s where all the cost really is. A mental model is the thing you build when you read code. It’s your internal map of how the system works, where the tricky p

Writing Code Is Easy. Reading It Isn't

Writing code is easy. Once you have a solution in mind, and have mastered the syntax of your favorite programming language, writing code is easy. Having an LLM write entire functions for you? Even easier. But the hard part isn’t the writing. It’s the reading. It’s the time it takes to load the mental model of the system into your head. That’s where all the cost really is. A mental model is the thing you build when you read code. It’s your internal map of how the system works, where the tricky p

Look Out for Bugs

Look Out For Bugs One of my biggest mid-career shifts in how I write code was internalizing the idea from this post: Don’t Write Bugs Historically, I approached coding with an iteration-focused mindset — you write a draft version of a program, you set up some kind of a test to verify that it does what you want it to do, and then you just quickly iterate on your draft until the result passes all the checks. This was a great approach when I was only learning to code, as it allowed me to iterate

The Morning After: reMarkable’s new e-ink device is the size of a notepad

reMarkable is making a move away from its giant e-ink slate. The new Paper Pro Move is a smaller iteration with a 7.3-inch display the same size as a reporter’s notepad. The idea is an eink device you can write and edit on while on the move. Hence the name. Engadget There are some drawbacks, however. With the Move, the only way to write and edit typed text is with the on-screen keyboard. Bigger reMarkable devices can connect to a companion keyboard. Engadget’s Daniel Cooper spent some time wit

RSS is awesome

☀️ RSS is Awesome NetNewsWire is my latest most-used iPhone app. It is a simple, free RSS reader. RSS is an old technology that it seems most people have forgotten about. Here's how it works: you enter a link to an RSS "feed", and your app pulls data from this feed every few minutes or so. When there is a new post from your feed, that post is pulled directly to your app. RSS is really simple, so it is still very well supported. Notably, all substack publications automatically have an RSS fee

RSS Is Awesome

☀️ RSS is Awesome NetNewsWire is my latest most-used iPhone app. It is a simple, free RSS reader. RSS is an old technology that it seems most people have forgotten about. Here's how it works: you enter a link to an RSS "feed", and your app pulls data from this feed every few minutes or so. When there is a new post from your feed, that post is pulled directly to your app. RSS is really simple, so it is still very well supported. Notably, all substack publications automatically have an RSS fee

The base model Kindle is the e-reader most people should buy (and it's under $100 right now)

ZDNET's key takeaways Amazon's base model Kindle promises quicker page-turning, a brighter display, and a fun matcha green colorway (alongside the classic black) It's currently on sale for $90 The e-reader is more reactive and vivid, and reading anything on the lightweight, portable device is convenient. This model has the shortest battery life out of the entire lineup, but it's still six weeks long. $89.99 at Amazon $89.99 at Best Buy $109.99 at Target more buying choices What's the deal?

Top Reading Glasses to Shop Online in 2025

Strength Reading glasses typically range from +0.25 to +2.50 diopters (the unit of measurement for eye prescriptions), though the average starting strength is usually around +0.75. In rare cases, reading glass strength can go up to +4.00. “Tips for buying reading glasses online are similar to buying ready-made reading glasses at the drugstore: it’s a convenient option, but it’s not a good idea for everyone,” says Dr. Ravi Goel, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “

Reading for pleasure plummets by 40% in the US

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Dataset characterization and measures of reading. Credit: iScience (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113288 If you love nothing more than devouring a page-turner in your free time, you're becoming a rare breed. Reading for pleasure among adults in the United States has fallen dramatically in the last two decades. A n

New Study Shows Smartwatch Stress Sensors Have No Idea What They're Doing

You might want to think twice before you put a lot of stock in the latest stress charts from your fitness wearable. A recent study from the Netherlands' Leiden University, published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, has found that when smartwatches and similar devices record readings on stress, fatigue or sleep, they're frequently getting it wrong. Researchers studied 800 young adults using the same Garmin Vivosmart 4 smartwatch model. They compared the data the smartwatch

I can never go back to a phone without this display feature

Tushar Mehta / Android Authority I have never been the kind to rise and shine. For the 31 years of my existence — or, at least, for the major chunk I remember vividly, waking up early in the morning has been a woeful exercise for me, unless, of course, it is for traveling or hosting people I love. Instead, I can feel the neurons in my brain firing up better in the dead of the night, and so, I have made the effort to ensure the tech in my life is best suited to make better use of those hours. T

Show HN: An Open-Source E-Book Reader for Conversational Reading with an LLM

BookWith – A New Reading Experience with AI A next-generation conversational reading platform that goes beyond traditional e-book readers 📖 What is BookWith? BookWith is an innovative e-book reader where AI becomes your reading partner. By conversing with an AI that fully understands the book's content in real time, BookWith transforms the reading experience from merely consuming information to creating knowledge. It is more than an e-book reader: BookWith answers your questions, deepens com

Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

It's been extremely difficult for me to achieve a flow state while using tools like `claude code` because I have to wait after every interaction. I get easily distracted, my mind wonders and I find myself reading HN and browsing the internet. I'm more productive in most of the tasks I need to do but in some of these detours I loose long periods of times without even noticing. I've tried keeping the console open and reading through the AI agent process but that gets me nervous after a few intera

At a Loss for Words: A flawed idea is teaching kids to be poor readers (2019)

Listen to this audio documentary on the Educate podcast. Subscribe now. Molly Woodworth was a kid who seemed to do well at everything: good grades, in the gifted and talented program. But she couldn't read very well. "There was no rhyme or reason to reading for me," she said. "When a teacher would dictate a word and say, 'Tell me how you think you can spell it,' I sat there with my mouth open while other kids gave spellings, and I thought, 'How do they even know where to begin?' I was totally

Rao Reading Algorithm (2024)

October 2024 Who, What, Where, How, and Why Do I Read – Why Reading Matters Reading means my total consumption of ideas and media, learning via seeing or listening to symbols versus pure action. Reading involves books at the core, but also journal articles, news, blogs, music, video, maps, engineering and architectural drawings, code, patents, walking in cities, conversations with people, and viewing art. If it’s compressed info encoded into my brain and world models, I count it. The line betw

7 Best Reading Lights (2025): Clip-On, Rechargeable, Portable

Reading before bed is a great way to relax. But achieving the right balance of light can be tricky. We want to illuminate the text without disturbing sleeping partners, kids, or roommates. A warm light that is not too bright is also better, as it helps you feel drowsy. Special reading lights may be the answer. They come in a surprisingly wide variety of shapes and sizes, but all will light up your page, not your whole room. I've tested a library of reading lights over the last year, tucking int

My favorite Kindle tablet just got a kids model, and it makes so much sense

Amazon My older kids each have a Kindle they use to read each night before bed. Thanks to strong parental controls and an easy user interface, it's the perfect e-reader for young readers. Now, Amazon is adding color to the Kindle Kids lineup with a new Kindle Colorsoft created exclusively for children. The first-ever color Kindle for kids is a 16GB Kindle Colorsoft built to provide young readers a more enriching experience. The device brings a color E Ink display to the Amazon Kids+ and Kindle

Amazon just released the first full-color Kindle for the youngest readers

Amazon My older kids each have a Kindle they use to read each night before bed, and it's the perfect e-reader for young readers thanks to strong parental controls and easy user interface. Now, Amazon is adding color to the Kindle Kids lineup with a new Kindle Colorsoft created exclusively for children. The first-ever color Kindle for kids is a 16GB Kindle Colorsoft built to provide young readers a more enriching experience. The device brings a color E Ink display to the Amazon Kids+ and Kindle

I tested the latest Kindle Paperwhite and it has the one feature I've been waiting for

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition ZDNET's key takeaways The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is available for $200. I've been testing the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which features the fastest performance yet and up to 12 weeks of battery life; alternatively, the 16 GB Kindle Paperwhite is available for $125. Remember that Amazon's promise of up to 12 weeks of battery life assumes 30 minutes of daily use with wireless off. $199.99 at Amazon $199.99 at Best Buy $199.99 at Target m

The Switch 2’s next killer app is already here

is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 90, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, hope you’re staying cool, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) I also have for you a new Donkey Kong title, OpenAI’s next big AI agent, a customizable gamepad, and more. Let’s dive in. (As always, the best part of

Hundred Rabbits – Low-tech living while sailing the world

home Receive monthly updates via our RSS feed, or by signing up to our monthly newsletter. June 2025 For a few days, Pino became a land creature, living on stilts, while we scrubbed and re-painted the lower part of the hull. Our propeller had a bit of a wobble, which we hope is now corrected. We also battled with the old wheel quadrant and were finally able to remove it, at least a part of it. Boaters have frequently helped us while we were in boatyards, and we are finally able to pay it forw

What's happening to reading?

What do you read, and why? A few decades ago, these weren’t urgent questions. Reading was an unremarkable activity, essentially unchanged since the advent of the modern publishing industry, in the nineteenth century. In a 2017 Shouts & Murmurs titled “Before the Internet,” the writer Emma Rathbone captured the spirit of reading as it used to be: “Before the Internet, you could laze around on a park bench in Chicago reading some Dean Koontz, and that would be a legit thing to do and no one would

What's Happening to Reading?

What do you read, and why? A few decades ago, these weren’t urgent questions. Reading was an unremarkable activity, essentially unchanged since the advent of the modern publishing industry, in the nineteenth century. In a 2017 Shouts & Murmurs titled “Before the Internet,” the writer Emma Rathbone captured the spirit of reading as it used to be: “Before the Internet, you could laze around on a park bench in Chicago reading some Dean Koontz, and that would be a legit thing to do and no one would