Computer usage for learning how to read and write in primary school

Digital media are central to exchange information. Young people without sufficient literacy knowledge cannot participate in this digital society. Thus, starting to train reading and training writing with digital media as early as possible seems reasonable. But how early? Should we teach first writing and reading with digital devices? Practitioners and policy makers discuss this issue controversially. Scientific results lead to contradictory conclusions. It has been shown that writing by hand improves letter learning and memory. Other studies report e.g. higher motivation of students if digital media are used. This paper investigates the application of computers in written language acquisition. Examples and results of an inquiry in German schools are described. Since the use of digital media in the examples is confounded with teaching objectives diverging from traditional teaching, a final conclusion cannot be drawn. There is a lack of direct comparisons of early writing with and without digital media.