Print vs Digital Leisure-Time Reading, Digital Device Use, and Their Relation to Reading-Related Skills in Young Readers – A Validation Study

Frequency of print reading is associated with reading ability and reading-related skills across the lifespan. With the increasing adoption of digital technologies, a wide range of screen-based reading opportunities are becoming more prevalent. However, the frequency of some forms of digital reading, such as emails and blogs, is negatively associated with reading skills. Given the variety of reading opportunities on digital devices, it is important to develop reliable and valid assessment of digital reading and device use to study its influence on young readers. To address this need, we conducted a validation study of a self-report measure of leisure-time reading habits in the print and digital medium and digital device use in sample of 110 students in grades 4–6 (52 female, ages 9–12.7) in Germany. The instrument demonstrated good internal consistency. An exploratory factor analysis yielded four distinct factors: general print reading, digital fiction reading, digital mixed genre reading, and leisure activities on smartphones. Validity was assessed by examining associations with print exposure, a title recognition test, and reading-related skills (vocabulary, word recognition). We found convergent construct validity for print comparable to previous research and evidence for divergent construct validity for digital reading habits. Criterion-related validity was supported for print, but not for digital, reading.