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When you are trying to teach a child in the modern world, so much revolves around them staring at a screen.

While modern tech has been highly useful in giving so many more opportunities than there were before, there is still a great benefit in having printed materials such as books and worksheets. So, whether you are looking to homeschool your kids or you are preparing a lesson for any other reason, here are just some of the reasons why printed materials can prove to be so useful.

Helps to boost retention

Studies have shown that the words we read on a page can make more of a lasting impact than the ones that we read on a screen. There is something about the way our brains work that by seeing things in this way, it can prove to be easier to retain it for a longer period of time. There is also much more of an opportunity to interact with it in a different way when you have a real and tangible object to hold in your own two hands rather than something that can easily be swiped off a screen and the next item will appear.

Easy to access

One of the other main advantages of having a printed document is that there are no access issues to worry about. When you are looking for printed resources for education, you just need access to that initial printer and you can then have them anywhere you like. However, when you need expensive devices to actually access the documents, this immediately puts in place a barrier which can be hard to bring down unless you have the proper level of financial resources. Since they can be reused several times, there is also the cost effective factor that is more than worth taking into account.

Option to interact with

Many of the docs that you have printed off are already set up to be interacted with in a different way to the ones that you get on a screen. For example, you have the worksheets that are designed to be filled in, which can help to get brains working as they try to solve specific problems. Even if the documents are not specifically set up to be interacted with, there is always the option to scribble notes on this side of them or even highlight the most important sections. This is an additional way of retaining information that you may not be able to get otherwise.

Deeper engagement with the material  

The main problem with looking at things on a screen is that you can end up in a situation where there are all sorts of distractions thrown out in front of you. However, this is much less the case with a printed document where you can simply appreciate what is in front of you.

All of these are amongst the main reasons why printed materials are important for learning and can still play a role in the modern world easily.

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