Digitalization of primary school and its impact on the reading competencies of primary school students

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the intensive digitalization of primary education, which transforms the conditions for the formation of reading competencies of primary school students and actualizes the problem of ensuring deep text comprehension in a multi-channel information environment. In current practice, a contradiction is observed between the expansion of access to digital resources and the decline in the quality of meaningful reading, which requires scientifically grounded didactic solutions. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the impact of primary school digitalization on the formation of reading competencies of primary school students and to determine effective approaches to their development in a digital educational environment. The research methodsare based on theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis of scientific sources, a structural-functional approach, and logical-analytical modeling to identify relationships between the characteristics of the digital educational environment and reading processes. The results of the study include the analysis of the essence of reading competencies and the identification of their transformation under digitalization, particularly the transition to nonlinear, interactive, and multi-channel text perception. The specific influence of digital tools on the processes of perception, comprehension, and interpretation of text has been identified. It has been proven that the effectiveness of forming reading competencies is ensured through the didactically grounded integration of digital technologies into the educational process. Key scientific and practical problems have been revealed, including fragmented perception, reduced depth of comprehension, cognitive overload, and methodological inconsistency in the use of digital resources. The conclusions substantiate that improving the effectiveness of reading competencies formation is achieved through a structured organization of text-based activities, the integration of digital and traditional approaches, the differentiation of learning tasks, and the inclusion of reflective stages. Prospects for further research are associated with the development of models for assessing reading competencies in a digital environment, empirical verification of didactic approaches to digital integration, and the study of their long-term impact on the cognitive development of primary school students.