We're Spending $10 Billion On Kids' Classroom Technology—But Does It Help Them Learn?

Companies that aspire to transform old-fashioned reading into an interactive media experience are on the rise, and they are increasingly looking to schools as a promising market. Earlier this month, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt bought a library of over 700 interactive books and related technology assets from MeeGenius, an e-book subscription company focused on early readers. In July, Amazon signed an e-book contract worth $30 million with the New York City Department of Education, signaling its growing presence in K-12. Reading Rainbow parent company RRKidz plans to release a classroom edition of its digital library this year. And literacy apps like Learn With Homer have been courting schools and parents by commissioning academic studies that demonstrate their impact and provide a counterweight to the still-dominant narrative that disparages screen time.