Gadgetrepublic.com - News: Digital Life

In fact, all those LOLs (laughing out loud) and gr8s (great) seem to indicate increasing literacy and phonological awareness.

In a new study published by the British Academy, research carried out on 8-12-year-olds over an academic year correlated increasing usage of 'textism' with age, where only 21pc of Year 4 students used this form of shorthand while 47pc of Year 6 students did so.

Dr Clare Wood, reader in developmental psychology at Coventry University and the researcher behind the study, said the research was undertaken as a result of all the negative press coverage and associations with lowering levels of literacy that 'textism' was given.

"We were surprised to learn that not only was the association strong, but that textism use was actually driving the development of phonological awareness and reading skill in children," she said.

"Texting also appears to be a valuable form of contact with written English for many children, which enables them to practise reading and spelling on a daily basis."

It was found that those children who used shortened words like 'gr8' more often than not knew the correct spelling and furthermore were more phonologically aware, ie, were better able to detect, isolate and manipulate patterns of sound in speech, or, in simpler terms, were more in tune with the English language.

"With further research, we hope to instil a change in attitude in teachers and parents - recognising the potential to use text-based exercises to engage children in phonological awareness activities.

"In short, we suggest that children's use of textisms is far from problematic. If we are seeing a decline in literacy standards among young children, it is in spite of text messaging, not because of it," said Wood.

By Marie Boran