Schools Across the U.S. are Ditching Screens

Aug 26

1 min read

Schools across the U.S. are ditching screens and bringing back pencils, paper, and printed books, and teachers say students are already responding.

In Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest school district, classroom screen time is now heavily restricted for younger students. Preschool through 1st grade have no classroom screen time, while 2nd and 3rd graders are limited to 20 minutes a day, and 4th and 5th graders to 30 minutes.

Other districts are making similar moves. In Illinois, one district removed Chromebooks from grades 2 through 8, while schools in North Carolina and Pennsylvania have brought back printed textbooks, handwriting, and more traditional classroom work.

Teachers say the difference is noticeable: better focus, stronger retention, fewer distractions, and more meaningful engagement with lessons.

Research has also found that handwriting can help students process information more deeply than simply typing notes.

After years of pushing more technology into classrooms, some schools are discovering that one of the best learning tools may still be one of the simplest: a pencil and a piece of paper.