More Books, Less Screens: How Schools Are Shifting Back to Basics

Richardson schools will cut down on screen time starting next year, replacing tablets and apps with old-school writing and books. Students in first through fourth grade will get no more than twenty minutes of screen time daily, while fifth and sixth graders are limited to half an hour. Older students face a twenty-minute cap per class. Free iPad time on Fridays and required app minutes are also being scrapped. Instead, kids will see more paper assignments, recess breaks, and physical books on classroom shelves. Parents pushed for this change after noticing their children struggled to focus and connect with others because of too much screen use. The district isn’t alone—Los Angeles schools set similar limits earlier this year. Even before that, Richardson banned phones in classrooms back in 2022. Experts say the rush to use tech in schools during COVID never really faded, even when it wasn’t proven to help learning.Superintendent Tabitha Branum made it clear: screens shouldn’t be rewards. She pointed out that when used right, tech can help with personal learning, but just sitting and scrolling does nothing good. Teachers helped shape these rules, showing the district isn’t making this decision in the dark. Students seem happy with the shift. Kingsley Wright, a fifth grader, said more recess or game days would be better than staring at a screen. Wynn Whitehead, a third grader, likes writing by hand because it lets him think and write faster. Their reactions suggest kids might actually prefer simpler tools over flashy gadgets. The new rules start in 2026, but the district insists it’ll still follow Texas tech standards. It’s a quiet return to basics—pencils over pixels, play over apps. Whether it improves learning remains to be seen, but the move shows schools are rethinking how much tech really belongs in classrooms.