Many traditional books are being replaced by e-books in school.

Nearly 60% of teachers say they utilize e-books because they are less expensive and more accessible than many paper books.

However, there is a major drawback to the use of e-books.

A study suggests teenagers who read traditional books had higher test scores than those who read books on a device.

"Reading from paper is more efficient, meaning that you can understand more in the same amount of time than reading from screens," said Virginia Clinton-Lisell, Ph.D., of the University of North Dakota.

Experts say parents should opt for paper books when they can, but they stress that any type of reading is better than none at all.

"Reading is good. If your kid likes to read from an e-reader, that's awesome. Encourage it as much as possible," Clinton-Lisell said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WEWS) — It’s a book so many people know and love — "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

For 5-year-old Zion Crenshaw, the book is a much-needed escape.

“It’s the little things that make people happy,” said mom Shawanna Crenshaw.

Her six children and foster children are all patients at MetroHealth in Cleveland, Ohio.

She brought Zion in for his wellness check and shots.

The books in the waiting room and the books handed to him by the doctor when he leaves make a big difference.

“If they’re getting a shot, they’re sitting there reading a book, it relaxes my children,” Shawanna said. “So I’m glad the books are there.”

They’re in the doctor's office because of a national nonprofit called Reach Out and Read, founded in 1989 by Dr. Robert Needleman, a physician at MetroHealth.

“He thought about, 'What if we put books in the waiting room, what would happen?' And the books disappeared,” explained Lynn Foran, executive director of Reach Out and Read Greater Cleveland.

So from there, they started including them in child wellness checks.

More than 200 doctors and nurse practitioners across nearly 40 locations in greater Cleveland are trained in early literacy by Reach Out and Read.

There are books in the waiting room, exam rooms, and stacks and stacks of books, free to grab on your way out.

Pediatrician Dr. Anna Winfield has been part of the program for decades. She said the improvements she sees are remarkable.

“Ten years ago, I would give people a book and they would say, ‘That’s the only book I have at home’ and now you give them books and they say, ‘Oh I have plenty of books’ — but they still need more!” Winfield said.

Research shows reaching kids at an early age helps with kindergarten readiness, parental engagement, and is even beneficial for maternal well-being.

Book "prescriptions" detailing specific reading material can even help parents feel more at ease.

“I think a lot of our parents who are at higher risk for low literacy get nervous about reading with their kids because they’re not confident in their own skills,” Winfield explained. “And if you show them what to do with the book and their kid, their eyes kind of light up.”

The key to Reach Out and Read’s success has been rolling the importance of literacy into well-child visits, talking about it at the same level as safe sleep and good nutrition, and partnering with doctors who are trusted by families.

“They’re the messengers,” Foran said. “And parents, as you know being a mom of young children, you look to their advice and guidance to help you support the healthy development of your child.”

Reach Out and Read targets children six months to 5 years old. It has reached more than 4.2 million children across the country

This story was originally reported by Homa Bash on news5cleveland.com.

There is new evidence of how significantly the COVID-19 pandemic impacted learning loss in the classroom for students.

Those impacts — declines in reading and math scores in a majority of states — were noted in the release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or The Nation's Report Card.

The report compared math and reading test scores in the fourth and eighth grades pre-pandemic in 2019 and post-pandemic this year.

In eighth grade, every state except Utah showed math test score declines. More than three dozen saw similar declines in the fourth grade.

In the fourth grade, a majority of states saw declines in reading test scores.

"I don't make this statement lightly because these aren't the kind of data that I would normally attribute cause and effect to," said Peggy Carr, commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics. "But, it is very clear what we're looking at now is unprecedented disruption in the lives of everyone, including students, their academic careers, ya know, really pushed off-kilter, really knocked off rack. It is because of the pandemic."

Moving forward, Carr said school systems need to use this data to do a "reset" and refocus on learning and tutoring programs, as well as social and emotional mental health services for students.

Watch the video above for the full story.

READING, Ohio —

Tailgate prep is a family affair in the Courtney household. It's a tradition that started when the oldest sibling, David Courtney, was a kid, when it was just him and his dad.

"Down at Riverfront, we would tailgate in the parking garage, just the two of us. Mom would make us whatever. We would eat it and go in and watch the game," David Courtney said.

Over the years the family has grown, and Bengal pride has been passed down to the next generations.

"Everything about the Bengals makes me think of him," said Kelsey Courtney, David Courtney's daughter.

Kelsey Courtney is referring to her grandfather, Duane Courtney. This is the first year without the patriarch of the family.

Duane Courtney died unexpectedly in his sleep April 30. He was 68 years old.

"It was the night of the draft, and he passed sometime before the next morning," David Courtney said.

"He was watching the draft and was very excited when he saw we got (Ja'Marr) Chase. That was one of his last texts to my niece," said Christen Courtney, Duane Courtney's daughter.

Knowing his love for the Bengals and the optimism he had for this season, Duane's kids decided to keep his season tickets and save his seat for him.

"We salute him, and he's always in our thoughts," David Courtney said.

Tomorrow will be no different as they remember how Duane Courtney would love to sit and take it all in.

"And he'd like to drink his beer during the games. We couldn't keep up with him," Christen Courtney said

So, of course, there will be a toast in his honor as he's remembered as a funny family man, a die-hard Bengals fan whose presence will be felt tomorrow.

"We definitely feel him, and we know he'll be there tomorrow, and hopefully help us bring home a win," Christen Courtney said.

Nine men are in custody in connection with a standoff between law enforcement and a group of armed individuals on Interstate 95 in Massachusetts, according to state police officials.

The standoff between police and the group of armed men has caused the closure of a part of I-95. The situation has also led to a shelter-in-place order for parts of nearby communities.

The situation began when a Massachusetts State Police trooper spotted two vehicles in the breakdown lane with their hazard lights activated on I-95 north at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday and stopped to offer assistance, according to MSP Superintendent Col. Christopher Mason.

Mason said the trooper observed the group of eight to 10 men trying to refuel a vehicle and saw they were wearing tactical-style gear. They were armed with a combination of rifles and pistols.

The trooper asked the men for identification and firearms licenses and when the men said they did not have them available, the trooper called for backup, according to Mason.

A group calling themselves "Moorish American Arms" posted a video on Instagram overnight showing armed members blocking the highway.

"At some point during this interaction, a number of those individuals alight into the woodline with their firearms. A perimeter was quickly established," Mason said.

"No threats were made, but these men should be considered armed and dangerous. We are asking residents in these areas to lock their doors and remain inside their homes. A heavy police presence will be in this area as well," the Wakefield Police Department wrote in a statement.

The interstate was closed in both directions between Lynnfield and Stoneham because of the standoff.

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"They are refusing to comply with orders to provide their information and put down their weapons," said Massachusetts State Police spokesperson David Procopio.

Two people were seen being taken into custody on North Avenue during a live report on sister station WCVB at approximately 6:10 a.m. Reporter Josh Brogadir said the men, who were wearing fatigues, were walking near a staging area.

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"While we were standing in that area, we saw some officers start to run. They came over here and they took these two guys into custody," Brogadir reported.

Procopio later confirmed the arrests and said the situation was continuing with the remaining members of the group.

At about 10:30 a.m., about nine hours after the incident began, Procopio confirmed that the remaining seven suspects had been taken into custody by the MSP Special Tactical Operations Team.

Procopio said state police would conduct sweeps of both the group's vehicles and the nearby wooded areas.

In Massachusetts, Interstate 95 runs from the Rhode Island line, around Boston to the New Hampshire line. Wakefield is just east of where Interstate 95 and 93 meet north of Boston.

Authorities say people in some areas nearby were being advised to shelter in place during the incident. Police in other areas advised residents to use caution and avoid areas of town near Interstate 95.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A driver operating a salt truck late Thursday night drove at two Reading police officers while they were executing a traffic stop before leading officers from multiple agencies on a chase, the Reading Police Department said Friday.

According to a news release, two officers were in the process of taking a suspect into custody after a traffic stop near the intersection of Reading Road and Sunnybrook Drive when they observed 36-year-old Omar Armstrong accelerating a city of Cincinnati salt truck in their direction.

Terry Helmer (WCPO)

"The officers had to jump back to avoid being struck by the truck," the release indicates, adding that the officers estimated the vehicle was traveling in excess of 60 miles per hour as it passed.

As one of the Reading officers completed the initial traffic stop, the other pursued the salt truck. Armstrong refused to stop, officers said, leading them on a chase up Interstate 75 on to Ronald Reagan Highway.

Springfield Township police eventually joined the pursuit, as well, as Armstrong returned to the site of the original traffic stop, spraying salt on the officer again, the release stated.

Springfield Township officers finally succeeded in stopping Armstrong, where he was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted vehicular assault, failure to comply, and reckless operation, among other charges.

Armstrong's attorney said Friday in court that he did not see the police vehicle's flashing lights behind him as officers were pursuing him. She also said he has worked at the city of Cincinnati for five years.

A judge held Armstrong on a $9,000 bond and set a grand jury date for Feb. 8.