Q: My daughter and friends can't seem to read anything longer than a tweet. Unless books are assigned, they never read. They skim texts so fast that they miss the meaning, resulting in LOL situations! I read that the Internet is changing teens' brains, making them more distractible. Is there anything to this?

A: Don't believe everything you read, especially if it's about the Internet!

Researchers are digging into your good question. Many educators -- whether in kindergartens or in ivory towers -- share your concern. Tufts University cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf worries that the superficial way we read most of the time "is affecting us when we have to read with more in-depth processing."

Wolf, author of "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain" (Harper Perennial, 2008), reports that many of her colleagues say that today's students find it difficult to work their way through literature classics.

But University of Virginia psychology professor Daniel Willingham isn't so sure that's news. Commenting on the "slow-reading movement," he reminds readers at realcleareducation.com that he and his college classmates had trouble grasping Faulkner and Joyce in the '80s. Everything he has read on this topic is "short on data and long on individuals' impressions."

He writes: "The truth is, probably, that the brain is simply not adaptable enough for such a radical change."

Reading researcher Michael Milone says, "There is no data to support the underlying contention that there is a cognitive change in the processing abilities of people who do a lot of Internet or other screen reading. One can read long-form text on any screen."

What educators and parents are observing he says, "is a change in behavior in some people, especially young readers. Whether or not this causes a change in cognition remains to be seen."

Your worry that young people don't want to read is an old and appropriate observation, says Milone. "It's been a recurring theme since Aristotle's time. The older generation typically looks down upon the younger generation, especially when technology changes. Aristotle was not nuts about the latest technology (writing), and many people during the Renaissance objected to mass-produced books because they would be wasted on common people."

For all we know, says Milone, "there may be an evolutionary advantage to skimming, rather than deep reading. Only time will tell. There may be no good reason why most people should spend time reading novels or informational text that does not have direct bearing on their day-to-day existence."

For most people, 140 characters might be all they need to communicate and learn, says Milone.

"There will always be outliers who prefer the Greek Homer to Homer Simpson, and they'll be the people who clone mammoths, find dark matter and translate Etruscan," he says. "I'm OK with that. I have no idea how coming generations will read deeply to evaluate big ideas or use the lessons of history.

"Given the way that technology is doing so many things that humans previously had to do themselves, it might not be a problem."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: After an awful winter, our family is planning a summer trip. No theme parks! We'd like to visit museums, natural areas and historic sites. What's the best way to research a trip with educational stops that will hold the attention of boys, ages 8 and 11, and a girl, 12?

A: Start early, plan smart and let the kids do much of the research, says Eric Hamilton, assistant director of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education and Technology at New York's American Museum of Natural History.

Hamilton offers families these tips:

-- Zero in on kids' interests. "That's rule No. 1. When kids choose the places to visit, they arrive excited to learn more because they own the decision," says Hamilton.

Get them to list their current passions. Are they into space? Technology? Art? Music? Wildlife? Using those as a guide, make a list of possibilities culled from sources such as travel magazines and guides such as Fodor's, Frommer's and Lonely Planet.

For museums, go to the American Alliance of Museums' website and click "Find a museum" (aam-us.org). The site covers everything from air and space, aquariums and art to natural history, planetariums and zoological parks.

Check the Association of Science-Technology Centers (astc.org) and the Association of Children's Museums (childrensmuseums.org). Find a list of sites and itineraries under the "Travel" heading on the website of the National Register of Historic Places (cr.nps.gov/nr).

Explore options at the National Park Service (npca.org) and National Conservation Lands (blm.gov/NLCS) for historic monuments, wilderness and conservation areas, scenic rivers and historic trails.

-- Settle on a geographic region. Don't spread yourselves too thin. "Too often, parents try to shoehorn in too many places across too many miles. Kids lose focus and everyone gets cranky," says Hamilton. Check local hotel and visitor's bureau sites for nearby attractions.

-- Refine your list: Print out descriptions for family discussion. Does everyone agree that the destination is worth the family's time and money?

-- Create a well-paced schedule. "Include variety and time to recharge batteries," says Jamie Stuve, president of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum in Florida (jupiterlighthouse.org). For example, says Stuve, "if you're visiting northern Palm Beach, climb our spectacular lighthouse in the morning and kayak on the Loxahatchee River in the afternoon. The next morning, take in the South Florida Science Center (sfsciencecenter.org). After lunch, visit the Juno Beach Loggerhead Marinelife Center (marinelife.org)."

-- Double-check logistics: As your trip approaches, confirm hours of operation, locations, parking, pricing, driving distances, traffic patterns and so on. Check to see if special demonstrations or programs have been added.

-- Lock in some learning before you leave. In a trip notebook, make a short list of three things your children want to see and do at each of your stops. "Build interest by talking about specific things they will see and do," says Hamilton.

-- Remember, this isn't school. No quizzes, warns Hamilton. "It's the conversations parents have back at home that really help kids remember what they learned. Talk often about what they liked, what they thought and what questions they still have. Most important, enjoy the memories! Recall the highlights often!"

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: Our daughter is a rising senior, looking at colleges. She's an A student and top athlete who can probably get a soccer scholarship. We'd rather she focus on her studies and not have obligations to a team. She'd be the first in our family to graduate from college. Are there good, affordable four-year schools?

A: "The fact that your daughter is an A student while playing on her high school's soccer team is commendable," says Kevin McMullin, founder of Collegewise, which provides admissions counseling to prospective college students, and co-author of "If the U Fits: Expert Advice on Finding the Right College and Getting Accepted" (Random House/The Princeton Review, 2014). "These credentials will serve her well, not only with regard to her prospects for admission but also her chances for getting financial aid."

McMullin also says admissions officers will value the fact that your daughter may be the first in your family to attend and potentially graduate from college.

Don't be scared by the sticker price, McMullin tells parents and students: "Financial aid offices have power to offer more generous aid packages to students that the admissions office would most like to enroll. If a school really wants a student, it also can offer a merit-aid scholarship that has nothing to do with financial need."

Start by listing colleges where your daughter has a particularly strong chance of admission based on her test scores and application stats, suggests McMullin. Her guidance counselor should be able to help compile it. Look for prospects in "The Best Value Colleges, 2014 Edition" (Random House/The Princeton Review, 2014).

Next, identify schools where her aid chances are strong. The Princeton Review publishes Financial Aid Ratings (FAR) for more than 600 schools. "These numerical scores from 60 to 99 are based on more than 30 factors, covering data on cost of attendance, generosity with aid and academics," says McMullin. "Sometimes it costs less to attend a pricey college than a less expensive one due to the generous scholarships and grants many schools dole out that don't have to be paid back." For example, Princeton and Yale made the Review's 2014 Financial Aid Rating Honor Roll with perfect FAR scores (www.princetonreview.com).

A critically important part of the applications process is submitting applications for financial aid. The primary one is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); FAFSA forms for your daughter's applications will be released in January 2015.

"This is a complex form with more than 100 questions. It is used by colleges to get a financial snapshot of the family resources to determine the family's 'EFC,' or estimated financial contribution," says McMullin. "That means what the colleges expect you to ante up."

Each calculates EFC differently, so your daughter's aid eligibility could be higher at one college and lower at another based on which aid form the colleges use.

McMullin encourages your daughter to apply to a financial safety school that you could afford if she receives no financial aid.

"Good prospects are public universities in your state," he says.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)