Children's Ebooks in the Classroom
I downloaded and read the following five books:
For ages 3-6:
-Everybody Gets Angry
-Jaden Toussaint the Greatest, Episode 1: The Quest for Screentime
For ages 6-8:
-The Light Princess
-Witch School
-Sunny Under the Sea
I like the ease of use and transportation, and the fact that they are space efficient and don't need to be shared. I think the colors and brightness of the illustrations go a long way in engaging and developing a sense of imagination and fun while reading. One potential pitfall with ebooks is that they tend to be less consistently edited and formatted, which could cause small but stubborn problems for impressionable readers. Another slight drawback I foresee is the lack of tactile relationship between reader and book that can enhance the experience of reading for children. Touching a book, turning pages, carrying it home - these are intangible actions that augment a love of reading. A book on a desk is a reminder to read, and an invitation into a story.
The interactive features available in the books I explored included coloring in illustrations, scientific facts, and supplemental educational illustrations. These extra features appear after the story, so did not detract from the text. They are helpful in presenting a multi-dimensional world around the simple act of telling a story, and I expect they help with information retention.
I think digital reading in the classroom could improve success of quiet reading time, as children seem more able focus on screens than books for long periods of time. I imagine students using them alongside notebooks, with the understanding that after reading time they will be expected to write a brief summary of what they read. This might prevent kids from re-reading the same book over and over, as it would be difficult for a teacher to monitor tablet activity from a distance.
For ages 3-6:
-Everybody Gets Angry
-Jaden Toussaint the Greatest, Episode 1: The Quest for Screentime
For ages 6-8:
-The Light Princess
-Witch School
-Sunny Under the Sea
I like the ease of use and transportation, and the fact that they are space efficient and don't need to be shared. I think the colors and brightness of the illustrations go a long way in engaging and developing a sense of imagination and fun while reading. One potential pitfall with ebooks is that they tend to be less consistently edited and formatted, which could cause small but stubborn problems for impressionable readers. Another slight drawback I foresee is the lack of tactile relationship between reader and book that can enhance the experience of reading for children. Touching a book, turning pages, carrying it home - these are intangible actions that augment a love of reading. A book on a desk is a reminder to read, and an invitation into a story.
The interactive features available in the books I explored included coloring in illustrations, scientific facts, and supplemental educational illustrations. These extra features appear after the story, so did not detract from the text. They are helpful in presenting a multi-dimensional world around the simple act of telling a story, and I expect they help with information retention.
I think digital reading in the classroom could improve success of quiet reading time, as children seem more able focus on screens than books for long periods of time. I imagine students using them alongside notebooks, with the understanding that after reading time they will be expected to write a brief summary of what they read. This might prevent kids from re-reading the same book over and over, as it would be difficult for a teacher to monitor tablet activity from a distance.
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