DIGITAL READERS: THE NEXT CHAPTER IN E-BOOK READING AND RESPONSE Kindle Nook iPad

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS Digital Readers – also known as E-book readers A digital reading device - can store hundreds of books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs Built-in Dictionary Internal search capabilities Customizable settings Ability to write internal notes while reading

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS Recent studies suggest may support comprehension and strength both aesthetic and efferent reader response More interaction and response to digital formats A “new and unique medium” (Fasimpaur, 2004, p12) Children often read more having access to e-books

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS Individualized formats for students  Font size  Font style  Text to Speech functions  Built in dictionaries to look-up unknown words  Note taking within the text Can help children with special needs  ELL, visually impaired, struggling readers

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS This article was a study conducted at a Midwestern school in a 2 nd grade classroom 2 students were chosen that were of special needs  7 year old Caucasian girl – good but not very fast reader  8 year old Asian girl – ESL, reading on 5 th grade level Findings suggest using digital reading devices with 2 nd grade students promotes new literacies practices and extends connections from readers and text

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS The digital note tool offered insights into the reader’s meaning-making process as text unfolds Served as a conduit to ongoing response writing The note tool helped with the following  Understanding of the story  Personal meaning making – text to self connections, character identification  Questioning – desire for more information, lack of understanding  Answering of questions in the text  Response to text – literary evaluation Provided a unique glimpse into the mind of individual reader

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS Previous studies – using laptop or desktop computers  The physical environment, context, and even reading position greatly affects the overall reading experience of those involved (Larson, 2007)  Reader often expressed physical discomfort or miss the feel of a real book Digital readers can be taken anywhere just like a book  Small size  Easily portable

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS Implications for the Classroom  New opportunities  Extended possibilities for individual engagement  Expanded interpretation of the text  Ability to decode unfamiliar text  Built-in dictionary  Ability to take notes during reading to gain new insight into how a student understands the text

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS Have the potential to unveil an array of new teaching and learning possibilities as traditional and new literacy skills are integrated The lack of research published on digital readers hinders efforts made by educators and administrators who wish to integrate digital texts into current curricula or school libraries More than a portable device with incredible storage Shows promise

DIGITAL READERS – E-BOOKS

Larson, Lotta (2010). Digital readers: the next chapter in e-book reading and response. The Reading Teacher, 64(1),