Young children today are gaining access to a dizzying array of apps, games, and videos. With all of this digital media at their fingertips, two urgent questions have emerged in preschools and elementary schools: Could technology interfere with the way children learn to read? Or could it help? While questions continue to arise about the challenges…

This article highlights considerations for teachers when selecting and using e-books and e-book applications (apps) with beginning readers during guided and independent reading. A framework for examining e-books and e-book apps is suggested, and several apps and related digital features are described. The article also includes an overview of…

Current education standards in the U.S. require school students to read and understand complex texts from different subject areas (e.g., social studies). However, such texts usually contain figurative language, complex phrases and sentences, as well as unfamiliar discourse relations. This may present an obstacle to students whose native language…

As portable devices become increasingly available in elementary classrooms teachers are expected to use these new technologies to engage students in both traditional print-based literacy learning and digital literacies practices, such as multimodal composing. Teachers face the daunting task of integrating apps into their current research-based…

For over two decades, the field of children's literature has been incorporating more digital technologies into publication of and access to texts. From early computer and CD-ROM adaptations of print picturebooks to the extensive visual and aural interactivity of the newest literature apps, what and how children read has changed significantly in…

Occupational therapists have a long standing history of working side by side teachers to enhance the writing skills of children. More recently, therapists are now promoting literacy and sharing their expertise with fellow professionals. This review will highlight research and resources occupational therapists can utilize to facilitate the literacy…

There is a wide range in the educational qualities and overall quality of interactive storybook apps for tablet computers (ebooks). Minimally, ebooks for young children present illustrations on a screen, accompanied by an oral reading of the text. Today's ebooks can also include animation, zooming in and out, musical scores, sound effects,…

Beginning with a brief rationale for selecting quality digital picture book apps for beginning readers, the authors describe the elements of digital picture books and provide a brief review of the instructional benefits of digital picture book use for beginning readers. They then present a detailed taxonomy for selecting quality picture book apps.…

This article, intended to inform educators on how to use iPad apps for literacy development for young children with developmental disabilities, briefly reviews the literature on iPad apps for literacy development, examines key apps for literacy development for children with developmental disabilities, and discusses how to incorporate iPad apps…

Describes a French project entitled "Lecticiel," jointly undertaken by specialists in reading, computer programing, and second language instruction to integrate these disciplines and provide assistance for students learning to read French as a foreign language. (MSE)

An educator reviews IBM's newest entry into the educational market--a program that promises to teach kindergartners and first graders reading through writing. The program consists of four separate activities through which students are cycled. Brief descriptions of these activities and list of hardware needed are also provided. (JN)

Discusses advantages of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in a community college writing/reading curriculum. Using word processing software, students write reports, themes, and essays on the microcomputer. Other software is used for learning vocabulary, grammar, reading rate and comprehension. Includes problems to avoid to ensure success in CAI…

It is noted that although two approaches to second language instruction--the communicative approach emphasizing genuine language use and computer assisted instruction--have come together in the form of some lower level reading instruction materials for English as a second language (ESL), advanced level ESL reading materials using computer…

Educational computing projects profiled focus on computer programing, computer literacy, an electronic bulletin board for math/science research, computer managed instruction for reading, word processing throughout the curriculum, parental participation in computer literacy, and an electronic interstate school newspaper. A list of sources for…

With funds from the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, Project SYNERGY was launched in January 1990 to address the problem of students deficient in basic skills entering colleges. Project SYNERGY I focused on reviewing and compiling a list of useful instructional software for basic skills remediation; Project SYNERGY II focused on…