Students can read down-loaded books any-where at any time. Digital books can meet the technology needs of our students while still giving the rich experience of reading (Larson, 2010). Many digital books are now interactive and have embedded features that make them
more accessible for different levels of read-
ers. Using e-readers gives students a
literacy experience that better matches
their daily lives because of the inter-
active qualities of the device (Larson,
2012). Korat and Shamir (2012)
found that being able to click on
select words allowed preschool and
kindergarten children to learn the
meaning of words and recognize these
words even before reading instruction
began. The interaction between the e-
book and the student advanced reading skills in both word reading and word meaning because of the multimodal presentation of visual, audio, and print support. This led to an increase in reading comprehension for those students who used an e-book. For a little more sophisticated interactions, older students can highlight and add personal notes or questions while they are reading, which bookmarks their spot for later (Mirand, Johnson, & Williams, 2012). Features such as text-to-speech tools can be used by those with reading disabilities to help aid comprehension (Weber & Cavanaugh, 2006). Additionally, the use of text-to-speech and electronic dictionaries within the text can help ELL students with unknown vocabulary within the context of a story. Additional e-book tools can include changeable font size, Internet access, and search features. These features make text more accessible to a diverse population of readers.
There are several convenient and simple ways to make e-books available on these devices. Scholastic Publishing Company has started selling their traditional book-order books through their Storia app, which allows parents to have a choice when ordering. Parents can purchase an e-book online through the teacher's account and then download it to the Storia app on their own device. Teachers can also use their book club points to buy digital books. Google Books has many literary classics, such as Great Exectations by Charles Dickens and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll available for free download. Google Play allows users to purchase books and read them on their computer or download them to their personal device. These devices allow constant access to books that travel easily.
"Using e-readers gives students a literacy experience that better matches their daily lives."
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