Using Technology for Reading Development

Using Technology for Reading Development
By Shelley B. Wepner and Lucinda C. Ray

Rationale for Using Technology to Enhance Literacy

The students have a high degree of involvement in and support for their emerging literacy skills and reading pleasure. Technology also serves as a means for improving students’ performance. Actually, many researchers had already found about those two facts.

Types of Technology for Reading Development

As a suggestion, this book offers three types of technology that can be involve in reading development. They are:
• Electronic books
• Learning adventure
• Types of technology for reading development reading comprehension and assessment software

Electronic Books (E-books)

Students can have the book read aloud, have the text and graphics animated with sound and voices, and receive help to enhance comprehension and recall. E-books usually focus on narrative text for emerging and developing readers, and expository text for developing and independent readers in grades 3 and beyond. E-books can be used for recreational reading, thematic units, author studies, and topical studies with instructional frameworks

Learning Adventures (LA)

LAs are designed to challenge students to explore and think about different environments and events. LAs are particularly useful for independent readers because
LAs offer the opportunity for having collaborative activities

Reading Comprehension and Assessment Software

It is used to develop the students’ comprehension skills through the existing reading program. Students actively participate in the story development while focusing on reading as a problem-solving activity. The purpose of this type is to help students increase their comprehension, make better use of context when reading, appreciate author style, build vocabulary, and improve spelling.

Evaluating Reading Software for Your Instructional Needs

When the educators want to use technology, there are two considerations. They are:
• To use or not to use
• Passing the software test


Additional Information

Teacher or educator can use technology in the teaching and learning process. Even, web sites can be used as teacher resources. Another one is instructional plans. This one can be divided into:
a. for emerging readers
example: learning adventure with animal


b. for developing readers
example : - thematic plans on differences
- study of literary genre : fable
- author study : Marc Brown

c. for independent readers
example: - theme units on slavery
- theme unit on survival