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Slide Notes
As I learned in my research this week, "Reading is probably the most difficult task we ask the young brain to undertake” (Sousa, 2011, p. 81).
With that being true for ELLs, as well as non-ELLs, how can we provide authentic opportunities for reading in the classroom, but also make reading enjoyable and engaging for students instead of causing them anxiety, frustration or boredom?
With that being true for ELLs, as well as non-ELLs, how can we provide authentic opportunities for reading in the classroom, but also make reading enjoyable and engaging for students instead of causing them anxiety, frustration or boredom?
ELLs and Technology: Let's Read Engaging Books!
Published on Jan 26, 2019
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ELLs and Technology: Let's Read Engaging Books!
Angelica Chambers - Concordia University - January 2019
As I learned in my research this week, "Reading is probably the most difficult task we ask the young brain to undertake” (Sousa, 2011, p. 81).
With that being true for ELLs, as well as non-ELLs, how can we provide authentic opportunities for reading in the classroom, but also make reading enjoyable and engaging for students instead of causing them anxiety, frustration or boredom?
With that being true for ELLs, as well as non-ELLs, how can we provide authentic opportunities for reading in the classroom, but also make reading enjoyable and engaging for students instead of causing them anxiety, frustration or boredom?
Photo by Susan Yin
What is FVR?
Fostering Independent Reading in the Classroom
One way to engage student's in reading is through FVR.
What is FVR?
FVR stands for free voluntary reading, which can be a powerful tool for engaging students in reading. FVR encourages silent, self-selected reading of enjoyable books written at the students’ independent levels (Herrell & Jordan, 2016). In my classroom, I call this time DEAR time. DEAR is an acronym for “Drop Everything And Read”. During this portion of my literacy block, students are asked to read books independently at their own reading levels.
What is FVR?
FVR stands for free voluntary reading, which can be a powerful tool for engaging students in reading. FVR encourages silent, self-selected reading of enjoyable books written at the students’ independent levels (Herrell & Jordan, 2016). In my classroom, I call this time DEAR time. DEAR is an acronym for “Drop Everything And Read”. During this portion of my literacy block, students are asked to read books independently at their own reading levels.
How to incorporate FVR?
- Teachers need to identify the independent reading levels of students (Herrell & Jordan, 2016).
- Teachers need to provide students with access to books at their independent levels (Herrell & Jordan, 2016)
How to Incorporate FVR?
In my classroom, I incorporate FVR by:
- Completing Fountas & Pinnell Running Records quarterly to identify student's independent reading levels.
- Providing a book box for self-selected books from my classroom library or our Title 1 library at student's independent reading levels.
- Creating online book boxes with digital reading materials at student's independent reading levels through Benchmark Universe.
In my classroom, I incorporate FVR by:
- Completing Fountas & Pinnell Running Records quarterly to identify student's independent reading levels.
- Providing a book box for self-selected books from my classroom library or our Title 1 library at student's independent reading levels.
- Creating online book boxes with digital reading materials at student's independent reading levels through Benchmark Universe.
Photo by Sharon Drummond
The Challenge of FVR
- A student's reading progress in English can be correlated to number of books they have access to reading (Herrell & Jordan, 2016).
The Challenge of FVR
In order for FVR to support vocabulary development in English as well as support reading comprehension, spelling, grammar and writing for ELLs, they need to have access to a large volume of books (Herrell & Jordan, 2016), but this can be a challenge.
At my school we are lucky to have my classroom library, our Title 1 library and the Benchmark Universe online library, but what other resources do educators have to provide students with enough engaging reading materials?
In order for FVR to support vocabulary development in English as well as support reading comprehension, spelling, grammar and writing for ELLs, they need to have access to a large volume of books (Herrell & Jordan, 2016), but this can be a challenge.
At my school we are lucky to have my classroom library, our Title 1 library and the Benchmark Universe online library, but what other resources do educators have to provide students with enough engaging reading materials?
Photo by Sharon Drummond
Epic!
One helpful resource I found to increase FVR in my classroom is "Epic!".
"Epic!" is an online resource with thousands of digital reading materials for children.
Many of the books are highly engaging for students with current, interesting content including texts that can be read to them and audio books. There are even books in Spanish and bilingual books for my ELLs.
Plus, it's user friendly for teachers and set-up only takes 4 easy steps!
"Epic!" is an online resource with thousands of digital reading materials for children.
Many of the books are highly engaging for students with current, interesting content including texts that can be read to them and audio books. There are even books in Spanish and bilingual books for my ELLs.
Plus, it's user friendly for teachers and set-up only takes 4 easy steps!
Sign up!
Step 1 - Sign up!
Create an free account as an educator by clicking the "Sign Up for Free" button.
It will ask you for your title, first and last name, educator role, grade level, school name and address. It's drop down bars make sign-up super user friendly and a breeze!
Create an free account as an educator by clicking the "Sign Up for Free" button.
It will ask you for your title, first and last name, educator role, grade level, school name and address. It's drop down bars make sign-up super user friendly and a breeze!
Create a Profile!
Step 2 - Create a Profile
Once you've signed up, you'll create a profile for your classroom.
Then follow the steps to become a "Certified Epic! Teacher". It's basically a tutorial to familiarize yourself with the content of the website, and very quick and easy. You'll be ready to introduce it to your students in no time!
Once you've signed up, you'll create a profile for your classroom.
Then follow the steps to become a "Certified Epic! Teacher". It's basically a tutorial to familiarize yourself with the content of the website, and very quick and easy. You'll be ready to introduce it to your students in no time!
Adding students is quick!
Step 3 - Add students is quick!
You can choose to add students
in bulk or one at a time. If you already use Google Classroom, like I do with my 4th graders, Epic! makes is super easy to import your class roster with one click of a button.
Once you've added students to your roster, you can also create groups to help you organize content for students or student rosters for multiple school years. It's up to you!
You can choose to add students
in bulk or one at a time. If you already use Google Classroom, like I do with my 4th graders, Epic! makes is super easy to import your class roster with one click of a button.
Once you've added students to your roster, you can also create groups to help you organize content for students or student rosters for multiple school years. It's up to you!
Easy access for students!
Step 4 - Easy access for students!
Now all you do is direct your students to the website!
I chose to post the website as a link in an announcement in my Google Classroom, for a one-click way to direct students to the website. I also included the class code in the announcement on Google Classroom, and once your students log-in Epic! will save their class code for next time!
And you're students are all set to explore the many books on Epic!
Now all you do is direct your students to the website!
I chose to post the website as a link in an announcement in my Google Classroom, for a one-click way to direct students to the website. I also included the class code in the announcement on Google Classroom, and once your students log-in Epic! will save their class code for next time!
And you're students are all set to explore the many books on Epic!
Spanish & Bilingual Books
Why use Epic! to engage ELLs in reading?
Now that you know how to use Epic! to increase the volume of books your ELLs have access to in English, let's also look at the benefits of using Epic! to support literacy development for your ELLs.
Why use Epic! to engage ELLs in reading?
- ELLs benefit from instruction and literacy support in their L1 (Sousa, 2011).
- Access to bilingual books can support vocabulary development and demonstrate the value of their home language (Herrell & Jordan, 2016).
- English and Spanish cognates can be used to support literacy developemnt for ELLs (Herrell & Jordan, 2016).
Epic! offers many books to support your ELLs using their native language as well as English.
They have access to Spanish written only books, bilingual books written in English and Spanish, books that can be read aloud to them and audio books read aloud in Spanish, which research shows can strengthen their native language literacy as well as support their English language acquisition.
They have access to Spanish written only books, bilingual books written in English and Spanish, books that can be read aloud to them and audio books read aloud in Spanish, which research shows can strengthen their native language literacy as well as support their English language acquisition.
Photo by Sharon Drummond
Let's get reading!
In conclusion, Epic! can support and engage students in the practice of FVR for individual students, but it can also support better engagement and motivation for reading for the entire classroom.
Herrell and Jordan suggest, "Arrange for celebrations as the class reads 100, 500, and 1,000 books. Focus on the number of books being read rather than the difficulty of the books chosen. The object is to get students reading more" (Herrell & Jordan, 2016, p. 217).
Epic! is an easy tool to track what students read, and the class can also earn badges with the help of the Epic! Readapillar to motivate year-long reading.
Herrell and Jordan suggest, "Arrange for celebrations as the class reads 100, 500, and 1,000 books. Focus on the number of books being read rather than the difficulty of the books chosen. The object is to get students reading more" (Herrell & Jordan, 2016, p. 217).
Epic! is an easy tool to track what students read, and the class can also earn badges with the help of the Epic! Readapillar to motivate year-long reading.
References
- Creations Inc. (n.d.). Epic! Retrieved from http://www.getepic.com/
- Herrell, A. L., & Jordan, M. (2016). 50 strategies for teaching English language learners. Pearson.
- Sousa, D. (2011). How the ELL brain learns. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
