The Language Magazine – Todd Brekhus
“Making literacy more personal to kids, especially to second-language learners, begins with providing learners with their own personal libraries. It’s hard to think about literacy without a library of great content and great books. So, when a student is able to have his or her own personal library — especially one that’s digital, with an array of books at their fingertips for fast access — that’s a strong and positive beginning. Students are able to open up and read books they’re interested in, books at their level. Digital books now have the capability for authentic audio recording, so the students can hear how a word sounds as they are reading. Research shows that having access to a personalized library of content that’s matched to and fit for individual students is paramount. Second to that is the opportunity students have to connect with the books they read, and thus the skills of reading, in new and innovative ways. There must be different tools and resources available to students as they are reading a book to help them with comprehension or to take more ownership of their learning by having the ability to check their own reading growth. For example, having access to digital books allows for short quizzes and exercises at the end of a book to help students make more immediate and direct connection to what they are reading and learning.”(more)