Is Technology Transforming Reading?

Tue 24 March, 2015

Technology is changing reading. There is no doubt that this statement is true. According to the Guardian, printed book sales have fallen by £150 million pounds since 2009. This figure is largely due to people switching their reading habits and buying e-readers. This is a huge transition for grown up readers, but is this change making its way to the way in which children learn to read?

Largely, schools still favour paper books. Most have a well-stocked library and collections in classrooms, but as funding is squeezed this will be difficult to maintain. However there are new digital alternatives, which schools could start to use:


INTERACTIVE BOOKS

There are a few companies creating interactive books for tablet devices, but few are as good as Nosy Crow. Their latest book, a twist on the Snow White story, features beautiful illustrations, easy to read text and stimulating interactions. It allows children to engage with the book on different levels, from simply listening to a story, to reading along with the text.

Each iOS book costs £3.99 or £1.99 if your purchase in bulk (20 or more) through the Apple VPP store. You can read more about the book and watch a sample video here: Snow White by Nosy Crow


DIGITAL READING BOOKS

One of the most popular reading book series in primary schools is the Oxford Reading Tree... The first six levels and phonics collection have been turned into digital books which feature the original text and pictures, complemented by sounds and the option to hear words spoken out loud. The phonics books also feature short tasks, which the children can complete to improve their understanding. This video highlights the key features.

The complete series costs £21.99 ea. (qty. 1-19) or £10.99 ea. (qty. 20+) through the UK Apple VPP store.


E-READING APPS

Whatever tablet device your school owns, there is an Amazon Kindle app for it, which will allow you to read digital books. The advantage of this is that books can be bought in bulk and distributed to devices, so that all the children you need to see the book have their own copy. This saves on space and cost. Find out more on Amazon Education.

The app is free and the books vary in price dependent on lots of different factors.

For help with this or any other issue to do with mobile devices, then call Soft Egg. Soft Egg are an IT support provider who work exclusively with schools. As such, we are uniquely positioned to offer schools a wide range of IT services that are driven by and focused on learning. If you are interested either call 0845 094 8492 or email: getintouch@softegg.co.uk