Reading Wonders + iPad

Our district uses Reading Wonders and can I just tell you how much I LOVE READING WONDERS? One of the best parts (other than kids learning more in kindergarten than I ever knew was possible) is that the online stuff is AWESOME!!  I almost exclusively use the digital materials (big surprise, right) because I find it much easier for me to keep organized. (meaning, I can't lose it like I lose everything else). I also love being able to pass the iPad around and let kids whenever possible.

Here's how I do it. I go to Safari and go to the Wonders website on your iPad. (For LPS people, the link is here). BEFORE YOU ENTER YOUR NAME AND PASSWORD, click on the little square box at the bottom that has the up arrow sticking out of it. You now see a bunch of options of how you can share that. Click on "Add to Home Screen" at the bottom. This essentially bookmarks this page and gives it a little icon on your iPad screen. You can now use it and pretend it's an app when really it's just using the regular Wonders website. It's not an app, but it plays one on tv. :-) Now enter your user name and password (same as your docushare login and password) and continue as usual. One thing I do need to say though is that it is slightly sluggish. You have to get used there being just a tiny bit of lag time. If you get an impatient kid they'll start rapid fire touching stuff and your safari will crash and you'll have to start over. Just teach them to be patient and it's amazing how quickly they learn. I only have one kiddo that still can't seem to figure that out. That's not bad!

As you read the books you can only see one page at a time. If you have an awesome book where the picture stretches across both pages you either need to use the non-mobile site (your laptop) or your old fashioned, hard copy big book! You'll also need to turn your iPad portrait to see the entire page. The rest of the site is done easily in landscape but for some reason all of the books must be in portrait for them to be fully visible. Click the speaker button and let the iPad read to you. Give the kids the iPad and let them pass it and click the button while you ask for predictions, clarification, model rereading, monitor behavior, etc.

The vocabulary is always the first thing that we do each day. I have the kids do this completely independently. I introduce the words on Monday and let the assistant hold the iPad and click through when I tell them, but I'm doing the teaching. Tuesday - Friday I have the assistant stand up front and project the vocabulary words. They say, "What's the word" and all children respond. Then the assistant asks, "What does it means" and the children raise their hand to share the definition. I am always engaged during this time because it would be easy for a kid to say the wrong definition because there's no real check on this. The recording just reads a sentence with the word in it. Oftentimes kindergartners won't question it if it doesn't make sense or not.

The high frequency words (or HFW for lazy typers like me) are fun. As you pull up the cards with the lines for practicing writing you can actually click on the pencil and write with your finger. The kids LOVE leading this one. I did get a stylus so kids can write with a "pencil" but to hold an iPad on your lap and try to write with a stylus without touching the screen somewhere else and screwing it up is pretty hard for a kindergartner. I just found that using their finger is easier. As the child writes on the iPad I have the other kids use their "magic finger" in the air and trace what he/she is writing on the iPad since they can watch it. We really focus on correct production of letters so if a kid is starting at the bottom, they get called out. They also know that we learn a lot from our mistakes so they can click the eraser button, erase and give it another go.

I'm sure there will be more stuff eventually, but for now this is a good start. I love letting kids take over while I step back and act as more of a facilitator.

As always, if you have any specific questions or suggestions for future posts, email me at mrs.mosier@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!

What apps should I use?

What apps should I get?

I get this question a lot. To be honest, I DON'T KNOW! It all depends on the skill you're working on and your own personal taste. I follow Smart Apps for Kids on facebook. Every day it pops up on my news feed I go through and decide if any of the featured free (or cheaper) apps could apply to my classroom. Then I do a few things...

1- download the app
2- play with the app for about 5 minutes just to get a general feel
3- decide if this is currently relevant in my classroom
   YES - download it and keep in on my iPad. Place in a folder of other apps for that skill
    No - delete it off of my iPad

If I delete the app off of my iPad I still own the app. I could go in to my "purchased" list in the app store at any time and download it to my iPad. Once you download it, YOU OWN IT! :-) There's no way I could have all of my apps on one iPad all at once. I only have the apps on there that are currently relevant to my class. At the beginning of the year it's letters and sounds. At the end of the year it's words and grammar.

If you keep the app on your iPad you have to decide if it's something you want to introduce or just let kids discover it. Apps with a popular character (Elmo, any PBS character) will get explored. You don't need to introduce those unless you feel like you want to show them something specific. If it's not eye-catchy to them I make sure to introduce it. I show them the new app, how to use it, and explain how it helps them learn to read. My rule is that every app on my iPad is a learning app. If it doesn't teach you how to read (or do math, or science, etc.) then you can't play it in my room. (Sorry, Plants vs. Zombies!)

The best thing about kids is that they are not intimidated by technology. If you hand then an iPad full of apps that you have found to be useful, they'll get right to work. It's amazing how children will self differentiate. Those who need letter help will play the letter games. Those who can handle the harder apps about different types of nouns will play those games! There are ways to lock the iPad into one specific app, and although I thought I'd use that feature quite a bit, I DON'T! (and I never have) I know it's there so I can use it in the future if I need to, but for now I'm golden.

Here's my "expert tip" for the day: DESIGNATE AN EXPERT. During guided reading I don't have the time to help kids with the iPad if they need it. Guided reading time is very protected in my room. The rule is: If I'm teaching kids to read at my table, you may not talk to me. Find a friend or wait until that group is over. Because I won't speak to them I designate an expert. You'll always have at least one friend who is just good at troubleshooting or is willing to play around to figure things out. Name that kid your expert early on in the year. Now, if anyone has a question they know to talk to the expert. If the expert can't figure it out then you step in. It doesn't hurt to name a couple of experts in case one is gone, but this has cut down on simple volume questions and the occasional frozen iPod. Plus, who doesn't want to be known as "the expert?"

One thing I will say is this: When downloading games, try to stay either gender neutral or gender equal. There are so many games that seem to be geared towards one gender or the other. I'm not a huge fan of that, but I understand that some kids really play into the gimmicks. Be mindful that if you have a lot of pink apps that it may not be a bad idea to find a few complimentary apps that are a little more neutral, or even a bit more geared towards boys. It's crazy how a 5 year old can get stuck on those sorts of things.

If there's something specific you want to know about please email me at: mrs.mosier@gmail.com

Future blog posts: Organizing your apps, projecting from your iPad, instructional apps