Web Sources

Different website sources

Samantha McGrath

                After reading about the two website sources available for children, I was very impressed with one site and skeptical with the second. The first site provided was Storyline Online. This site has celebrities reading aloud to children. I don’t understand the difference between a celebrity reading and a teacher or a parent. I feel like a lot of the glamour that surrounds the site is specifically due to the fact that it is celebrities. Don’t get me wrong, there are perks to the site such as summaries and activities the kids can do but I was more impressed with the second web source. This source is called Between the Lions, another reading aloud site. But there are perks to this site that really stood out to me. Some of these perks include highlighted text, teaching the kids to read left to right, and they are able to fast forward, pause or rewind. By having this option they can make predication at the beginning of the book and check to see if they were correct. They can also clarify parts or vocabulary that confuses them or ask questions where they are confused. I love the idea of websites that read aloud to the children in general. Being able to copy the modeled examples will greatly benefit any child. Because the source is online, the children will be able to practice anytime and anywhere. There are no ends to the possibilities.

                I was also intrigued by the interactive storybooks. Having the students that are beginning their journey in reading use these types of books would greatly benefit them. I liked these storybooks because they provide animations, graphics, sounds, motion and color. All of these things would catch the eye of any child. The students will think they are playing a game instead of reading a book. As they grow, they will slowly waiver from the pictures and use the skills they have developed overtime and become successful readers.