Abstract
The teachers provided the students’ learning with care, attention, and knowledge primarily needed by the students to engage in learning. In the contemporary world of learning, the strategies utilized by most teachers have shifted from the traditional ways to the student-centered learning in the principle that the students who are good readers are classified as good thinkers because they used the new technology in the application of the constant reading practices. The reading technological methods enhanced the reading abilities of the children at the elementary level, such as the library websites, EBooks, media using educational readings, and AR programs. Despite the difficulties encountered in adapting new technologies in reading, the influence of reading for elementary students has developed the youths to become goal-oriented and prepared for their future. Today, the deeply embedded technological tools helped every child to enhance their reading skills and other learning. Teachers are also the substantial tools to guide and encourage the students to excel in the academic reading using the technological tools. Both the power of technology and the literacy strategies can maintain and sustain the integrity of the reading achievements beneficial to the learners.
Keywords: Influence of reading, Reading comprehension, Goal setting, Future career, New technologies, Accelerated readers,
Introduction
A learning environment is a place where students engage their capacity to see, listen, speak, and perform. It is the role of the teachers to provide care, attention, and knowledge of the primary needs of the students and for the students to engage in learning. Teachers have the unique ability to respond to the students appropriately and competently. The strategies and tools utilized in the classroom have its focus on the development of knowledge and skills of the students. The new technology is a tool used in the classroom; it can help the teachers impart the relevance of the lessons, especially in reading. Teachers always make sure that in every step of every strategy they provide to the students has achieved the full understanding on the part of the learners. It is a challenge to the teachers on how to integrate the new technology in reading as learning strategies are changing because the new technology promotes student-centered strategies for the students. Today, the way teachers impart the lessons are shifting from the traditional way to utilizing the student-centered learning and most teachers have the belief that those students who are good readers are categorized as good thinkers given the chance to use the technology and constant reading practices. The performance activities in reading offer every student the benefits, especially at the elementary level to express their own styles through technology. The most common technologies used by the students with the help of their teachers are the library websites, EBooks, and media using educational readings. It implies that there is a relationship between the use of information technology and the learning in the school framework. The reading ability of the students is enhanced through online exposures and accessed on the different websites on the internet. It demonstrates that the influence of reading using the new technology affects the learning outcomes of the students. Particularly, in the United States, the reading teachers from different districts formed a professional learning community known as PLCs; it creates significant lessons for the struggling readers, especially in the third through fifth graders toward the students’ improvement in reading. The formed community is a mechanism to deal with the necessities of the students with reading proficiency. Despite the struggles of the students in terms of reading, the teachers are optimistic that reading is always a message getting and problem-solving activities. These activities include the skills with its broadest range that need an explicit teaching and rehearsing with the support of the teachers and the independent practices. Even though some students encounter difficulties in adapting new technologies, the influence of reading using the tools emphasize its significance for the students to excel academically because it greatly enhances their motivation to learn more, it has powerful effects that change the students' reading capacity, positively, and it encourages them to connect their ideas to their academic reading.
Literature Review
Technology Education of Today
The influence of reading for elementary students through new technologies can result in a relevant emphasis on excellence and a good motivation to learn more and to equip themselves for their future. At the core of the efforts of every reading teacher, the focus is to reform the school education with the commitment of a teacher to use the new technology in the classroom setting. Lee emphasizes that the persistent trend in the implementation of the information and communication technology is a student-centered classroom strategy. It relates to the contemporary ideas regarding teaching and learning the tools to improve the reading abilities of the students. Similarly, Wolverton claims that most of the elementary teachers commented that many elementary struggling readers do not have enough practice in reading nonfiction literature. In addition, the positive experiences of the students in reading encourage the students to continue their learning. The teachers’ initiatives to better engage their students in practicing in reading beyond what is provided in the traditional classroom learning or reading opportunities. In this event, the new technology of today can positively enhance the reading skills of the elementary students to prepare them for the future. It is great to see the young students receive reinforcements every day and the reading teachers are one of the assets to help the students improve their reading level.
Accelerated Readers
During the elementary level, the students who used the popular reading program are the learners who can be identified whether they have improved their reading skill through their reading habits. As defined and described by the Renaissance Learning website, an Accelerated Reader program or AR is a computerized, personalized practice, and progress monitoring tool; it provides valid and reliable feedback on comprehension of the books or other materials used by the students in reading. In the same way, in the United States, the Accelerated Reader Program or AR has been adopted by many schools as a supplementary or primary reading program.
Pavonetti, Brimmer, and Cipielewski states that the existence of AR started in1986 and today, the program is the most popular reading management software worldwide with supplementary materials; (1) the computerized reading diagnostic tests; (2) over 50 thousand primarily literal-level quizzes; (3) computer-based record keeping systems for both students and teachers; and (4) STAR Reading Program, a computerized,multiple choice, literacy skills objectives testing system.
According to the AR’s philosophy, in using the system the students are well-motivated to read books better and constantly. As a result, through a constant reading habit, and since reading is a fundamental skill of most students, other academic subjects will improve in combination with reading skills. With this reason, the successful readers appreciate reading, the rate of struggling readers decreases, and the overall achievement and attitude towards reading develop. Thus, AR gets students very excited about reading appropriate books and those on-readers suddenly become avid readers after they experience success with AR program. The AR program builds lifelong readers and learners.
In AR, there are two ways to categorize the feedback; (1) for the students it is motivational; (2) for the teachers, the information is utilized to thoroughly and carefully monitor and guide every student’s independent reading practice. The AR includes a close monitoring of the students’ progress and guiding them the appropriate books needed in their learning and at their level. When it is necessary, the teachers can intervene with the students through some relevant instructions. Evidently, Long and Bonds-Raacke emphasize that the guided independent reading practice can accelerate the reading growth for all students regardless of ability . Thus, the AR is accepted by institutions; as a result, the students earn their points for showing their comprehensions on books they read. Similarly, McCauley and Friend present that in Crellin Elementary, a rural school located in Western Maryland, the school faces different literacy needs with a large percentage of struggling readers. In particular, the school incorporates the fundamental principles in a modified context regarding the Read and Comprehend Everyday or RACE as part of the AR; it is modeled after Marie Clay’s Reading Recovery. With the well-crafted lessons in a one-on-one tutoring session, the students are demonstrating accelerated progress in learning the literacy skills designed for first graders. It is necessary to develop the literacy skills early in the school career of the children. Specifically, the RACE targets the low-achieving first graders using the various practices in developing effective strategies for reading, and assists the students to become independent readers and the students can build individual strengths.
On the other hand, Melton, Smothers, Anderson, Fulton, Replogle and Thomas argue that the addition of the accelerated reader program to the existing reading program has no significant increase in the reading achievement growth of the participating students compared to those who have not participated in the AR program. Overall, it indicates that after a closely monitored longitudinal study the AR program has a long range effect on the reading achievement of the students and their success. It implies that the AR program has a great impact on the reading achievement of the students affecting other subjects and attitudes toward reading before and after the program. Kerns argues about the claim of Pavonetti, Brimmer, and Cipielewski that with AR program it builds lifelong readers and learners. Accordingly, “many students ceased reading after they were off on the program,” and “no program will cure the society’s lack of true commitment to literacy,” and the overall bias against AR and teachers . However, as a member of the Renaissance Learning, the author is still committed that AR is a valuable tool for reading when used correctly and thoughtfully. In this event, the authors of the article entitled “Accelerated Reader: What are the lasting effects on the reading habits of middle school students exposed to Accelerated Reader in elementary grades” responded and emphasized that the study is not biased on the part of the AR program and to the teachers. Correspondingly, the study strongly expresses the need to have teachers in the classroom who are knowledgeable about the students, their reading needs, and motivations, especially the books needed to meet the needs of the students. With the help of the well-trained and motivated teachers and the AR program, everything is possible for the benefit of the students. Another dispute from Tardrew that the study conducted by Pavonetti, Brimmer, and Cipielewski are biased against the AR program and the teachers stating that “many teachers and librarians used the program because it is heavily marketed and advertised” . However, the article explains that the teachers and librarians used the program for a simple reason, it really works and many researchers agreed with the teachers and librarians that the AR program with the Renaissance Learning is a useful program. When the AR program is used correctly, all students, regardless of different backgrounds and level of abilities become better readers.
Technology Changes Education
The new technologies have the powerful effects that would change the students' reading capacity in positive ways. Most of the reading researchers devoted their attention to the nature of the texts of instruction intended for the beginning readers. In this event, the main question arises as what level of difficulty and what type of book best suits for beginner readers. Regardless of the knowledge of the levels and types of books, initially, Donovan, Smolkin and Lomax state that the exploration of book choices of the children, though not a new area of study in the field of reading remains significant to seek out the optimal experience for the beginning readers. In particular, the children’s interest, motivation, and engagements on reading achievement are determined through processes. In addition, the time spent and the reading achievements are the critical factors in considering the learning impact with the difficulty of the text relative to the student’s ability. On the other hand, based on the findings, the children who read books at their independent level have not gained much in reading achievement, especially the students’ first experience with an e-textbook. In this event, another question arises whether the students become better readers simply by reading easy library books.
Consistently, Donovan, Smolkin, and Lomax confirm that the study supports the power of interest, motivation, and engagement on the ability of the children in order to go beyond the frustration level if it occurs. In addition, it suggests that the consideration of the texts and experiences provided to the children is necessary to ensure all students will get the advantages most from the time allocated for reading books. The two books for the beginners are the Beginner-oriented and the Aesthetic texts, respectively. The Beginner-oriented books are written specifically for beginning reading instruction with consideration of vocabulary, sentence length, and other factors to control the difficulty of the text. The Aesthetic texts are created solely for enjoyment without the constraints of controlling readability, and with least complex content. Similarly, Zimmerman states that for readers to be successful, they must possess a strong sense of print awareness, phonological and letter-sound knowledge, and an ability to notice and use information sources in the text and pronounce, and understand words. All these can be learned with the help of the knowledgeable teachers who are always ready to assist the students. Evidently, learning to read is hard for many students, especially for the struggling ones to stay motivated in the moment of difficulty. Correspondingly, students need a vivid and compelling vision of themselves learning and such an image provides a sense of possibility. As students, to imagine themselves successfully reading, they are more possibly to believe they can achieve it and the envisioning allows children to imagine reading in ways that exceed their current level. Thus, the integration of drawing helps the children discover what they know and how they know it. Consequently, the students believe that they are more likely to work hard at reading books and to enjoy the process. Thus, drawing provides the opportunities for struggling readers to organize and communicate their literacy knowledge. In the same way, the more complex work, at least accessible, can develop the students’ reading achievement in terms of accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.
Library Website
Among the ways to developing struggling readers’ ability to read is to expose them in recreational readings. In the United States, there is a decline in the recreational reading among students at the elementary level. Reuter states that “it is crucial to encouraging children to engage with books, and to indicate the outcome that it would increase their ability in reading”. It indicates that reading for pleasure turns down, especially for young adults and children. Many literacy researchers theorize that poor literacy achievement and low motivation might stem from an inability to select the right book, and the book selection strategies are a part of successful literacy development. For example, a first-grade teacher reported that the students said that choosing the books is the hardest part of learning to read. The Library and Information Science or LIS has addressed major empirical studies such as (1) selection of books for pleasure reading (2) information seeking and retrieval in academic and professional settings, and (3) examined the children’s book selection for recreational reading. Similarly, in Hongkong, the online integrated learning environment or ILE caters the individual learning differences used by teachers in the primary schools. It reveals that a positive change in both the perception and pedagogy of the students. In addition, the results indicate that various activities led to an enhanced ability to engage in independent learning as the school heads and teachers are prepared to change the systemic structures to support the use of the ILE. In addition, the teachers developed coping strategies that led to ICTenriched learning, provision of extended learning opportunities and development of study units for online delivery. Evidently, it suggests that the adoption of the ILE has allowed the teachers to give fresh attention to the necessity to engage students, to respond to them properly and efficiently and to ensure that at every step of the way the students fully understand the work they are doing and at an appropriate level.
Reading Changes Students
The moment the students start to learn by words and ideas they more likely explore deeply, especially with their reading skills. Reading absolutely changes and enhances the ability of the students with the help of the teachers in the classroom setting. In addition, the interesting new technologies encourage the students to connect the things they are most interested with as they encounter in their academic reading and its effects can be powerful. In reading, the new generations of students incorporate different digital tools that tend to mediate or inform the learning process or in their daily school activities. According to Wolsey, Smetana and Grisham that the digital tools used by the students help them construct the meaning of the challenging things they encounter in their reading activities. The researchers suggest that the utilization of digital tools can mediate learning and activities such as online and paper-based tests, discussion, visual representations, and reading. Also, it guides the students to thoroughly understand the terms relevant to their reading activities in school. In the same way, Lenz emphasizes the use of reciprocal teaching and collaborative strategic reading considered as comprehension strategies that allow students to guide their own discussions as they follow the specific roles. Using the strategies, the students are ready to utilize the rules to help them comprehend better of the text materials after they received adequate instructions and models to perform it. The only role of the teacher is to evaluate the cooperative efforts of the students, checks their understanding, and creates some teaching points, and sets standards fort he quality of the reading skills.
The school library is one of the requisites of the infrastructure on every school that serves many purposes. In Japan, the school library Act legislates that the school library must contribute to developing and implementing the school’s curriculum and for the character development of the students. Recently, the reforms highlighted the school library usage; the role of the school library has expanded its basic facilities in the first national curriculum. It implies that the national curriculum has implemented the instructional resources, reading, and learning centers for information literacy. Through the physical elements, the students experience the changes in terms of their reading abilities and habits. Thus, the school library is deeply embedded in contemporary education. On the other hand, using the latest technologies as tools in reading, the proper guidance of the teachers is necessary to encourage the students to relate and apply their ideas to their academic reading. The web-based children portals help generate understanding among the students and teachers regarding the information visualizations needed in the reading activities. In Czech, as soon as a child learns to pronounce one letter after another correctly, he or she can read almost any word and any text. It implies that the particular school in Czech, reading speed is the best individual indicator of reading development. Matejcek defines early readers as those who have learned to read before 4 years old of age. Specifically, the study informs the readers that the spelling in Czech is almost a model of grapheme–phoneme consistency and it makes reading in Czech reasonably easy. In particular, when the child learns the letters of the alphabet and manages to interpret and pronounce correctly one letter after another, he can correctly read almost any word. It is clear to state that reading changes the students’ ability in reading positively.
In the case of e-Book reading, the e-textbook makes learning easier and help the students better understand what appears in the print text. Most educators share the same goals to witness how the students become independent learners and can inquire, understand, and analyze ideas using the new technologies in reading. In order to achieve the goals, the learning must be an active, significant, thoughtful, and self-directed process. In the classroom, textbooks serve as primary learning tools and rich sources of content information, but some students. Dobler emphasizes that at times, the students struggle with textbook reading, due to the difficult readability, challenging vocabulary, and the concept overload of many textbooks. Moreover, the struggles are caused by lack of motivation or the inexperience with comprehension strategies useful in creating meaning from dense expository texts. Thus, the print’s digital counterpart, the e-textbooks provide an alternative that promotes active, self- regulated learning and by giving learners a variety of ways and formats for accessing information. In addition, the e-textbooks support the learners’ difficulties because the features are supported by the enlarged font size, text-to-speech capabilities, and video clips or podcasts to present information in alternative ways and promote learning in ways previously not possible within a print text. Vasinda and McLeod affirms that repeated reading is a way to improve both fluency and comprehension. The authentic purpose for this type of reading (a powerful and purposeful match with podcasting) is a challenging way; however, it offers a repeated practice to become a fluent reader, especially for the struggling readers. The powerful technology and literacy strategy match, and it maintains the integrity of the literacy strategy and it creates something that was not there without the technology. The developments in the technological tools in reading such as E-Books or e-Readers help young individuals in their reading achievements. It implies that it is significant to maintain the elements of the literacy strategy, fluency, and comprehension. The technology highlights the strategic strengths while adding a new dimension that creates positive changes in the learning environment.
Conclusion
While some students encounter difficulties in adapting new technologies, the influence of reading for elementary students has changed them positively and became goal-oriented youths in preparation for their future career. The focus of the reading teachers is the quality reformation of the school education with the commitment to utilize the new technology in the reading activities in the classroom. It is the initiative of the teachers to better engage the students to constantly practice reading beyond the given traditional classroom learning or reading materials. The latest technology, enhanced the reading skills of the students, especially at the elementary level in preparation for their future. In using the new technology in reading, the students are well-motivated to read books better and regularly. Through a regular reading habit, most students improved their reading skills and other subjects as well. Particularly, the AR program builds enduring readers and learners with the assistance of the well-skilled and motivated teachers. Most of the reading researchers devoted their attention to the nature of the instruction intended for the beginning readers in accordance with the children’s interest, motivation, and engagements on reading achievements. Many literacy researchers theorized that poor literacy achievement and low motivation started from the inability to select the right books or the book selection strategies are not well established as part of successful literacy development. Indeed, reading changed and enhanced the ability of the students with the help of the teachers. The new technologies of today encouraged the students to connect the things they are most interested in their academic reading. One of the deeply embedded technological tools is the online school library in the contemporary world of reading and learning. Together with the right guidance of the teachers to encourage the students to relate and apply their ideas to their academic reading using e-textbooks, and other digital tools. The power of technology has matched the literacy strategies that helped in maintaining the integrity of the reading achievements that creates success for the benefit of the learners.
Reference
D'Ardenne, C., Barnes, D. G., Hightower, E. S., Lamason, P. R., Mason, M., Patterson, P. C., et
al. (2013). PLCs in Action: Innovative Teaching for Struggling Grade 3-5 Readers. Reading Teacher, 67 (2), 143-151. doi:10.1002/TRTR.1180.
Dobler, E. (2015). e-Textbooks. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58 (6), 482-491.
doi:10.1002/jaal.391.
Donovan, C. A., Smolkin, L. B., & Lomax, R. G. (2000). Beyond The Independent-Level Text:
Considering The Reader–Text Match In First Graders' Self-Selections During Recreational Reading. Reading Psychology, 21 (4), 309-333.
Hultgren, F., & Limberg, L. (2003). A study of research on children's information behaviour in a
Kerns, G. M. (2003). Accelerated Reader: Lasting effects. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy, 47 (1), 5-6.
Kim, S. (2011). School Libraries as Old but New Supports for Education in Japan: A Review of
Japan's National Curriculum for Elementary Schools. Libri: International Journal Of Libraries & Information Services, 61 (2), 143-153. doi:10.1515/libr.2011.012.
Large, A., Nesset, V., Tabatabaei, N., & Beheshti, J. (2008). Bonded Design Revisited:
Involving Children in Information Visualization Design. Canadian Journal Of Information & Library Sciences, 32 (3/4), 107-139.
Lee, K. (2006). Online learning in primary schools: designing for school culture change.
Educational Media International, 43 (2), 91-106. doi:10.1080/09523980500237807.
Lenz, C. (2014). Can We Talk? A Model for Active Reading Comprehension Using Technology.
Long, T., & Bonds-Raacke, J. M. (2012). Accelerated Reader: The Relation To Age Of Entry
Into Formal Educatio. Reading Improvement, 49 (4), 168-182.
Matejcek, Z. (1997). Early Readers in Czech. Dyslexia (10769242), 3 (1), 48-54.
McCauley, D., & Friend, S. (2003). RACE: Accelerating Progress in the Acquistion of
LiteracySkills. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 22 (2), 36-39.
Melton, C. M., Smothers, B. C., Anderson, E., Fulton, R., Replogle, W. H., & Thomas, L.
(2004). A Study Of The Effects Of The Accelerated Reader Program On Fifth Grade Students' Reading Achievement Growth. Reading Improvement, 41 (1), 18-23.
Pavonetti, L. M., Brimmer, K. M., & Cipielewski, J. F. (2002). Accelerated Reader: What are the
lasting effects on the reading habits of middle school students exposed to Accelerated Reader in elementary grades? Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46 (4), 300.
Reuter, K. (2007). Assessing aesthetic relevance: Children's book selection in a digital library.
Tardrew, S. (2003). Accelerated Reader: Lasting effects. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
, 47`1, 4.
Vasinda, S., & McLeod, J. (2011). Extending Readers Theatre: A Powerful and Purposeful
Match With Podcasting. Reading Teacher, 64 (7), 486-497. doi:10.1598/RT.64.7.2.
Wen, J., Chuang, M. K., & Kuo, S. (2012). The learning effectiveness of integrating e-books into
elementary school science and technology classes. Journal Of Humanities & Arts Computing: A Journal Of Digital Humanities, 6 (1/2), 224-235. doi:10.3366/ijh.2012.0051.
Wolsey, T. D., Smetana, L., & Grisham, D. L. (2015). Vocabulary Plus Technology. Reading
Wolverton, L. L. (2006). Linking Developmental College Reading Students with Elementary
Zimmerman, B. S. (2012). Drawings and Dialogue: Word Solving in Early Literacy. Reading
