ETL533 – Literature in Digital Environments – Assessment 2: PART A
Review 1 – Early Stage 1 and Stage 1: Dr. Seuss Deluxe Books app
The more that you read,
The more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
The more places you’ll go. (Dr. Seuss, 1978).
We all know and love Dr. Seuss’ books, and it is easy to become captivated by the verse, rhyming, rhythm, simple illustrations, and imaginative, recurring characters that have made a universal impact over many generations since the 1920s. The original Dr. Seuss books have been reproduced in a multitude of formats including paper, digital, films, television shows, stage productions, and mobile apps.
For Early Stage One and Stage One I chose to look at apps for iPads, these are the device of choice in Kindergarten to Year 2 classrooms in my school setting. According to Dr. Goodwin (2012) in her study of iPad use in the classroom, there is emerging evidence of iPads being educational tools to support learning via the apps available, though research in this area is failing to keep pace with new technologies. Goodwin (2012, p. 11) also suggests that explicit criteria for app selection be developed to critically analyse their relevance.
I began my search on Google and came across the Oceanhouse Media website. They are a publisher of more than 650 apps for mobile, tablet, and computers. Their Dr. Seuss app was most appealing and linked with the current Dr. Suess borrowing trends in our school library. Their two main Dr. Seuss apps for iPhones, and iPads, offer unique features and can be compared HERE. Dr. Seuss Deluxe Books app was the most suitable for my setting.
The app is free to download and offers one free enhanced digital book, Yertle the Turtle, with 16 others available. Each additional book is $5.99, with a recommended grade range of Kindergarten to Year 3. Finding the app through the website provided an opportunity for FREE teacher access to all 17 books via a promotional code. This code is one-time-use, obtained by using the online registration form and a school email address. As promised, the digital books were now available for me to download for free. A substantial saving of AUS$95.84 (as separate purchases), or at a cost of AUS$62.99 for the Read and Play bundle 40, or AUS$57.99 for the Read and Play 37 bundle. This allowed for a more thorough analysis of the app.
The app features an animated version of each book, the characters move simply but do not detract from the text. The settings (image 1.1) allow the reader or parent/teacher to set parameters for different reading modes and other features.
Let’s talk settings…
The reading modes:
- Read to me – text is highlighted as each word is narrated (image 1.2). The reader taps an arrow to advance to the next page.
- Read it myself – reader taps each word and is read aloud. After tapping each word a review arrow button appears for a text reread. The dynamic text layout could make reading words left to right challenging for emerging readers.
- Auto play – plays the whole story automatically, with each read word highlighted. Play is continuous unless the stop button is held for 5 seconds. This feature was difficult to execute on an iPhone. When autoplay is stopped reading mode reverts to ‘read to me’. A good mode for nonreaders or emerging readers who would benefit from seeing text direction. The reader cannot go back to a previous page and cannot access the activities in this mode.
Other features:
- Activities – It is unclear how to access the activities and took trial and error in the ‘read to me’ mode. Touching images on the page reveals a hidden star image that floats to the bottom right corner and can then be tapped to open the activity (image 1.3). Searching for the activity was a way to engage the reader, though could be a distraction, and locating the correct part of the image was occasionally difficult. Instructions for the activity are announced and repeated if idle. Activities are suitable for the intended grade and may include “spelling, sorting, rhyming, phonics, puzzles, memory, word search, sequence, and more” (Oceanhouse Media, 2022).
- Picture words – allows the reader to tap any picture and have a word pop out, narrated, and then disappear. A feature that helps to identify items on the page (image 1.4).
- Music and Sound – When this feature is left on, it is distracting and the narration is not as clear.
Overall, this app is engaging and can be shared on multiple devices. Parents who download the app can track their child’s progress. The digital books can be viewed on the home page in a variety of ways, including A to Z, favourites, and grades. For this app to play an integral role we need to ensure that nostalgia isn’t getting in the way of knowing an app is appropriate (Yokata & Teale, 2014). Maintaining the aim of this app is not to teach reading, but to access reading in an interactive and engaging way. Undoubtedly this app is fun and entertaining, but in addition could also support student learning at home and in the classroom (Goodwin, 2012, p. 16).
Resources
Goodwin, K. (2012). Use of tablet technology in the classroom: Phase 1 iPad trial. NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre (CLIC). https://www.cirta.org/images/doc_archive/cirta_nouvelles/iPad_Evaluation_Sydney_Region.pdf
Oceanhouse Media. (2021). Dr. Seuss Deluxe Books. (Version 1.0.7) [mobile app].
Oceanhouse Media. (2021). Dr. Seuss app features. https://edu.oceanhousemedia.com/dr-seuss-treasury-and-dr-seuss-deluxe-book-app-comparison/
Seuss, Dr. (1978). I can read with my eyes shut! Random House.
Yokota, J., & Teale, W. (2014). Picture books and the digital world. The Reading Teacher, 67(8), 577-585. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1262
