Assignment 4: Digital Early Learning Resources

Leap Frog Scout & Friends: Phonics Farm DVD

Website: http://www.leapfrog.com/en/index.html

Description
Leap Frog's Scout & Friends: Phonics Farm DVD is an educational video with animated characters that introduce letters of the alphabet and the sounds that they make. Scout, the dog and his friends visit a farm with animals whose names use alliteration to teach viewers about letter sounds. 

Appropriateness
Scout & Friends: Phonics Farm is appropriate for children 2-5 years of age who are developing early reading skills, such as phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, and print awareness. Print motivation is also fostered through this DVD, as the format is fun, colorful, and inviting.

Ease of Use
The format of this DVD is easy for young children to follow, and also includes a bonus curriculum commentary for parents, which walks through the early literacy features included in the video. Other bonus features include sing-along videos, and a special featured storybook, A Surprise for Scout. 

Overall Evaluation
Scout & Friends: Phonics Farm provides exposure to early literacy based activities for young children in a way that makes them want to watch the DVD over and over, while also providing information for parents about the importance of each part of the DVD. The best feature of this DVD is that it is fun-- children will not necessarily even realize that they are learning.  

WordWorld 

Website: http://pbskids.org/wordworld/ 

Description
WordWorld is a television program for preschoolers which airs on PBS, and is partially funded by the United States Department of Education as part of the Ready to Learn literacy initiative. Viewers follow along with "Duck" and his friends through a world made up of words. Each of the animals' bodies are made up of the letters that spell their name (D-u-c-k, F-r-o-g, D-o-g, and others). The friends experience adventures and obstacles that are solved only through finding the right words. 

Appropriateness
The WordWorld program is geared toward children ages 3-5 who are ready to learn more about letters and the sounds they make. The characters are animated, and the activities presented focus on exposing children to literacy through a text-rich environment that is embedded in characters and in various settings. 

Ease of Use
WordWorld is produced in 11-minute episodes by the PBS Kids Sprout network, which began airing in 2007. Since that time, WordWorld has also begun publication in DVD format. Each episode centers around a word that is built throughout the show, calling attention to how real words are formed by individual letters and their sounds. Tips for how teachers and parents can use episodes are available through the WordWorld website.    

Overall Evaluation
WordWorld uses three-dimensional animation, colors, songs, and word-building activities to help children understand how words are formed. The incorporation of letters within the bodies of animals and features of the environment make this an innovative program built on print awareness. The short episodes hold the attention of young children through animated adventures that follow the same format each week. 

Cutie Monsters App 

Website: http://app.lk/CutieMonsters 

Description
Cutie Monsters Preschool is an application published by Little Phoenix Interactive, for use on iPhone, iPad, Android, and Kindle. young children learn about numbers 1-10 while interacting with several adorable mini monsters through puzzles and storybooks.

Appropriateness
This downloadable application can be easily navigated with minimal assistance by children ages 2-4 years of age. The interactive content is simple, colorful and fun for small children of the same age range. The Cutie Monsters application is available across a wide variety of platforms in a regular and "lite" version (with less features). 

Ease of Use
The Cutie Monsters app is easily downloaded onto various electronic devices through the Amazon Appstore, Google play, iTunes, and various wireless providers. Simple puzzles with 3-5 pieces are easy for children to complete with minimal or no assistance. Children can read along with the counting sections of the storybook by following along with the words as they are highlighted on each page.  

Overall Evaluation
This application provides a fun, interactive tool for children 2-4 years of age. The format is simple and easy to use. The characters are cute, and the narration of the storybook feature is warm and inviting. Exposure to text and numbers is presented in this application in such a way that young children will not realize that they are actually learning, but will want to play it because it is fun.

Hooked on Baby: Read, Rhyme & Play DVD 

Website: http://learntoread.hookedonphonics.com/in_the_home/reading-tips/baby 

Description
The Hooked on Baby: Read, Rhyme & Play DVD is intended to help "introduce infants and toddlers to the joy of reading" through animated nursery rhymes, fingerplays, and songs. Featured songs and fingerplays include "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "This Little Piggy".   

Appropriateness
This DVD is designed for use by infants and toddlers from 3-24 months of age. The combination of animated nursery rhymes, music, and fingerplays are fun and engaging for very young children. A parent guide is included with activities to extend on the content of the DVD. Modeling is also provided for parents in the songs and fingerplays section.

Ease of Use
This DVD provides content for young children and parents to share together. A menu is provided at the beginning of the DVD for easy navigation between each section. The parent guide is easy to follow, and ways that parents can use this DVD to interact with their children are modeled through video footage and provided suggestions.  

Overall Evaluation
This DVD provides interactive activities and entertaining animation of popular nursery rhymes which are appropriate for very young children. Music used to support the nursery rhymes and songs is lively and interesting for young children, as well. Motor development is addressed through the use of easy to follow hand and finger movements. Important parent information is included through the modeling of different components, and reading is presented in a fun way to encourage learning from the early months of life.

WePlaySmart Activity Table

Website: http://hatchearlylearning.com/technology/weplaysmart/ 

Description
275 interactive Smart technology games are loaded on this touchscreen computer-based activity table by Hatch Education Experts. Games included encourage peer collaboration to foster social-emotional skills. 

Appropriateness
Games include opportunities for developing math, literacy, social studies, and science skills for ages 3-6 years-old. The game can be viewed from all sides of the table for up to four children at once. Games are successfully mastered through cooperative play between players, which fosters collaborative play over parallel play. Tables are appropriate for use in library settings and classrooms where children are encouraged to interact with each other.

Ease of Use
The WePlaySmart activity table has a touchscreen, which makes interaction easy. Cognitive games are appropriate for children beginning at three years of age. Navigation to each game is simple with a home screen for choosing between games. Interaction between players enables children to help each other through the process of each game.

Overall Evaluation
The WePlaySmart table offers group activities that encourage cooperation between players. Smart technology paired with a touch screen make games easy for small hands to navigate. Through collaborative play, children learn to take turns, work together as a team, and solve problems together. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cutie Monsters Application (2013). Retrieved from http://app.lk/CutieMonsters.

Hooked on Baby: Read, Rhyme & Play (2006). Baltimore, MD: Educate Products.

Leap Frog: Scout & Friends: Phonics Farm (2011). Santa Monica, CA: Lions Gate Films, Inc.

WePlaySmart Table (2013). Retrieved from  http://hatchearlylearning.com/technology/weplaysmart/.

WordWorld (2007). Retrieved from http://pbskids.org/wordworld/.

  

18. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Bibliographic Citation:
Numeroff, Laura. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1997. 32p. ISBN 978-0064434096

Awards/Selection Lists:
California Young Reader Medal
Colorado Children's Book Award
Buckeye Children's Book Award
Nevada Young Readers' Award
Georgia Children's Book Award

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:
A boy shares a cookie with a mouse. The mouse asks for a glass of milk, which sets off a circular chain of events leading back to another cookie.

Personal Reaction:
This is a circular story which represents cause and effect relationships through the tale of a boy who gives a mouse a cookie, followed by a glass of milk, a straw, a napkin... all the way back around to another cookie. The author uses if/then statements to lead the reader through each step of the story. The format of the book encourages participation through a dialogic reading experience. The illustrations use soft colors and shading, almost like that of a coloring page, to support the text with details in the pictures on each page. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Sharing, cause and effect, circular story

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills:
The circular story invites the listener to become part of telling the story through guessing what the mouse will need next to go with each thing that the boy in the story provides. Trough the process, children learn to make connections between items in the story.

Phonological Awareness:
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The illustrations support the text on each page. Sentences are divided into sections on the page to correspond with matching illustrations, which work together to show that printed words have meaning.


Print Motivation:
The circular story invites children to become involved in guessing what will happen next. This fosters interest in the story, making this book an enjoyable experience that children will want to be involved in again.


Vocabulary:
Children are exposed to words that are related to the cause and effect relationship between items in the story. 

Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://lauranumeroff.com/ ; http://www.mousecookiebooks.com/
Illustrator website: http://www.mousecookiebooks.com/

17. Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Bibliographic Citation:
Walsh, Ellen Stoll. Mouse Paint. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1995. 32p. ISBN 978-0152560263

Awards/Selection Lists:
American Bookseller's Association Pick of the Lists
International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice
Parenting Reading Magic Award
Redbook Children's Picture Book Award

Format Examined:
Paperback 

Annotation:
Three white mice stumble across three jars of paint and discover how new colors are made through mixing the colors.

Personal Reaction:
Three white mice, who are hiding from a cat, find three jars of paint. The mice decide that the jars must be paint just for them, and decide to climb in. The white mice change colors after dipping their bodies into the jars of paint, one by one. The mice then decide to create puddles of colors on the white pages of the book. The puddles intrigue the three mice, who then decide to take turns dipping their feet into a puddle of a different color. When the mice try out the other puddles, they discover that new colors are created through mixing the colors together. The bright, bold colors on the white background, along with the matching white mice, draw young children into the story visually. Children learn about the concepts of colors and color-mixing in a fun, interactive way that combines the bold illustrations with simple yet intriguing text.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 2-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Colors, color-mixing

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Color mixing vocabulary is encouraged through simple text and illustrations.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is written in large black type under the illustrations on each page.

Print Motivation: 
The simple text, corresponding illustrations, and color concepts encourage children to revisit this book over and over.

Vocabulary:

Children learn color identification words through the text and illustrations on each page. 

Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website

16. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Bibliographic Citation:

Feiffer, Jules. Bark, George. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1999. 32p. ISBN 978-0062051851

Awards/Selection Lists:

• Florida Children’s Book Award
• Georgia Children’s Picture Storybook Award
• Arizona Young Readers’ Award
• Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (North Dakota)
• Keystone to Reading Book Award (Pennsylvania)
• Buckeye Children’s Book Award (Ohio)
• Maryland Children’s Book Award
• Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book
• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice
• Parents' Choice Silver Honor

Format Examined:

Hard cover

Annotation:

A dog's mother repeatedly tells him to bark, but each time he makes a different sound, including meowing, quacking, oinking, and mooing. George recovers his bark after visiting the vet.

Personal Reaction:

With its bright cartoon-like illustrations and humorous text, this is an enjoyable book for children and adults alike. Young children are tested on their knowledge of animal sounds as they are also encouraged to repeat the refrain, "Bark, George!". George makes the sounds of various animals, which are pulled out one by one by a vet. After the last animal is removed by the vet, George barks at long last. One last humorous problem arises when George and his mother walk home past people, and George says, "hello", rather than barking.   

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Humor, animal sounds, repetition, imagination

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills:
Children participate in the telling of this story through the repeated refrain, "Bark, George!", as well as through participation in the animal sounds and naming of animals throughout the story. The story also lends itself to a dialogic reading experience as the reader asks listeners what they think will happen and why George isn't able to bark.

Phonological Awareness:
Animal sounds are phonetically represented for each of the animals in the story.

Print Awareness:
The type representing the sound of each animal is displayed differently in order to draw attention to the words on each page.  

Print Motivation:
The humor used in the story, along with comic-style illustrations, animal sounds, and repetition of text make this an enjoyable book that easily holds the attention of children, and encourages interest in reading.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary represented in this book is connected to animal sounds and identification of animal types. The introduction of a vet (animal doctor) also encourages discussion of what a vet does.

Author/ Illustrator Website:

No current official website

15. My Bunny and Me by Lindsay Barrett George

Bibliographic Citation:

George, Lindsay Barrett. My Bunny and Me. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2001. 32p. ISBN 0-688-16074-3

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:

Hard cover

Annotation:

A boy draws a picture of a bunny and imagines all the things they could do together if the bunny were real. 

Personal Reaction:

The beautiful illustrations in this book bring the story of the imaginary bunny, and the boy who drew him, to life. The illustrations include realistic details and textures through dark lines. This sentimental story identifies with how many young children feel on days where they have no one to play with. At the end, when the boy thinks about what he would do if the bunny were actually real, he decides that he would probably let him him go. Instead, the boy puts the picture of the bunny in his back pocket and kicks the soccer ball around the yard with a smile on his face.    

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Loneliness, imagination, drawing, rabbits

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:

Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book

Narrative Skills:

The text of this book is simple, encouraging children to retell the story on their own.

Phonological Awareness:

Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:

The simple text is printed in large black text and white text, calling attention to the words on each page.

Print Motivation:

The beautiful illustrations support the text in a way that draws attention to the words on the page and encourages children to look at the book / read the book on their own. 

Vocabulary:

The text of the story introduces words that pertain to real rabbits, such as burrow, as well as other words that my be new for young children, such as reflection.

Author/ Illustrator Website:

http://www.lindsaybarrettgeorge.com/ 

LIB 262A Assignment 3: Early Literacy Tools

Get Ready to Read! 

http://www.getreadytoread.org/ 
Get Ready to Read! provides early literacy skill support for parents and educators of young children. The site offers free resources including screening tools, skill-building activities, early literacy games, webinars, literacy checklists, screening tools, tips, and printable activity cards. A free, printable "Transitioning to Kindergarten Toolkit" is available through the site, as well.     

Appropriateness
The resources provided through the GetReady to Read! site are primarily appropriate for use by parents and educators, as well as young children before they enter kindergarten. The materials are also appropriate for use by libraries providing school readiness and early literacy programs. Printable cards and checklists provide valuable resources for children preparing their children for kindergarten.   

Ease of Use
The Get Ready to Read! website is easy to navigate with two main menus listed along the top and upper right-hand side. Selections among the main menu include Screening Tools, Transitioning to Kindergarten Toolkit, Skill-Building Activities, Early Learning and Childhood Basics. The highlighted menu along the upper right-hand corner includes Early Literacy Games, Early Literacy Webinars, Literacy Checklists, and Tips for Parents. Literacy games are based on characters from PBS' Between the Lions, and are easy for children to interact with.

Overall Evaluation
Get Ready to Read! provides an abundance of resources for reading readiness. Printable resources are in line with Common Core Standards. Instructions and tips written in language that is easy to understand and activities are easy to execute.


Every Child Ready to Read
http://everychildreadytoread.org/ 
Every Child Ready to Read is a "parent education initiative" which was developed by the Public Library Association and the Association of Library Services to Children in response to research that showed that public libraries could have a greater impact on early literacy skill development of children through educating parents and caregivers on practices and principles of early literacy. The first edition of Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) was released in 2004, with an updated version released in 2011. 

Appropriateness
Every Child Ready to Read offers a kit for public youth librarians to use through outreach services to parents and caregivers of children birth-age five, with sub-sections for each age range. The curriculum includes handouts, slideshow presentations, program activity suggestions, and at-home activities for fostering early literacy skills. Kits are available for purchase by public libraries through the American Library Association/Association for Library Services to Children. The ECRR website offers information regarding research, methods, and the development of the ECRR curriculum. The original version was based on the six early literacy skills, which are familiar to youth librarians and literacy specialists: letter knowledge, print awareness, phonological awareness, print motivation, vocabulary, and narrative skills. The updated second edition is built on five early literacy practices that are worded in a more universal way to be understood by parents and caregivers without a background in literacy development: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing.

Ease of Use
The ECRR curriculum is not free of charge, but available for purchase through the American Library Association/Association for Library Services to Children. Video clips from included PowerPoint presentations are available through clicking a link on the website, as are ECRR logos. A quick link is also provided for ordering information on the homepage of the ECRR website. Materials included in purchased kits include a binder with all curriculum materials, reproducible handouts, and workshop talking points. A CD is also included with easy access to PowerPoint presentations and resources for workshops for staff, parents alone, and parents and children. The second edition of the curriculum is based on practices that are easily understood and put into practice for children and parents at home. 

Overall Evaluation
The ECRR curriculum is the cornerstone of public library early literacy programming. The second edition makes this tool more powerful through its simplicity, by empowering parents to take the skill practices and embed them into every day activities. 
    

Raising a Reader

http://www.raisingareader.org/

Raising a Reader (RAR) is an early literacy program for families and children 0-8 years of age. The program links with community partners, including schools, public libraries, and community agencies within 32 states across the nation. The goal of the program is to help families "build and sustain reading routines in their homes". Families of children who are at-risk for educational failure are targeted. 

Appropriateness

The Raising a Reader program is adaptable to meet the needs of children across diverse settings, including libraries, faith-based organizations, teen parenting programs, subsidized housing programs, migrant programs, after-school programs, and many others. The program is designed around children ages 0-8 years-old. The RAR program begins by "training the trainer", or parent, to develop skills for sharing reading at home. Age appropriate books are sent home each week in a bag for children to share with their families, and then returned the next week in exchange for new books. At the conclusion of the program, children and families are introduced to area libraries and given a bag to keep for library book borrowing.

Ease of Use
The RAR website provides information on the program, community partners, and ways for organizations to become involved. A map of participating locations is provided through the site, as well as a search form in order to find locations "near you". A link is also provided to "Start a Program". Through this link, information is included about the types of organizations that typically are involved. A detailed list of the procedures required to begin a program is also included, with links for each step: create a plan; develop a budget; and become and affiliate. A representative from the Raising a Reader program contacts the affiliate applicant to help with the process, and materials are purchased through the program.

Overall Evaluation
The Raising a Reader program is a flexible program that offers different types of organizations to reach families through a variety of settings, maximizing the potential of finding families where they are. The website is easy to navigate, and assistance is provided to walk a potential affiliate through each step of the process.

AWE Early Literacy Station

http://www.awelearning.com

The AWE (Advanced Workstations in Education) Early Literacy Station (ELS) is an "all-in-one" digital learning computer for children ages 2-8 years. The computer includes over 60 educational, interactive software programs with no internet connection necessary. Loaded content is supportive of the six early literacy skills (phonological awareness, print awareness, letter knowledge, print motivation, vocabulary, and narrative skills).  

Appropriateness
The ELS is appropriate for use in schools, day care centers, and libraries. The computer system comes in different sizes according to the appropriate to the age level of the child, and includes a small, child-sized mouse and colored-coded keyboard. Touch screens are also available and appropriate for very young children. Software pre-loaded on the ELS includes software based on well-known characters such as Bailey's Book House, Sesame Street, Reader Rabbit, and Diego. Bilingual games in Spanish and French are also available.   

Ease of Use
The ELS, with its child-sized mouse, color-coded keyboard, and touchscreen make it easy for small children to interact with independently or with minimal assistance. Funding sources are listed on the AWE website for organizations who might need assistance with purchasing the ELS. Webinars and online discussions of the product are also available through the site. The AWE Village provides an online community for ideas and assistance for those who are working with, or would like to work with the Early Literacy Stations.  
  

Overall Evaluation
The AWE Early Literacy Stations are a great tool for promoting interactive literacy activities for young children through print motivation. The ELS provides literacy development through a fun, colorful, and lively format. The machines can be costly for libraries and other early childhood education organizations, but financial assistance programs may be able to help offset the cost.

Reading Rockets

http://www.readingrockets.org/

Reading Rockets is a "national multimedia literacy initiative" which offers resources for helping young children learn to read. Activities that are based on early literacy research are offered through the Reading Rockets website for parents and educators of young children. Reading Rockets collaborates with PBS programming for young children, and also provides valuable information for teachers and parents.    

Appropriateness

Articles provided through the Reading Rockets website are suitable for use by parents, teachers, administrators, librarians, and others working with young children. Audio-visual content is also available, as well as bibliographies, and author interviews. A Literacy calendar is available, as well as a literacy glossary of terms, free reading guides, and a "LearningStore", where educators and parents can purchase early literacy materials. A "Just for Fun" section contains links to downloadable content, printable e-cards for beginning readers, and widgets for use on websites.

Ease of Use
The Reading Rockets website is visually inviting and easy to navigate. There is a tabbed menu across the top of the page, which is broken down into sections for parents, teachers, principals, librarians, and other professionals. There is also a tab for site access in Spanish. A side menu includes important information for using the site in the classroom, a section on children's books and authors, and sections for accessing specialized resources, newsletters, and blogs.

Overall Evaluation
The Reading Rockets website offers a wealth of useful information for helping children to read, and for helping children who struggle with reading. Through connecting to tested research strategies, the information and activities included are not only relevant, but proven. Free downloadable applications offer even more possible resources through digital devices. The website is easy to navigate and is applicable to anyone who works with young children learning to read. 

Bibliography

AWE Early Literacy Station. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.awelearning.com/en/markets/libraries/in-the-library/the-early-literacy-station/.  

Every child ready to read is a parent education initiative. (2011). Retrieved from http://everychildreadytoread.org/about. 

Get Ready to Read (2013). Retrieved from http://www.getreadytoread.org/.

Raising a Reader: Our story. (2012).Retrieved from http://www.raisingareader.org/site/PageNavigator/AboutUs/OurStory.html.

Reading Rockets. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/.