ReKINDLING The Fire: Using Kindles for Literacy in the Classroom

Faye Bormann and Kaye Lowe

Middle Years Journal, Volume No 18, October 2010


How is Technology Changing Literacy?
The National Capital Centre for Literacy Research (NCCLR) works with disengaged
and struggling readers enrolled in U-CAN READ to support them attain literacy
success and become motivated, engaged readers. U-CAN READ: Literacy
Intervention Years 3 10 is a joint project with the ACT Department of Education. It
is a collaborative parent education program that assists parents/carers to support
their children struggling with reading. The Centre is research based and is focused
on making use of technology to re-engage students in reading. Technology includes
Kindles, Ipads, computers, digital cameras and ipods. This paper outlines the
features of the Kindle and promotes its use in the classroom as a motivator for
literacy enhancement.
Students in classrooms today are living in a time where technology is increasing at a
rapid pace (Sternberg, Kaplan & Borck, 2007). The transformations in digital
technologies have forced teachers to rethink what literacy means (Kress, 2003).
Technology is now readily available to most adolescents in the form of mobile
phones, online computers, ipods and MP3 players, digital cameras, video recorders
and players (Sternberg, Kaplan & Borck, 2007).
Larson (2009a) notes the current discrepancy between the types of literacy practices
students engage in at home on a daily basis and those students engage in at school.
Larson (2009a) suggests expanding the types of text students are exposed to and
engaged with at school to bridge the gap between home and school. One way of
doing this is to turn our attention to electronic books or e-books (Larson, 2009a).
What is the Kindle?
The Kindle first became available in Australia in October 2009. It is a handheld
reading device, is 7mm thick and weighs 290gms. Two models are available: one
with a 6inch screen and one with a 9.7 display.
(Insert Photo - Matthew Kindle 1 or 2 or both)


Why the Kindle?
We have had digital text for a long time but for the first time we have access to a
device which is a dedicated mobile reading platform. The Kindle takes advantage of
the virtues of digital text in a simple hand held device. For readers there are several
features, which provide access to a wide range of reading material and increased
enjoyment. As Kindles have been a fairly recent phenomenon in the classroom very
little research has been done on their contribution to improved learning outcomes.
Features of the Kindle
Access and Flexibility
The Kindle opens up the world of books and reading material such as newspapers,
providing wireless access and downloads in sixty seconds. Once purchased (most
books cost between $9 - $15) the books can be shared across 6 devices. This could
be 6 Kindles or a combination of Kindles and computers. Australians currently have
access to approximately 360,000 titles through Amazon.com. Some of the classics
which are now out of print can be downloaded free from Amazon. According to well
known publishers, access to free books has renewed interest in such classics as
Treasure Island.

Audio books can also be downloaded to the Kindle using Audible.com. These can
be listened to using earphones plugged into the Kindle.
Readers have wireless access to Wikipedia which is the world's most up-to-date
encyclopaedia. The New Oxford American Dictionary can also be accessed. The
reader can place the cursor before an unknown word and the dictionary meaning will
appear at the bottom of the page. The search function on the Kindle allows readers
to search for words, phrases and character names in the book. There is also a note
taking capability to assist them in book studies/discussions. .
Text to Speech
Where the author permits the text to speech facility enables the reader to listen to
the text being read. The pages turn automatically, leaving the hands free. Male or
female voices can be chosen and the speed of reading can be adjusted according to
the reader's needs.

Readability
The Kindle has a paper like display with black ink which reads just like real paper
without the glare of a computer screen. It is easy to read in full sunlight. If the book
has illustrations these appear along with the text.

Seamless Reading
Page turning on the Kindle is designed to be effortless, becoming more of an
unconscious movement of the thumb to allow the reader to "disappear into the
story.

Changeable Font Size
Eight adjustable font sizes are available and the Kindle can be read in either
landscape or portrait view. A teacher of 7
th
grade in Senaca, US shared her
information through, an online discussion site, (Edukindle 2009). She states that her
students enjoyed using the Kindle. One reason was because they could change the
font size. They stated that they liked the largest font because it was clear, made
them less tired and helped them to read faster. Students generally preferred the
largest font size, which is 20 point.

Practical Ideas for the Classroom

Guided/Group Reading
Six Kindles in a classroom can provide an engaging way to work in small groups for
guided reading. Students can highlight particular words in the text using the
highlight function. Word meanings are instantly displayed at the bottom of the
screen once the cursor is placed before the word. For more in depth study this
meaning can be expanded out by an additional command. The note taking function
allows students to write and store their opinions or questions. When discussing
particular words students can type the word in the search feature and all the places
in the text where this word appears are listed. Bookmarking is useful if the student is
using the same Kindle each time. If not, they can record the number of the last
location read and easily return to their place in a subsequent session. Struggling
readers are often faced with the embarrassment of being seen to be reading "easy
books. With the Kindle they can read independently.
The text to speech helps the student gain the meaning of the text and become
immersed in the story. Headphones can be used for privacy.

Motivating Writers
Many students are keen to read but can be more reluctant when it comes to writing.
This can occur for many reasons; the most common being a fear of being unable to
spell words. The possibility of publishing on a Kindle can be enticing. Writing can
be published on a computer, illustrations scanned in and then saved onto the Kindle
as a PDF file.


Case Study
One eight year old boy had an advanced vocabulary for his age but was often not
motivated to write. The idea of becoming a writer and illustrator on the Kindle was
the motivator for him to write. He was a talented illustrator and began writing the
script for his story under his illustrations. Once the first page appeared on the Kindle
he was hooked.
Below are the first eight pages of one story that he wrote. When he completed
U.CAN READ, he said : am going to write another 30 pages!!

(Insert Oliver's Story)

Conclusion
Rosenblatt (1995) explains that each reader makes sense of a text through personal
meaning making and individual experience. The use of e-books provides new
opportunities and possibilities for engagement, personal interpretation and new
experiences (Hancock, 2008; Larson, 2009b). Literacy advisers for U-CAN-Read
find Kindles give reluctant readers choice, new reading experiences that motivate
them to engage with texts and consequently, contribute to their reading success.

Larson, L. C. (2009a). Digital literacies e-Reading and e-Responding: New tools for
the next generation of readers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(3), p. 255-
258.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1995). Literature as exploration (5
th
ed.). New York: Appleton-
Century-Crofts Modern Language Association.
Sternberg, B. J., Kaplan, K. A. & Borck, J. E. (2007). Enhancing adolescent literacy
achievement through integration of technology in the classroom. Reading Research
Quarterly, 42(3), p. 416-420.