WeRead.org

WeRead is a site that is dedicated to encouraging young children to read. We used the program today as part of our EXPS Science in the elementary classroom session to have third grade students read field guides about different kinds of birds. The students were all very excited to use the iPads and to go onto the site, exclaiming 'yes!' when their instructor told them what we would be doing. This intrigued me so I paid close attention as these kids used the WeRead site. I think the best thing about this site is that a student can highlight a portion of text on their screen and tap a button to have it be read out loud to them as they follow along. Many of the ESL students took full advantage of this feature during class time.
WeRead is free to use and acknowledges the importance of fostering an appreciation for reading and developing the skill early on in children. It has an abundance of online books and resources targeted at children and their parents and even offers such services as reading logs to track time spent reading and progress made. It also offers suggestions and ideas for planning reading sessions if you are an educator.
When we used the site in class today, it was specifically designed for the students and was separated by units. Therefore educators have the opportunity to specialize WeRead for their specific needs and lesson plans. This makes it an invaluable tool for classrooms that have access to laptops or ipads.
I will definitely be looking into how I can utilize this service in my future classroom!