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An interesting discussion about the print phenomenon. Different sources from textbook publishers, bookstore owners and college student surveys all say that young people still strongly prefer print for pleasure and learning. This is a bias that surprises reading experts when the same group spend so much of the rest of their time on-line. "A University of Washington pilot study of digital textbooks found that a quarter of students still bought print versions of e-textbooks that they were given for free."

"A collection of a number of websites that teachers, parents and students can use to help guide student reading selections. The aim : to assist students to find books to that they really like, then they'll be more inclined to make time in their busy schedules for reading."

"Some may say that does not count as reading, I certainly used to balk at it counting toward any reading goal, this year I am discovering otherwise.  Sure, there are cognitive differences in the processes that happens when we read with our eyes versus our ears, however, the skills that we are able to utilize through the listening of an audio-book are monumental in building further reader success.  And research has shown that the cognitive processes are surprisingly similar.   So what has adding (and investing in audio-books) done for our students?"

Make the goal for a literacy-rich classroom and expose students to as many different types of books as possible in order for them to continue to grow in their love of reading or to find an entry point for reading. Lots of ideas mentioned here

"These iPod-based audio broadcasts encompass a wide variety of subjects, such as entrepreneurship, politics, history, to entertaining series on serial killers. These downloadable series can be subscribed to, so you automatically get the next installment. However, podcasts can be utilized in the classroom, especially to promote literacy. By using podcasts in conjunction with their transcripts, or by finding engaging podcasts that discuss books benefit students' different learning styles. Podcasts bring together reading, writing, analysis, listening, language and many other ELA Common Core Standards (source). Here is a list of 10 podcasts that promote reading."

The Open Library is a part of the Internet Archive. It is a collection of more than one million free e-book titles. The collection is cataloged by a community of volunteer online librarians. The ebooks in the Open Library can be read online, downloaded to a computer, read on a Kindle or other e-readers and embedded into other sites. Some of the ebooks, like Treasure Island, can also be listened to through the Open Library.

How to teach text structures for better reading comprehension and improved retention. Teachers of history, science, and other subjects are now expected to weave literacy instruction into their teaching of content. But how should they do that? What are the most effective ways to help students learn to read challenging content-area texts? This article breaks down the research behind explicit teaching of text structures and includes a video that shows how to do it (Great for content-area literacy)

"An anchor chart that shows the progression from a 1-star Post-it note to a 4-star Post-it note for upper elementary students based on the Say Something Post-it Note reading strategy."

"6 simple strategies that we can teach our students to drastically improve reading comprehension." Link to downloadable posters

"A collection of 15 writers - some alive, some long gone - reading their own words (all fiction, with the exception of William Faulkner, whose Nobel Prize speech is included because it's now often taught alongside his novels and stories, and Joan Didion's memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking). "

"A research project has found that teachers who read for pleasure have better book knowledge and feel more confident, calm and stress-free in the classroom"

10 of the best ideas for using technology to promote reading

"Pre-teen gifted readers often run into a problem around the age of ten: as younger children they read everything in children's literature that they could get their hands on. By the time they reach ten years old, they're starting to run into roadblocks when looking for appropriate books. Some ten-year-olds are ready to go on to Young Adult fiction, but most aren't. Young Adult, with its focus on teens' changing bodies and questioning of their place in the world, is often inappropriate and sometimes very upsetting for "tweens" who have outgrown children's books but are looking for meaty reading to satisfy their literary cravings."

An very extensive list of questions that could be used to get students to respond to their reading.

Young reader are in control with this reading app. It allows them to be directly involved in the story. They are encouraged to explore what's going on, find hidden objects, move characters from one place to another, and more. The reading levels progress as the student improves so the app allows kids to move onto more complex texts when they are ready.

Reading groups to support reading skills. US based, free for full version (charity based)

"The list here offers some options for some popular eBook libraries where parents and teachers can access a wide variety of reading materials designed specifically for young readers. From storybooks to comics and interactive games, these websites will absolutely help you curate the best reading materials for younger readers. "

"A nice class activity when the books being read by the students have specific locations for the settings. You can create a book map using My Maps from Google to highlight the settings in which these texts took place."

Interesting article. Some children's books look/sound fabulous on a tablet. Tap the screen and hear/see action. "But does this count as story time? Or is it just screen time for babies? It is a question that parents, pediatricians and researchers are struggling to answer as children's books, just like all the other ones, migrate to digital media."