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Using iPads in the Kindergarten Classroom

Caryn Gallagher

EDTC 625

April 12, 2016


Abstract

This research looks at Apple iPads and their use in the reading and language

arts portion of the kindergarten classroom. It goes into detail on the advantages and

disadvantages of using the device in a regular education classroom, as well as touching

on how it affects students with learning disabilities as well as students from low

socio-economic backgrounds. It also gives an overview of the device, as well as the

impact the device has on student learning. Finally, the topic of advantages and

disadvantages, cost, and practicality are mentioned, as well as how to implement the

usage of iPads in the literacy kindergarten classroom.

Overview

The first Apple iPad was released in 2010, and since then, iPads have become a

household name, as well as common tool in classrooms from early childhood to

graduate school. Because the iPad is so much larger than the iPhone, it can be

comparable to a laptop, though it is extremely lightweight and portable. Its manageable

size allows teachers to reduce physical space that, in the past, would be taken up by

bookshelves, CD-rom organizers, or even large tube televisions. Additionally, the iPad

can hold a charge for relatively the same amount of time as a laptop (around 4 hours)

and can easily be plugged into an outlet, without the cumbersomeness of a power

adapter. iPads come with a variety of preinstalled applications, such as notes, which

can be used for easy and quick note taking, a calendar, which can be synced with other
Apple devices, and a calculator. It is an excellent tool for little hands, which may not yet

have the fine motor skills to use a mouse, type on a keyboard, or use a trackpad.

Technology in Education

According to Reynolds-Blankenship (2014), technology plays a crucial role in the

development of young children. With the wealth of digital media that children come into

contact with each day--tv, tablets, smartphones, digital readers, and video games, they

are the fastest learners of new technology. iPads can specifically be used in the

content area of Reading and Language Arts to promote phonemic awareness, phonics,

reading comprehension, and writing for the kindergarten student. The study done by

Reynolds-Blankenship analyzed the introduction of iPads during free play time in a

kindergarten classroom. The focus of the study was to observe the effects of iPad

usage as it relates to social interactions, enhancing teaching, and supporting digital

literacy.

Qualitative data was collected over a three month period by means of audio tape,

interviews with students, field notes, as well as observation. Through this, the

researchers found that iPad usage brought about a sense of community among

students, as well as a need to develop skills such as working together and taking turns.

The research mentioned that allowing the students to use iPads changed the roles of

students and teachers, and the students were now-self mediating and choosing

activities for themselves, while the teacher gave up control of the classroom and simply

could allow students to be active participants of their learning. The study showed the
importance of allowing students to manage themselves and make their own rules.

Furthermore, the study suggested that children need opportunities to publish and share

digitally in order to use information fluently and generate new understandings

(Reynolds-Blankenship, 2014).

Another study conducted by Sandvik, Smordal, and Osterud reported on an

exploratory study in which iPads were introduced to a group of 5 kindergarten students,

in an adult-led activity. The researchers allowed the students to access two apps that

were intended to promote literacy and language learning. When students were

interacting with the technology, this was considered a literacy event, which can be

defined as all sorts of occasions in everyday life where the written word has a role

(Barton, 2007). The study goes on to say that iPads can be seen as a scaffold for

language learning, and as such the apps can be described as multimodal texts which

support the childrens understanding and invite them to act and produce meaning

themselves (Sandvik 2009). Many literacy teachers interviewed in the study mentioned

that they believed in integrating technology in the kindergarten classroom, and providing

students with the literacy skills that would be crucial as they learned to read, write, and

communicate with others.

A study conducted by the Public Broadcasting Service found that iPod touch

devices aided in children's growth in the areas of vocabulary and phonological

awareness when considering children ages three to seven years old. Interestingly, our

of this age range, those children from age five to seven were shown to have made the

most growth.
A study done by Bevan (2011) focused on iPad usage with a group of four

students who tested slightly below grade level. This particular group of students had

not yet mastered reading kindergarten sight words, and did not use these words in their

writing. None of the students in the sample group were students with special needs, nor

did they have social or emotional needs. One app that the students used focused on

reading and spelling sight words, and the other was used to find and take pictures of

words on the word wall. Through the use of pre and post tests, the conclusion of the

study found that students were able to recognize patterns and rules of writing, and

improved their knowledge of recognizing and writing sight words, through the use of

both applications on the iPad.

One final study conducted by Milman, Carlson-Bancroft, and Boogart (2014)

showed that using iPads improved students reading and writing skills, as well as helped

them to develop language skills and change the vocabulary of those students who were

learning English. It even went on to say that the use of iPads for children with special

needs allowed these students to communicate and learn in ways they could not have

before.

Advantages and Limitations

The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to using iPads in

the kindergarten reading classroom. The iPads allows for kinesthetic, visual, and

auditory learners to be stimulated, and allows for learning to occur at the pace of the

student. Furthermore, it allows for student progress to be tracked, as many apps give
students scores which the teacher can download. This also eliminates any stress that

students may have when they are asked to do a one-on-one assessment with the

teacher that is paper based. Students often clam up in these situations, so the iPad can

put them at ease and help them to score better.

Another major advantage of students using iPads in the language arts classroom

is the plethora of free digital books available for students. While a traditional classroom

library certainly is important to build emergent reading behaviors such as book handing

and page turning, students can be overwhelmed with the selection of paper books, and

unable to choose one that is an appropriate level. Also, most students do not enter

kindergarten able to read even simple readers, so books may frustrate them. This is

where digital books on an iPad comes into play.

Applications such as MyOn allows for schools to purchase an account on which

every student and teacher can log into their individualized accounts. There, students

are able to access hundreds of books that can then be read aloud to them. For a

kindergarten student, it would be appropriate to set the parameters so students are

accessing easy readers in both the non fiction and fiction categories. From there,

students can log on, and choose a book they are interested in. For those students who

are able to spell simple words, they can even perform a search to find books that they

might enjoy--such as Batman. Students are able to listen and follow along with the

story, as the text is highlighted as it is being read. Then, a reading comprehension quiz

is given to assess whether students understand the story. From the teacher account,

the educator is able to see whether the student did indeed listen to the book all the way
through, as opposed to simply clicking through each page, and whether they were able

to answer the comprehension questions correctly.

Apps such as MyOn are particularly important for students living in low

socioeconomic areas, with a lack of literacy tools at home. Many parents do not have

the resources to purchase books for their young students, and when they purchase

these books, they do not model to their children how to use them appropriately,

resulting in torn and ruined books. Instead, many parents purchase a tablet or device

for themselves, or for all children to share. On this, students can access MyOn and

continue their learning at home.

The cost to supply a kindergarten classroom with two iPads would be

approximately $500. While school systems are not readily handing out iPads, the

website Donors Choose is an excellent source for students to obtain these. This

website allows any teacher to sign up for free, and to create classroom projects--field

trips, guest readers, new technology, furniture, and supplies--that others can donate to.

The teacher submits a write up about why his or her students need the items, how it will

benefit student learning, and what kind of socio-economic area the school is in. One

the project is submitted, it stays on the site for 4 months. Many companies such as

Google and Apple choose to flash fund many projects at once, and many famous

people do the same (Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates to name a few).

In my own classroom, I have two iPads that I received through funding by

DonorsChoose. I used these in both math and language arts instruction, but for the

purpose of this research, I will discuss the policies and procedures I used to support
learning with the iPad during the language arts portion of the school day. Literacy

centers are a time when my students are focusing on various phonemic and reading

skills independently. My students are broken into three groups--above, below, and on

grade level--and these groups are based upon their scores on county wide reading

assessments. There are three rotations, which each are twenty minutes long, and

during these rotations students will work on an assignment independently at their seats,

meet with me in a small group setting, and finally transition to a center. The focus of the

small group is reading and comprehending early reading texts, sight word sentences, or

blending and segmenting long or short vowel words.

When students transition to their center, one of the centers is the iPad station.

Each student will visit the iPad approximately twice a week, where they will put on

headphones and have the choice of which of the reading activities or games they

choose to learn with that day. At this point in the school year, students should know all

letters and sounds, about twenty five sight words, and should be able to read CVC

(consonant vowel consonant) words with all five short vowels. For students who are still

struggling with letters and sounds and sight words, they are able to choose from a

variety of activities on the iPad that help them to refine these skills. For students who

are on grade level, they will practice dragging letter tiles to write a CVC word that

matches a picture, or review sight words using virtual flashcards. Students who are

above grade level might work on first grade sight words, long vowel words, or more

difficult readers on MyOn.


Some policies regarding iPad usage in my classroom are the following:

headphones must be worn to prevent distractions to other students, students must

choose activities pertaining to the current subject area, students must use the iPad at

the iPad station, and independently. My students know that if they are unable to follow

the rules of the iPad, they must forfeit their iPad time for the day. However, students

are always engaged and excited to use the iPads, so this is rarely a problem.

Summary

From the time iPads were first introduced until now, there has been a vast

amount of research done on how to use these devices in the primary classroom. The

research has proven that iPads do indeed boost students reading comprehension,

knowledge of sight words, and phonemic awareness when compared to students not

using the device. iPads are relatively simple to manage in the classroom, when specific

rules and regulations are put into place, and teachers can obtain iPads through funding

through websites such as DonorsChoose.


Sources

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