This document discusses the Akron Ready Steps program, which serves over 300 at-risk children in five Head Start sites in Akron, Ohio. It aims to provide preschoolers with key knowledge and skills, train teachers, design literacy-rich learning environments, engage parents, and strengthen early education in the community. The document poses questions about e-books, including what makes a high-quality e-book for young children, whether they can support literacy skills, and what digital elements and design features are best. It proposes designing research on e-books that involves observing student engagement with e-books and teacher instruction with the technology.

1. Towards an e-Book Quality Rating Tool
EduCon 2.3
January 29, 2011
h"p://akronreadysteps.ning.com/

2. What
is
Akron
Ready
Steps?
• A
partnership
between
The
University
of
Akron
College
of
EducaBon,
(UA)
and
Akron
Summit
Community
AcBon,
Inc
(ASCA)
• Akron
Ready
Steps
(ARS)
is
a
program
that
serves
over
300
at
risk
children
in
five
Head
Start
sites
in
high
poverty
communiBes
in
Akron,
OH.

3. ARS
Program
Goals
• high
priority
knowledge
and
skills
preschoolers
need
to
learn;
• high
priority
knowledge
and
skills
teachers/
teacher
assistants
need
to
teach;
• the
design
of
high
quality
21st
century
language
and
literacy-­‐rich
environments;
• acBve
parent
engagement;
• and
mobilizing
the
community
around
strong
preschool
literacy
educaBon.

4. What
are
e-­‐Books?

5. What
is
it
we
hope
to
have
children
learn
using
e-­‐
Books?

6. What
makes
a
good,
workable,
instrucBve,
enjoyable
e-­‐Book
for
young
children?

7. Do
eBooks
represent
quality
children’s
literature?

8. Can
eBooks
support
young
children’s
emerging
literacy
skills
just
like
tradiBonal
storybook
reading
can
do?

9. What
might
a
high
quality
21st
century
language
and
literacy-­‐rich
environment
look
like?

10. What
do
we
need
to
consider
in
order
to
have
quality
and
meaningful
access
to
eBooks
in
an
early
elementary
environment?

11. When
do
we
need
to
employ
e-­‐books
in
an
early
elementary
environment?

12. What
do
teachers
need
to
know
about
teaching
with
e-­‐Books?

13. What
are
the
essenBal
“digital
elements”
that
we
might
find
in
a
high-­‐quality
e-­‐Book
for
young
children?

14. Are
e-­‐Books
well-­‐designed
for
use
by
young
children,
similar
to
convenBonal
books
that
are
a"racBve,
easy
to
hold
and
manipulate?

15. Designing
an
e-­‐Book
Nook
(learning
space)
e-Book Research
Observing
student
behaviors
(engagement)

16. Examining
the
Technology-­‐
Mediated
Environment
(e-­‐book)
e-Book Research
Observing
teacher
behaviors
(instrucBon)

17. Visit
h"p://akronreadysteps.ning.com/
h"p://akronreadysteps.ning.com/