Promoting Reading:

The itself is one of the- foun students can begin using with Because of their ability to understand dations of modern education. But, little or no cost. the nuances of language, make con- today there is a new book available Gifted readers in particular can nections, and deal with the abstract, to educators, one that integrates new benefit from the added tools and vari- gifted readers like provocative stories technologies. Today’s technology ety afforded by eBooks. This article and solving plots with twists. Tenhanced book is called an electronic will provide suggestions for using with gifted characters or multidimen- book, or . EBooks are textual eBook technology to promote reading sional characters are also appealing. documents that have been converted with gifted and advanced learners. Abilock (1999) identified five and “published” in an electronic for- facts about gifted readers: mat and are displayed on eBook read- Characteristics of Gifted 1. gifted readers are skilled, flexible ers, devices, or computers using eBook readers who read often; software programs. This new form of Readers book is a relatively recent addition to 2. gifted readers monitor their read- book styles and offers students, teach- Gifted readers often read earlier ing; ers, and schools an additional tool for than the typical student and tend to 3. linguistically rich texts are espe- the teaching of reading and the inte- read independently soon after teacher cially suited to gifted readers; gration of reading into content areas. instruction. They also tend to be bet- 4. gifted readers use other strengths Using the technology resources of ter readers, requiring less drill for mas- in response to the particular computers and access that are tery of skills (Halsted, 1990). Gifted demands of the text; and already present in homes, classrooms, readers can digest a large quantity of 5. gifted readers are passionate read- and libraries, parents, educators, and information about a topic of interest. ers who find books to love.

56 fall 2006 • vol 29, no 4 Using eBooks With Gifted and Advanced Readers by Christine L. Weber and Terence W. Cavanaugh

Catron and Wingenbach’s research present text, just as a paper-based book at school and home in their publication identifies specific skills gifted readers can, they also contain features that can Your Gifted Child and Reading: How to possess (as cited in Vosslamber, 2002, be classified as accommodations or as Identify and Support Advanced Literacy p. 15): assistive technology tools for reading. Development (Israel & Murphy, 2003). • anticipation of meaning based on EBooks can provide these accommoda- They also provide book selections for visual clues; tions for reading by providing alterna- gifted children including picture books, • use of prior knowledge and experi- tive formats, scaffolds, and supports for short chapter books, medium and lon- ence, personal identification, and reading activities to reach all students, ger chapter books, books about being reader purpose; and including gifted and advanced read- gifted, favorite genres of gifted readers, • awareness of cognitive processing ers. Some of the accommodating fea- and recommended reading for parents. of a text for information/concept tures that eBooks can provide include: Each of those categories has books avail- gathering. Links are made between adjustable text size, highlighting, book- able in eBook formats. the present text and what the marking, note taking, interactive dic- reader has previously read, and, tionaries, and reading aloud through as a result, concepts are formed or text-to-speech software. EBook Technology developed. Parents who homeschool their gifted child may find that eBooks allow them to EBooks, like many other forms These facts and skills are impor- adapt their child’s curricula to meet their of computer technology, have three tant when considering using eBooks specific needs, interests, and abilities. basic components: hardware, soft- to promote reading with gifted readers. The International Reading Association ware, and the eBook file. The hard- Whereas eBooks can be used as a tool to provides general suggestions for parents ware of an eBook, known as a reader,

gifted child today 57 Using eBooks With Gifted and Advanced Readers

Table 1 Five major eBooks formats (all free software programs) and operating platforms

Web (html/ text Palm Reader xml) Reader Windows desktops Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Windows laptops Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Windows tablets Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Windows handheld devices Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Apple desktops Yes Yes Yes Yes (new models only) Yes Apple laptops Yes Yes Yes Yes (new models only) Yes Palm handheld devices Yes Yes Yes No Yes

A wide variety of eBooks options exist today. Five of the most com- mon eBook formats for reading off a desktop computer or handheld device are text, Web, Adobe Reader, Palm Reader, and Microsoft Reader (see Figure 2). Other specialized eBook formats include CD storybooks and talking book devices like LeapFrog’s LeapPad. One familiar variety of elec- tronic book is such as books on tape and books on disc. This format has now expanded to include books on MP3, which have been read aloud by people or machines using a text-to-speech program. While not fitting the traditional definition of a book because most television pro- grams and movies are close captioned, Figure 1. A desktop computer running Palm Reader (eReader) a running text of dialog, in essence, eBook software. creates an electronic book. Many kinds of eBooks are avail- is a computer style device or a com- to use (see Table 1). For example MS able today. The books range from puter running specific software that Reader software can be used only on copyright free texts of classic litera- ture, science, and philosophy to cur- displays the “book” onto a screen (see a new Macintosh computer (models rent bestsellers. There are three basic Figure 1). The software is the program made in and after 2006), but Palm that displays the book data on the methods of obtaining eBooks for the Reader (eReader) software can be used device. The eBook file contains all of home, classroom, or school for little or the book material: text, pictures, and on a Palm, Mac, or Windows device. no cost. You can purchase an eBook other media and resources. The hard- MS Reader software understands .lit from a store, you can download or use ware, software, and file type must all files, whereas Palm Reader -under an eBook from a free online library, or be compatible for any book you wish stands .pdb and .prc file types. students can design their own eBooks.

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sure to (1) new and challenging infor- mation, (2) varied subjects, (3) areas of interest, and (4) difficult vocabulary and concepts. Gifted readers can also be exposed to ideas and issues appro- priate to their own rate of learning and continue to pursue answers to ques- tions beyond what might be consid- ered in an allotted span of time. Gifted readers are so advanced that challenging materials must be made available. Children’s varied and unique interests need to be nurtured. Gifted readers may be in jeopardy of losing sight of their schools as the place to find challenging books because they don’t find and interact with appropriate materials (Brown & Rogan, 1983). EBooks can provide an avenue for parents and teachers to help Figure 2. Handheld or computing devices running eBook gifted readers grow intellectually. By programs. using eBooks, teachers, parents, and students can create, often at no cost, a Current bestsellers are available the online eBook resources. Gutenberg greater diversity in the available read- from online bookstores for purchase has more than 10,000 copyright free ing material, including materials at a and download. Audiobooks from publications from their first, Alice in wide range of readability levels. Audible (http://www.audible.com) Wonderland, to the Human Genome Reis, Gubbins, and Richards include recent fiction, nonfiction, and Project. Some of the online libraries (2001) recommend gifted readers have other broadcast media. Some online store and distribute books in multiple access to an array of classroom and bookstores like ContentLink (http:// formats, and some of these libraries library books. On the Web, teachers, www.contentlinkinc.com) only sell have become specialized with collec- parents, and students can find sites digital books. Other online bookstores, tions aimed at specific languages, con- with single books, special collections, for example (http://www.ama- tent areas, or age groups. A large part and entire online libraries, many of which make their books available zon.com), sell not only hard cover and of many of the free libraries’ eBook at no cost to the reader. These elec- paperback books but also audiobooks collections are works that have passed tronic forms of books and libraries and eBooks for the Adobe Reader, MS into the public domain, and they may are expanding opportunities for stu- Reader, and Palm Reader programs. be found in many of the libraries. Visit http://www.drscavanaugh.org/ebooks/ dents to have access to books. Using People are not limited to purchas- these resources, a reader can often find ing eBooks from retailers. There are a ebook_libraries.htm for more than 95 free eBook resources. related titles, such as other books in a great number of online free libraries series or by the same author, which may and even a number of physical librar- not be available at either the school or ies (those big brick building ones) that Using EBooks local public library. For example, most contain and make available a large With Gifted Readers libraries have the children’s favorite The number of eBooks. Online libraries Wizard of Oz, but how many of the include Internet Public Library (http:// Clark (1983) identifies cognitive other books in the series are available? www.ipl.org), Florida Electronic needs that differentiate gifted children A number of online libraries, such as Library (http://www.flelibrary.org), from others. EBooks provide a variety , not only freely dis- and Project Gutenberg (http://www. of ways to meet those needs. Access to a tribute the Wizard of Oz, they also give gutenberg.org), which is the oldest of wide variety of books encourages expo- away the continued other 13 on books page that?? Baum

gifted child today 59 Using eBooks With Gifted and Advanced Readers

wrote in the series. Entire collections Many of these supporting tech- learning disabilities in the gifted pop- based upon special topics can also be niques are built into most eBooks ulation is 10–15% (Silverman, 2003). found. For example, the Electronic Text programs. EBooks can provide addi- Many of the eBook formats, such as Center at the University of Virginia tional books for students to increase MS Reader and Adobe Reader, for Library (http://etext.lib.virginia.edu) the range of the reading materials. the desktop or laptop have text-to- has entire collections of electronic Most eBooks will allow the font size speech capabilities. Research on stu- books concerning African American, to be enlarged to large print. Many dents with reading disabilities showed Native American, and women writers. eBooks have a read-aloud feature with that comprehension improved when A student can use this electronic library synchronized highlighting to engage text-to-speech was combined with to obtain and read the collected works reading in multiple modalities, and reading (Leong, 1995; Montali & of Booker T. Washington, for example. using eBook readers with an interac- Lewandowsi, 1996; Raskind & Shaw, An advantage of using these resources tive dictionary can provide just-in- 2000). Through the use of a control is a student’s speed of access; once he or time learning for new vocabulary. panel, a reader can adjust the speed she finds an interesting book, usually Technology experiences in the at which the eBook is read. Research within seconds the book can be down- classroom have been found to con- findings suggest that student control loaded, and reading can begin. tribute to student achievement, both of text-to-speech speed while reading by making students more effective in along increased performance. Findings Using EBooks With their learning and teachers more effi- state that some students benefit from Underachieving Gifted cient in their teaching. Students are a slower text-to-speech reading speed, while others comprehended better at Readers attracted to the use of computers and have been found to be much more faster rates (Shany & Biemiller, 1995; tolerant of repetition from a com- Skinner, Johnson, Larkin, Lessey, & EBooks can be a helpful tool puter program; in fact, they come to Glowacki, 1995). With some eBook for encouraging gifted children who expect it. Research has shown that it programs, the text-to-speech feature may be underachieving for a vari- is augmented by synchronized high- is not the technology by itself, but ety of reasons. It is estimated that lighting of the text being read. This instead how the technology is used by between 20–50% of gifted students speech with synchronized highlight- teachers and students that improves underachieve (Ford & Thomas, n.d.). ing can aid the student in recognizing learning and increases student inter- Whitmore (1980) identifies three the structure of written language. This est (Albright, 1996; Charp, 1998). types of strategies found effective in spoken word support has been found EBook programs not only display the working with underachieving behav- to improve reading comprehension words of a book with pictures or ani- ior in students: supportive strategies, for students with reading difficulties mations, but can also include both an intrinsic strategies, and remedial strat- (Wise & Olson, 1994). audio component and highlighting of egies. Remedial strategies include the An additional reading scaffold opportunities for students to excel in phrases as the narrator works through is the interactive capabilities of an areas of strength and work on areas of the text, providing an accurate model eBook. Most eBook programs pro- specific learning disabilities. Because of what good readers do, while helping vide the ability to highlight text sec- technology itself is attractive to many to increase fluency (Besalel, 2005). tions, and take notes. Some even students, eBooks can provide a moti- add the ability to create drawings vating approach for remediation. EBook Reading within the book. All of these features West-Christy (2003) suggests five Accommodations and can increase a student’s attending to useful scaffolding techniques for read- Scaffolds for Gifted and comprehension of a given work. ers who might be reluctant or reme- Some eBook programs have interac- dial. These five techniques are: Readers With Learning tive dictionaries, providing just-in- • offer a wide range of reading mate- Disabilities time learning that allow users to select rials, any word within the eBook and get • use prereading techniques, EBook programs can provide read- a definition instantly, have the defini- • incorporate large print materials, ing accommodations for students who tion read aloud, or request an instant • engage multiple modalities, and may be experiencing print or reading translation to another language (see • teach important vocabulary. difficulties or disabilities. Incidence of Figure 3).

60 fall 2006 • vol 29, no 4 Using eBooks With Gifted and Advanced Readers

Figure 3. Using the MS Reader eBook program with an inter- active dictionary.

Figure 4. Using an eBook controls to change the display to large Even the display offered through font size. eBook programs and devices can pro- vide reading scaffolds for many stu- is currently the norm. Reading mis- encourage teachers and parents to take dents through their ability to change cues, including misreading syllables this technology step and introduce the displayed text size (see Figure 4). or words; skipping syllables, words, your gifted or advanced reader to the Students who struggle with reading, or lines; rereading lines; and ignor- options presented by eBooks. GCT regardless of the reason, can benefit ing punctuation cues, were found from changing to larger font sizes. to be virtually eliminated when stu- The reason for using large print is not References dents read large print books. For most necessarily because these children have eBook programs, creating a large text visual difficulties. Larger font sizes Abilock, D. (1999). Librarians and gifted format is just a matter of sliding a text and spacing actually cause the eyes readers: Myths and facts. Knowledge size bar to a larger setting. to move more slowly while reading, Quest 27(5), 30–35. allowing students to track their read- Albright, M. (1996, February). Instruc- ing more easily (Bloodsworth, 1993) Conclusion tional technology and higher education: and giving them more processing Rewards, rights and responsibilities. Key- time. Although many people associ- EBooks and eBook libraries are note address at the Southern Regional ate the use of large print text size with resources that can expand home Faculty and Instructional Develop- ment Consortium, Baton Rouge, LA. older persons or people with visual and classroom interaction and read- (ERIC Document Reproduction Ser- impairments, the benefits gained ing experiences by providing addi- vice No. ED392412) with the use of large print apply to tional books and reading options. It Besalel, S. (2005). Technology’s impact of is currently estimated that more than students who may not have a learn- academic achievement. T.H.E. Focus 100,000 books in eBook format are ing disability, including struggling, (online newsletter). Retrieved June reluctant, and remedial readers. All now available for free on the Internet. 15, 2005, from http://www.thejournal students, especially those susceptible Today’s eBook technologies present .com/thefocus/featureprintversion. to visual stress, were found to make features valuable for learners with cfm?newsid=33 more errors when using smaller text various abilities and special needs, Bloodsworth, J. G. (1993). Legibility of sizes than with larger text. From this especially gifted and advanced read- print (Report No. CS-011-244). East research, Hughes and Wilkins (2000) ers. The unique features and - capa Lansing, MI: National Center for concluded that the reading develop- bilities of eBook technologies provide Research on Teacher Learning. (ERIC ment of some children could benefit the attraction, options, and accom- Document Reproduction Service No. from larger text sizes and spacing than modations that promote reading. We ED355497)continued on page ??

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Brown, W., & Rogan, J. (1983). Read- know and what should we be doing. includes 38 fables in traditional and ing and young gifted children. Roeper Storrs: National Research Center on modern forms. Most are in HTML Review, 5, 6–9. the Gifted and Talented, University format and some are in Flash format. Charp, S. (1998). Measuring the effec- of Connecticut. Retrieved March 29, ✪ tiveness of educational technology. 2006, from http://www.sp.uconn.edu/ BookPals: THE Journal, 25, 6. ~nrcgt//nagcread.pdf http://www.bookpals.net/storyline Clark, B. (1983). Growing up gifted. Shany, M. T., & Biemiller, A. (1995). Includes 11 stories read by members Columbus, OH: Merrill. Assisted reading practice: Effects on of the Screen Actors’ Guild (and oth- Ford, D. Y., & Thomas, A. (n.d.). performance of poor readers in grades ers). Stories are read and displayed in Underachievement among gifted 3 and 4. Reading Research Quarterly, a video screen (Windows Media, Real, minority students: Problems and 30, 382–395. and QuickTime). promises. Retrieved July 10, 2005, Silverman, L. K. (2003). Gifted children from http://library.adoption.com/ with learning disabilities. In N. Colan- ✪ byGosh.com: Childhood-Learning-and-Education/ gelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook http://www.bygosh.com Underachievement-Among-Gifted- of gifted education (3rd ed., pp. 533– Minority-Students-Problems-and- Children’s classic books in HTML 543). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. format. Promises/article/927/1.html Skinner, C. H., Johnson, C. W., Larkin, Halsted, J. W. (1990). Guiding the gifted M. J., Lessey, D. J., & Glowacki, M. ✪ Children’s Books Online: reader. (ERIC Document Reproduc- L. (1995). The influence of rate of pre- The Rosetta Project: tion Service No. E481). Retrieved sentation during taped word interven- http://www.childrensbooksonline.org June 15, 2005, from http://www.eric. tions on reading performance. Journal 1,200 antique children’s books pub- ed.gov of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, lished in the 19th and early 20th cen- Hughes, L., & Wilkins, A. (2000). Typog- 3, 214–223. raphy in children’s reading schemes may Vosslamber, A. (2002). Gifted readers: tury in HTML format. be suboptimal: Evidence from mea- Who are they, and how can they be ✪ International Children’s Digital sures of reading rate. Journal of Research served in the classroom? Gifted Child Library (ICDL): in Reading, 23, 314. Retrieved October Today, 25(2), 14–20. http://www.icdlbooks.org 12, 2004, from http://www.blackwell West-Christy, J. (2003). Helping reme- .com/journal.asp?ref=0141- dial and reluctant readers. Retrieved The ICDL is building an international 0423 October 18, 2004, from http://www. collection that reflects both the diver- Israel, S., & Murphy, S. J. (2003). Your glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/ sity and quality of children’s literature gifted child and reading: How to iden- educationupclose.phtml/29 from 27 cultures in 23 languages (The tify and support advanced literacy devel- Whitmore, J. (1980). Giftedness, conflict, books are in HTML format). opment. Newark, DE: International and underachievement. Boston: Allyn Reading Association. ✪ Reader’s Theater Editions:http:// & Bacon. Leong, C. K. (1995). Effects of on-line www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE.html Wise, B. W., & Olson, R. K. (1994). reading and simultaneous DECtalk Computer speech and the remediation A collection of free scripts for reader’s aiding in helping below-average and of reading and spelling problems. Jour- theater, adapted from stories by Aaron poor readers comprehend and summa- nal of Special Education Technology, 12, Shepard and others. rize text. Learning Disabilities Quar- 207–220. terly, 18, 101–116. ✪ RIF Reading Planet: Montali, J., & Lewandowski, L. (1996). http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/ Bimodal reading: Benefits of a talking Appendix A content/read_aloud_stories.mspx computer for average and less skilled readers. Journal of Learning Disabili- A collection of read-aloud books that Free online libraries that have changes monthly (Flash format). ties, 29, 271–279. books appropriate for gifted readers ✪ Raskind, M. H., & Shaw, T. (2000). in elementary or secondary school are Stories to Read Online: Assistive technology for individuals included below. http://www.beenleigss.qld.edu.au/ with learning disabilities. Retrieved requested_sites/storiesontheweb/ October 12, 2004, from http://www. storiesontheweb.html csun.edu/cod/conf2000/proceedings/ Elementary eBook Libraries 1006Raskind.html Links to approximately 100 stories Reis, S. M., Gubbins, E. J., & Richards, ✪ Aesop’s Fables: for early childhood and elementary S. (2001). Gifted readers: What do we http://www.umass.edu/aesop school children.

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✪ StoryPlace Libraries (Elementary Offers approximately 400 books to be The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Preschool): read online (in HTML format). (Doyle, Arthur Conan) http://www.storyplace.org ✪ USGS Books and Other The Three Musketeers (Dumas, More than 20 stories for children Publications: Alexandre) along with suggested readings and http://pubs.usgs.gov/products/books Wind in the Willows (Grahame, Kenneth) activities that can be printed out. Listings of online books, reports, ✪ Tales of Wonder: and pamphlets published by the Captains Courageous (Kipling, http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder U.S. Geological Survey’s Geology Rudyard) Rumpelstiltskin (Lang, Andrew) Folk and fairy tales from around the Discipline. The Call of the Wild (London, Jack) world in HTML format. ✪ Wired for Books: White Fang (London, Jack) http://www.wiredforbooks.org General and Secondary eBook Kidnapped (Stevenson, Robert Louis) Libraries Collections of audio books and inter- Treasure Island (Stevenson, Robert views (in RealPlayer format). Contains Louis) A Christmas Carol ✪ Baen Free Library: full versions of , Journey to the Center of the Earth Alice in Wonderland, and Beatrix http://www.baen.com/library (Verne, Jules) Potter stories along with short stories Swiss Family Robinson (Wyss, More than 75 relatively new science and excerpts from other books. fiction books in Reader, Palm, Rocket, Johann) and RTF. Listed below are some suggested Secondary ✪ Classic Book Library: books, available for free as eBooks, that http://classicbook.info may be appropriate for gifted readers Jane Eyre (Bronte, Charlotte) More than 125 books in seven genres (it is a brief list, by no means exten- My Antonia featured in an HTML page-by-page sive). All of these books are available (Cather, Willa) format. for free from the online library Project Lord Jim (Conrad, Joseph) Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg. Tale of Two Cities (Dickens, Charles) ✪ Electronic Text Center org/catalog), usually in a plain text The House of Seven Gables at the University of Virginia Library: format. Go to the e-library Web page (Hawthorne, Nathaniel) http://etext.lib.virginia.edu and then search for either the title or Green Mansions (Hudson, W. H.) Offers thousands of xml, HTML, the author of the book. Each of the Babbitt (Lewis, Sinclair) Reader, and Palm texts. books listed is available from other Of Human Bondage (Maugham, W. ✪ Making of America (MOA): online libraries, such as University Somerset) http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa of Virginia Library’s Electronic Text Plunkitt of Tammany Hall (Riordon, Created by Cornell University Library, Center (http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ William L.) MOA is a of primary ebooks) and ReadPrint (http://www. The Tempest (Shakespeare, William) readprint.com/online), providing sources in American social history Frankenstein (Shelley, Mary) books in a number of eBook formats (antebellum through Reconstruction The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and including HTML, MS Reader, Palm periods). This is a full text/image jour- Mr. Hyde (Stevenson, Robert Reader, and more. nal site of 22 magazines from 1830s Louis) to 1900s. Elementary Walden (Thoreau, Henry David) ✪ Manybooks.net: Anna Karenina (Tolstoy, Leo) http://www.manybooks.net Little Women (Alcott, Louisa May) Life on the Mississippi (Twain, Mark) More than 600 titles in a variety of The Secret Garden (Burnett, Frances The Time Machine (Wells, H. G.) formats: Palm, Rocket, PDF, and Hodgson) iPod. Tarzan of the Apes (Burroughs, Edgar For more online books and librar- ✪ Page-by-Page Books: Rice) ies visit http://www.drscavanaugh. http://www.pagebypagebooks.com Hans Brinker (Dodge, Mary Mapes) org/ebooks.

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