Digital Reading: What?s Essential in Grades 3-8 (Principles in Practice)

Many of our young students come to school with vast experience in the digital world but too often use digital tools in limited ways because they view technology as merely another form of entertainment.

Educators William L. Bass II and Franki Sibberson believe that teachers can help students recognize their expertise in out-of-school digital reading and extend it into the world of school. For this to happen, we need to redefine reading to include digital reading and texts, learn how to support digital reading in the classroom, and embed digital tools throughout the elementary and middle school curriculum.

Bass, a technology coordinator, and Sibberson, a third-grade teacher, invite us to consider what is essential in integrating technology into the classroom, focusing especially on authenticity, intentionality, and connectedness. They explore the experiences readers must have in order to navigate the digital texts they will encounter, as well as the kinds of lessons we must develop to enhance those experiences. Always advocating for sound literacy practice and drawing on the NCTE Policy Research Brief Reading Instruction for All Students, they lead from experience—both theirs and that of other classroom teachers, grades 3–8.

Bill Bass is an award-winning educator who serves as a school district administrator and technology advocate. As speaker and writer he focuses on systemic and sustainable integration of technology into classrooms at all grade levels and seeks to empower students and teachers with authentic learning experiences. He currently serves as president of the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE).

Franki Sibberson has taught elementary students in Dublin, Ohio for 33 years. She is a  thought leader in literacy, with specific focus on literacy workshop, student agency, readers in grades 3-6, and digital literacy. Franki is past president of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), having served as president in 2018-2019.  She has co-authored numerous publications and books including Beyond Leveled Books(Stenhouse), Still Learning to Read (Stenhouse), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop (Scholastic), and Digital Reading: What’s Essential? (NCTE). Franki holds Masters and Bachelor degrees in reading from Bowling Green State University, OH.