Collaborative Center for Literacy Development

E-books will likely be a part of future early childhood classrooms, and in light of the thin evidence based on their role in curriculum and instruction, this is formative study to investigate what e-book pedagogy for early literacy might look like in the early childhood classroom (Reigeluth & Frick, 1999). At this early stage of prototype creation, an e-book instructional model that was purposefully underspecified to allow a wide-angle view of what it takes and what happens when e-book technology is inserted into the pre-school classroom is conceptualized. Salient indicators of each component were identified, organized at different levels of abstraction, and assigned ratings to yield an assessment of design strengths and weaknesses as a basis for further model development. In brief, the design analysis revealed the need for better quality e-books; more precise design specifications for an e-book nook in the classroom setting; more explicit guidance for child engagement during e-book reading sessions; and stronger teacher training on "how to" use instructional procedures and skills in shared e-book reading.