Kindergarten Literacy iPad Program
Imagine your kindergarten students each had access to their own iPad preloaded with ELA specific apps aimed at helping them learn basic skills around oral language, basic phonemic awareness, early phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.
The school board has been clear that K-3 literacy is a high priority, and thanks to a district grant, each of your kinder students will receive one iPad for use both in class and at home exclusively to build reading and writing skills!
To Get Started...
1
Once you have received your cart, grab the keys attached to the power cord and familiarize yourself with how to open the front door. (You won't need to open the back panel until you are ready to send iPads home). Please put your keys in a secure place and consider attaching a ribbon or something to them.
2
Find a spot for your cart in your classroom near a power source and plug it in. PLEASE LET THE CART CHARGE OVERNIGHT BEFORE USING THE IPADS. When the iPads are ready, they should look like this. NOTE: If an iPad doesn't look like the picture, please email helpdesk@aurorak12.org with the barcode number on the back and it will get fixed.
3
Be sure to assign an iPad to each student. Label each iPad where you can see it when you open the cart door so you and your kids know which one is theirs. Ex. you can number them, put stickers on them, etc. The important thing is that the student uses the same iPad over time - some apps save their progress on them.
4
Look at your student data and see what skill/s you need them to practice and assign the corresponding app to them to practice with during centers. Please make note which students are assigned to which app and how long they are practicing. (This info will likely be in your lesson planning book - don't worry about writing that down elsewhere at this time).
The App Map and App Descriptions
Duolingo ABC is an app from the makers of Duolingo that is specifically geared towards helping young children learn their ABC’s. Duo ABC provides activities that are developmentally appropriate for students and “gamifies” these lessons. Duo ABC includes opportunities for children to write, speak, identify, and listen, all while building on previous knowledge.
Gives families and classrooms instant, unlimited access to thousands of books, videos and quizzes from leading publishers to help kids everywhere read, learn and grow. (Please note that this works during school hours of 7am to 3pm only)
Raz-Plus is a comprehensive blended learning platform that includes the curricular support teachers need and the personalized resources necessary to improve students' reading skills. With more than 50,000 resources that include more than 3,000 leveled books and readers available in multiple formats, Raz-Plus makes it easier to strengthen the connection between what is being taught and what students are practicing.
APS approved LMS for P-3 students. Seesaw is a platform for student engagement. Teachers can empower students to create, reflect, share, and collaborate. Students “show what they know” using photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs, and links. It’s simple to get student work in one place and share with families, and nothing is shared without teacher approval. Take a look at wonders linked seesaw lessons here!
Teach Your Monster to Read is a phonics and reading game app. Teachers claim it's a wonderful and captivating classroom tool that helps their students learn to read.
APS e-book library includes picture, audio, comic, print books. Whether you’re reading for class or for fun, Sora’s ebook reader makes it easy.
Book Creator enables students to create and read multimedia digital books. It is an ideal tool for enhancing student engagement through story creation and multimedia design.
APS K-5 Math curriculum and curricular resources (including free apps like geoboards, number charts, frames, and pieces).
i-Ready
Learn how to print K-1 Login cards here!
Tips for Logging into Each App
Note: to avoid issues with logging in and students having their progress saved accurately, it is crucial that every student use the same iPad always. Feel free to add labels on the back of each iPad for this purpose.
Clever
Log-In with Clever QR Code
Clever will require log-in again after a certain amount of time; however, log-ins to SeeSaw, Sora, and iReady often “stick” even after Clever logs out so it is very important that each student be assigned a specific iPad and use only that iPad
Duo ABC
Log in with the app
First time:
1. Open App
2. “Get Started”
3. “Other”
4. Enter Student’s name and age
5. Choose a character
6. Skip email by clicking “Not Now”
7. No notifications
NOTE: requires sound
Epic
Log in with App
Teacher Instructions:
Create epic account online ( https://www.getepic.com/ ); make profile & get code
Add students to your roster
Use the Explore menu at top of page to find books, click the assign icon to assign to the whole class or to specific students.
1. Open App
2. Choose “Student”
3. Enter Teacher Code (only first time unless they sign out)
4. Click Name (will only appear after teacher adds roster
*NOTE: Epic is only available from 7am to 3 pm
SeeSaw
log in via Clever dashboard
Seesaw will be seamless after students log into Clever with their QR code - simply have students find SeeSaw on their Clever dashboard
Sora
login via Clever dashboard
may still need to identify school and student (once)
Teach Your Monster
log in via app
0. No need to create an account - be sure students always use same iPad
1. Open App
2. Choose “Create a Monster”
3. Put Student’s name
4. Choose a game level for that student
5. Build the Monster - Student can then play
NOTE: requires sound
iReady
login via Clever dashboard
After Clever log-in:
1. Affirm you want to open app
2. Choose Reading
Kids A-Z
login via Clever dashboard
After logging in via the Clever dashboard, app will launch, briefly show a screen for teacher username, but then move past that screen and open the actual app. (If you are having difficulty with students logging into the app from the iPad please email helpdesk@aurorak12.org along with student names that are having trouble.)
Note: if students go directly from the app, they may end stuck on the teacher username page
Book Creator
not really an app, but a hyperlink to the browser-based tool Book Creator
iPad Take Home Support
The Kinder Literacy iPads were purchased with grant money for literacy support at school and at home. Below are some resources you can use to guide students and parents on appropriate use at home. Click on the documents below to make a copy in your Drive. Please take a look at the infographic first to see our recommended approach to take home and how the resources below tie together.
one-pager for Duo ABC
one pager for Teach Your Monster to Read
Recommended steps for communicating on a weekly basis with parents about the iPads:
Before sending home the iPads, utilize Talking Points to send a SMS in your students' home language to inform parents the iPads are coming home for the weekend.
Also, set up a scheduled Talking Points message to send on Sunday to remind parents to bring iPads back to school on Monday.
Watch the short video below to see how to schedule TalkingPts messages. As always, feel free to reach out to your Ed Tech Coach for support.
Use Talkingpoints to Keep Parents Informed!
Short Overview of TalkingPoints!
How Can students play Wonders games on a iPad?
Use Apple Classroom to help with Guided access!
Apple Literacy Resources
RESOURCES:
The Education Community — education.apple.com
Lesson Ideas & Templates in the Learning Center
Create a Class Book: Celebrate creativity with interactive class books (Marc Faulder & “The Dot”)
Capture photo scenes: Build vocabulary using annotated photos
Create a Mood Tracking Journal: Understand different emotions through Memoji
Tell a Story with Pictures: Enhance ESL vocabulary with photo stories
Favorite iPad Features to Support Early Literacy — @AppleSupport YouTube Tutorial Videos
Speak Screen — How to have your iPhone or iPad read text to you
Highlight Text — How to have your iPhone or iPad highlight text as it reads your screen
Live Text — How to use Live Text in a photo on iPhone and iPad
Dictation — Use Dictation in Notes
Screen Record — How to record the screen on your iPhone or iPad
Live Titles (Clips app) — Five things you can do with Clips on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Keynote Animations — How to animate shapes in Keynote on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Markup Photos — How to use Markup in Photos on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Accessibility Assistant — How to use the Accessibility Assistant shortcut on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
AR Makr — Augmented Reality storytelling app
References Mentioned:
“Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8”, NAEYC and Fred Rogers Center https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf
NCTE states that multimodal literacy is the “integration of multiple modes of communication and expression can enhance or transform the meaning of the work beyond illustration or decoration.” (https://ncte.org/statement/multimodalliteracies/)
Dr. Jennifer Rowsell, “Rethinking literacy: a modern approach to thinking and learning in a digital age.” https://researchfeatures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dr-Jennifer-Rowsell-Brock-University-Literacy.pdf
Fernandes, M. A., Wammes, J. D., & Meade, M. E. (2018). The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(5), 302–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418755385
Mooney, Jonathan. “Learning Outside The Lines.” https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/learning-outside-the-lines/id381495543?mt=11
FAQ
How will the iPads be stored? Each classroom will receive an iPad cart with charging cables for in classroom storage
What apps will be on these iPads? In an effort to keep these iPads literacy focused, the Kindergarten Advisory Group of APS kinder teachers has selected apps aligned to skills for you to begin with. All other apps have been removed from the devices.
Can I add different apps to the iPad? Not at this time. One piece of feedback we got from many teachers was that iPads become to bogged down with too many apps . These iPads are solely focused on literacy, so at this time we will not be adding any apps outside of the ones chosen by the advisory group. However, we will continue to examine what is working and what might need to be substituted out. So if you have an idea, please feel free to share it with your ed tech coach.
Will I be able to provide input about the apps and/or make suggestions about future apps supporting literacy? YES! You will have an optional opportunity to provide us feedback at the end of each quarter. The Kindergarten Advisory Group meets once a quarter and will review your feedback captured on a Google form prior to meeting.
What is the plan for sending iPads home successfully? Will my parents know about this? At this time (Q1 and Q2) we are focused on deploying the iPads to your classroom and helping you and your students get used to using them during centers. We will have more information, resources, and communication you can use for parent outreach so that they are comfortable supporting their child at home. We will also look to leverage your family liaison at your school to help promote and make connections with parents.
When I'm ready to send iPads home, what about students without internet access at home? Because this grant does allow students to bring these ipads home…. Any student who lacks internet access at home is eligible for an Aruba device. Click here to request an Aruba Device for free!
Would you like to learn more?
The Ed Tech Support Team
For support, please reach out to your ed tech coach!
