storytime using ipods: using technology to reach all learners

Volume 57, Number 6 TechTrends • November/December 2013 49

AbstractMany educators would agree that one way

to enhance reading fluency is by being read to by fluent readers. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of providing students with audio books via an iPod Shuffle during si-lent reading time at school. For six weeks, Kin-dergarten participants spent time either silent reading or listening to a recorded story on an iPod Shuffle during daily dedicated silent read-ing time. Results show that there was no impact of using the iPod Shuffle on reading fluency; however, students exhibited greater motivation to read, greater engagement in the process, and sustained interest in stories “read.” The benefits to student self-esteem and study skills warrant the use of this strategy for students who may not have opportunities to be read to by a fluent reader on a consistent basis.

Keywords: iPods, reading fluency, kindergarten

s K-12 educators, we are often frustrated with a lack of support for students’ educa-tion outside of the classroom. In a society

where the obstacles a student faces to succeed in education are many, educators are consistently seeking new and innovative ways to support stu-dents in achieving important educational mile-

Storytime Using iPods: Using Technology to Reach all Learners By Brenda Boeglin-Quintana & Loretta Donovan, California State University, Fullerton

A

stones. We know that falling behind academi-cally in one year has a lasting effect on future educational possibilities. One area where this is especially significant is in the area of read-ing. “Problems attaining reading skills in early schooling affect not only initial academic suc-cess, but perception of self, perseverance in dif-ficult tasks, and the degree to which the student sees him or herself affecting his or her external world” (Anderson, 2008, p. 4).

Reading is complex to teach. It includes multiple layers and multiple skills to master. Each of these skills works together to develop what we might call a fluent reader—one who not only decodes words but also demonstrates comprehension of overall story. Vocabulary ac-quisition, for example, is a critical feature for being a good reader; however, without access to literature and exposure to vocabulary starting at a young age students may quickly fall behind. Additionally, Beck and McKeown (2007) sug-gest that there is a direct connection between vocabulary knowledge and comprehension. If a student is lacking access to literature, they are then robbed of opportunities to develop their vocabulary. This, in turn, impacts development of comprehension skills that are necessary to be successful—and ultimately their academic abili-ties will be affected.

50 TechTrends • November/December 2013 Volume 57, Number 6

As elementary educators, we have observed that in addition to a lack of motivation to read that many students have, in non-English speak-ing families there are additional shortcomings in reading ability due to parental-based barriers (e.g., parent involvement, parent ability to assist due to language). This observation is supported by national data. In 2003, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted a survey of adults’ reading abilities, known as NAAL (Na-tional Assessment of Adult Literacy). The NCES found that 39 percent of Hispanic adults fell in a category titled “Below Basic Prose Literacy.” Ac-cording to the NCES, this category is significant because those who fell in this category had “no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills” (http://nces.ed.gov/naal/perf_levels.asp). These literacy skills are important for many functions in daily life, and stem from a lacking in early education. The purpose of this study was to examine how technology can encourage and influence reading in young students, including those who are Language Learners or those who may not have parental literacy support. Specifi-cally in this study, we wanted to know: (a) if a relationship exists between being a second lan-guage learner and having a home reading regi-men; (b) what impact does student motivation to read have on student vocabulary comprehen-sion; (c) what impact do the varying degrees of access to literature have on student vocabulary comprehension; and (d) what impact does pro-viding electronic media have on student motiva-tion and vocabulary comprehension?

Review of LiteratureGiven that this study took place in a learn-

ing environment with a high English Language Learner (ELL) population, the review of liter-ature examines research focusing on motivating students using technology, vocabulary acquisi-tion, and English Language Learner home sup-port. For the purpose of the literature review, the focus will only be on studies in which technol-ogy was used to promote Language or Reading proficiency or fluency.

Motivation Through TechnologyMotivation and empowerment can be of-

fered to English Language Learners (ELLs) by incorporating technology into a reading regi-men at school (Patten & Valcarcel-Craig, 2007). Unfortunately, a downward spiral can occur be-cause students’ motivation can just as easily be diminished if their confidence level is lowered

due to the lack of comprehension skills. Rob-inson and Sebba (2009) found that learners are more likely to take an active role in their learn-ing if they possess digital media skills that are relevant to learning situations. This idea of tech-nological support for motivating active engage-ment is further supported by findings that tech-nology is a beneficial tool in learning due to the encouragement offered through the utilization of multiple modes of exposure (Warner & Jones, 2011). By using this technological support in education, students can then have options to tai-lor learning experiences to their preferred mode of learning; thus, motivating themselves to con-tinue to learn. Technology is an excellent tool to motivate students because technological tools are engaging for students; if a student is engaged in an activity they are more likely to participate on a recurring basis (Lacina, 2008).

There are several reading activities that impact a student’s confidence and ultimately their motivation to read. One activity capable of helping increase comprehension and language skills, and improving a student’s reading self-efficacy is reading a book repeatedly (McGee & Schickendanz, 2007). Such repetitive book reads can be offered using technology. Simi-larly, studies (e.g., Warner & Jones, 2011) have shown that using online technologies can be used to encourage students to practice multiple skills. These motivating activities encourage students to use skills they have been exposed to and to develop them to a level of mastery. These technology-based learning experiences are successful because students are interested in activities that are engaging and students feel more connected to the content.

Vocabulary Acquisition Through Read Alouds

Vocabulary acquisition is an integral compo-nent of reading comprehension. Bafumo (2005) suggested that students, who participated in for-mal education that did not offer personal con-nections to vocabulary being learned, were less likely to acquire the usage of these words. To overcome this disconnect, Hall and Moats (2000) suggested that through read aloud opportunities, students can benefit from purposeful vocabulary building—this being the most relevant skill in vocabulary acquisition. Vocabulary building is especially relevant because young students must possess a vocabulary that is relevant in their lives (Bafumo, 2005; Hall & Moats, 2000), and they must have stories to use as guides that provide


context for learning new words. Similarly, be-cause young children have such different vocab-ularies, it is important to offer the experiences students are missing, such as read alouds, to in-crease exposure to vocabulary.

The students with lower vocabulary acquisi-tion are in part, due to a deficiency of being read to at home (Bafumo, 2005; Coyne, Simmons, Kame’Enui, & Stoolmiller, 2004). Some students enter school having been read to nightly or daily, while other students enter school having never been read to. According to Coyne et al., “The primary way for young nonreaders to be ex-posed to new vocabulary is within the context of oral language experiences such as shared story-book reading” (p. 147).

With an understanding of the multiple ben-efits of being read aloud to, it is fair to assume that without this opportunity, a deficiency in vocabulary acquisition could develop. Addition-ally, it has been found that following up read alouds with related activities can help increase vocabulary acquisition (Beck & McKeown, 2007). Unfortunately, due to the organization of some households, students are not always pro-vided with these activities (Johnson, Martin, Brooks-Gunn & Petrill, 2008).

Latinos, Reading, and Home Support

In many cases, a student’s motivation for ac-tive participation in their education (a necessary component for successful vocabulary acquisi-tion) starts in the home. Parents and siblings, as well as extended family members, spend the most time with a student and provide the sup-port system required in life (Christian, Mor-rison, & Bryant, 1998). It has been found that Latino families’ home beliefs surrounding rela-tionship building and necessity has an affect on the emphasis placed on education—without en-couragement to achieve in education and signs of interest from parents about their education, students do not hold education as a high impor-tance (Eamon, 2005). In addition, differing styles of parenting have different outcomes as related to the education of Latino youth. Contributing factors include sense of self, sense of belonging, parent involvement, and academic achievement (Ibanez, Kupermine, Jurkovic, & Perilla, 2004). By providing skills that aid their children in coping and adapting to environments different from that in their home, parents increase their students’ capability of achievement.

The reading ability level of a parent has a di-rect correlation to the reading ability of a child when entering kindergarten (Gunn & Petril, 2008). Johnson, Martin, Brooks-Gunn and Petril (2008) also found that the organization of household affects students’ reading abilities based on the level of reading because the moth-ers are more likely to be the role model associ-ated with a child’s education.

In summary, there are many benefits to including the reading aloud, or listening to of stories for young children’s vocabulary acquisi-tion. Unfortunately, not all students are afforded these benefits, as they do not have opportunity to be read to by fluent readers in the home en-vironment. English-language learning students specifically would benefit from the offering of read alouds in school (Dickinson & Smith, 1994). One way to simulate the read aloud expe-rience is through the use of technology.

Method

Participants and SettingThis study was conducted as part of a grad-

uate teacher education Masters program at a university in the greater Los Angeles area. The study was conducted at an elementary school in the same area of California. Participants were representative of the total school population. Of the school population, 79% are Hispanic, 18% African American, and 3% white (not Hispanic origin). The district provides free or reduced lunches to 91 percent of the students at this school. A researcher-developed home survey given to students at the beginning of the year reported that of the 90 percent of parents who returned home surveys, 37 percent reported not graduating high school.

Specifically, this study was conducted in a Kindergarten classroom of 26 students. The general education teacher of this classroom holds a Multiple Subject Credential and has been employed by the district for 12 consecutive years teaching 2nd grade and Kindergarten. As researchers, we do not consider the teacher to be an adopter of technology other than for teacher efficiency. The technology in the classroom was limited to two computers, used only for taking attendance, and one television with attached VCR/DVD player used to watch movies for “fun” not education. Students did not use any classroom technology. The school has a com-puter lab holding 19 iMac computers; however, out of choice, the teacher with this class does not take students to the computer lab.


Data Collection Tools and Procedures

Two instruments were used in this study. The first tool (Appendix A), a researcher-de-signed survey (in English and Spanish), was developed with the purpose of identifying par-ticipant home reading habits and frequency. The survey was completed by the parents/guardians of each participant. The survey consisted of Likert scale type questions. The questions were based on information necessary to understand the reading habits of students outside of school. Questions asked about student access to litera-ture at home, access to library use, reading time at home together, and parent comfort level in reading English written books. These questions were used to gain information about reading practices and to better understand how these practices affect student motivation to read and current vocabulary understanding.

The second instrument used for this study was the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 4th edition (PPVT4). After research on vocabu-lary comprehension instruments that provided reliability and established validity, it was deter-mined that this instrument was the most reli-able due to continued revision and research available. This instrument was first published in 1959, and is in its 4th edition; it has been re-vised to include commonly used words in stan-dard American English based on research by the Pearson Education Company. This instrument also provides a Growth Scale Value (GSV) that identifies growth in a short time period provid-ing validity for this study’s brief 6-week time frame. The PPVT4 boasts reliability within the 90 percent reliability range in all aspects.

MethodologyStudent participants in the study were

all kindergarten students in the participating teacher’s classroom. Students were randomly as-signed to either iPod group or non-iPod group. A total of 9 students were in the iPod group and 17 were in the non-iPod group. Only 9 students were selected for the iPod group due to the limi-tation of only having 9 iPod Shuffles available (as part of a grant), and we wanted each student in the iPod group to have 24/7 access to the technology. A home reading/literature access survey was completed, and student vocabulary proficiency was determined. The purpose of this was to allow for potential identification of a rela-tionship between home access to literature, op-portunity for read aloud (or not), and vocabu-lary acquisition.

Following a vocabulary pre-test, a training session was held with students to familiarize them with using the iPod Shuffle. This included direct instruction of iPod Shuffle function (on/off, play/stop) and time for general student ex-ploration of the device. Next, students were ex-posed to a total of 30 stories over the 6-week study period. Each school day (5 per week), in an effort to simulate what might be an at-home parent read aloud, students listened to a differ-ent story using the iPod. The stories used were high interest selections of both fictional and non-fictional text. The texts were determined to be high interest based on grade level con-tent, and vibrant pictures to accompany text. The stories were podcasted by the researcher and loaded onto the iPods. A bell system was implemented so readers would know when to turn the page in the accompanying book. Stu-dents in the non-iPod group participated in in-dividual silent reading time for the 15 minutes daily that the trial group was being read aloud to by the iPod shuffle.

Data was collected at the beginning and end of the study. Parent consent and student assent were received. The surveys were a paper and pencil survey that parents completed on their own at home and sent back with students. Stu-dents were offered a reward of a sucker/lollipop for bringing back completed surveys. Students were pre and post-tested for vocabulary com-prehension with the PPVT4. The pre-tests were completed individually, taking approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete with each student. At the end of the 6-week period, students were given the post-test using the PPTV4 under the same conditions as the pre-test to serve as best control for data.

Data AnalysisData analysis will be discussed relative to the

questions guiding the study.Home reading regimen as related to ELLs.

Questions were asked to parents/guardians about home reading patterns in the survey sent home with students. The questions asked pro-vided valuable information regarding students’ reading patterns while at home. Recurring pat-terns were identified using a table that showed all answers to each question. Correlations between the conditions of home language and reading frequency were identified. Answers to the sur-vey questions were tallied to arrive at an over-all idea of where the majority of households fell within the spectrum of given responses. Next, the surveys of households that speak different languages at home were tallied to compare the


gap in reading at home between these two sets of households.

Impact of motivation on vocab-ulary acquisition. To examine impact of motivation on vocabulary acquisi-tion, pre-test results on the PPVT4 were compared between students who had a more regimented reading pat-tern at home and students who lacked a reading regimen. A regular read-ing pattern was identified if students read, or were read to, at least 3-4 days a week. If a student did not partici-pate in a reading activity 3-4 days a week, he or she was considered to not have a regular reading pattern. Spe-cifically, we compared responses on the home survey in relation to home reading availability. This area was examined because we feel students who are not exposed at home to reading would not necessarily be motivated to expose themselves to literature. Then, using the PPVT4 pre-test results from each student, coupled with the reading frequency at home, we searched for a correlation between reading frequency and vocabulary comprehension that could affect motivation.

Access to literature and the impact on vo-cabulary acquisition. To determine the impact of access to literature on vocabulary acquisition, data on the parent survey was examined. Table 1 shows how students were grouped according to access to literature.

Then, using this data and the ideas exam-ined in literature, as related to low vocabulary acquisition/comprehension being an effect of low access to literature, a generalization was made that students without books would have lower vocabulary acquisition levels. Then stu-dents’ PPVT4 pre-test scores were pulled from the population of scores to see if this generaliza-tion was correct.

Impact of technology on motivation. To examine impact of access to electronic media (iPod Shuffle for listening to read aloud) on stu-dent motivation and achievement, data from ob-servations were used to identify student interest (or lack of) in reading during read alongs using iPods. Researcher notes were examined for any observations such as talking to another student during reading time, not following along in the book, or general loss of attention to the reading material that would indicate disinterest in listen-ing activities when iPods were used for reading. Interest was identified by behaviors such as focus, not talking to others during reading time, and completing an entire story before listening to an-

Table 1. Criteria for student grouping by access to literature

other story. Students were asked questions about using the technology and how this type of read-ing interested them, and if they liked reading this way or if they preferred to read another way.

Results This study examined the impact of adding

technology, specifically the use of iPod shuffles, into the reading curriculum. Students were ei-ther part of an iPod shuffle group or not. In an effort to mimic at home read aloud time, iPod students used the technology as a virtual read aloud; whereas, the non-iPod group completed more traditional silent reading. Results of the study are reported relative to the research ques-tion asked during the study.

Is there a Relationship between being a Second Language Learner and Home Reading Regimen?

Analysis of home surveys showed that 80 percent of the second language learners were not reading at home. Additionally, results in-dicated that half of the students making up the second language learner sub-group had little to no access to literature in the home (or did not visit the library); this, no doubt, had an affect on their ability to establish a reading pattern.

What is the impact of motivation to read on student vocabulary comprehension?

It was observed that by using the iPod dur-ing reading time students were more motivated to complete reading a storybook in one sitting. For example, a student who previously was ob-served very quickly opening and closing books, now sat through an entire story listening along with the iPod. A correlation between this in-crease in motivation and the slight increase in vocabulary comprehension was not evidenced. Due to the minimal increase in vocabulary

Degree of access to literature in the home Criteria

High access

• Literaturewasreadilyavailableathomeonaconsistent basis (usually), and/or if the student visited the library with consistency (frequency required depended on literature available at home)

• Studenthadaccesstoliteratureathomealways,but never visited the library

• Studenthadnoaccesstoliteratureathome,butfrequented the library often

Low Access • Studenthadnoaccesstoliteratureathome,andwas never or rarely taken to the library


comprehension found at the end of the study (as little as one school month increase in vo-cabulary comprehension, in most cases), it is not possible to relate this increase to the iPod usage specifically.

What is the impact of varying degrees of access to literature on student vocabulary comprehension?

Of the second language learner group, fifty percent had access to literature on a regu-lar basis. These students with access to literate scored slightly higher, within two school month’s growth, on the PPVT4 prior to the commence-ment of the study as compared with the second language learners with no access to literature. The English only students, having high access to literature, scored with similar results (within two school months) as the second language learners on the PPVT4 tested prior to the commence-ment of the study. We also found that for English only students who had no home access and who were not read to at home, there was no change in scores on the PPVT4 over the study duration.

What is the impact of providing electronic media to students on motivation and vocabu-lary comprehension?

During observation of students, the impact found from providing electronic media on mo-tivation stemmed from the excitement of the students to use the device. Students were ex-cited to sit down and read at reading time with the media—while students not using the media continued to be distracted from the reading time by talking and paying attention to things other than their own reading book. There was no observable impact from the use of the media on vocabulary comprehension as students’ post-test results with the PPVT4 showed a normal (no more than students not using the technolo-gy) increase for the period of time for the study. Student increase in vocabulary comprehension was on track with the expected increase for school exposure to new vocabulary at the end of the study. Both groups, using media and not using media, acquired a similarly low growth in vocabulary comprehension at the end of the study, both group’s scores showing the increase to be the expected increase for the age and edu-cational exposure for the group.

Discussion

This study examined the impact of provid-ing English Language Learners with an iPod device for listening to stories during silent read-ing time. Results showed that students who had access to the iPods did not show significant

improvement over their non-iPod classmates. However, it was evidenced through observation that students benefitted from the use of the in-clusion of the iPods by increasing their motiva-tion to stay focused during silent reading time.

Many factors affected the findings of this study. This study would have benefitted from a more extended period of time. Due to the study spanning over a short period of time (6 weeks), an increase in vocabulary development was not observed to be beyond what is expected for this time period. We know from change theory re-search (e.g. Donovan & Green, 2010), that in order for the impact of innovation adoption to be evidenced, users must have an extended pe-riod of time to implement it before we see true impact. With this understanding, we believe that had a longer period of time been available to work with the participants, data could have provided more detailed information pertaining to an increase in vocabulary acquisition and vo-cabulary comprehension.

When considering English Language Learn-ers, students were exposed to fluent reading that offered them the opportunity to hear words us-ing the correct phonetic pronunciations neces-sary to relate words to meanings when heard again in the future. Although not a focus of this study, we consider that through this exposure, ELL students may correctly pronounce vocabu-lary when repeating words asked during infor-mal discussions of stories as a result. They ben-efitted in the sense of gaining exposure to fluent English while also gaining reading opportunities unavailable before the exposure. When a reading regimen at home was previously not offered in English, the read alouds were now available us-ing the incorporated technology.

Prior to the start of the study, students were expected to read individually during AR time (silent reading time). While observing students it was apparent that many were simply flipping through books looking at pictures. We inter-pret this to be an indication that these students were unable to decode the words or make con-nections between the limited words they could decode and the pictures of the story. By incorpo-rating the iPods into the required reading time, we found that students were more interested in the books that were given to them when asked to read. When asked questions about the stories they had read to them on the iPods, students were able to answer comprehension questions related to the story and the vocabulary con-tained in the story instead of simply being able to tell what was in the pictures. This tells us that in addition to the motivation to learn the stories,


students may have been able to focus on under-standing the story instead of decoding words and trying to make meaning of sentences.

When considering access to literature be-tween home and school, many students did not have a diverse set of literature at home to choose from. The students benefited on many levels by having by being provided with access through the use of the iPods. Books that were related to content being discussed in classroom activities gave them better knowledge to connect to les-sons, giving them confidence in themselves and allowing them to participate more actively in their education instead of being held back due to a lack in vocabulary development. This access to literature further offered the opportunity to introduce students to stories that were not nec-essarily going to be introduced at home due to the disinterest in certain genres at home (e.g., informational books or non fiction stories).

ConclusionsEven with the lack of overwhelming re-

sults, a significant amount was learned from this study. As an educator, it is easy to get lost in the regimented ways of our classrooms, and often we forget the fact that there is such a vast dif-ference in our students year-to-year. What was found in this study was learned more from the observations while the study was taking place and from the answers to surveys about students’ home regimens. We found that ELLs gained motivation from being read to in class with or without the technology. We suggest that having the iPods available in the classroom, all students could have increased ‘read aloud’ access during free time or if they finished required classwork early. Similarly, if more iPods were available in class and to send home with students on a checkout basis, the potential to increase vocabu-lary through exposure to even more literature would likely increase.

The ELL students were not the only ones to benefit from the introduction of the iPod Shuffles into the reading routine in the classroom. English only students similarly increased their motivation to read by using a tool that was “cool” to them, and demonstrating to them the use of tools that were available at home to help them read more when no one else was there to read for them. Anoth-er benefit to this incorporation of the iPods was observed when discussions of stories were heard among students. Students who normally would not have had access to similar stories at home were reading the same stories as their classmates and being able to contribute to conversations about them, allowing them to apply story vocabu-

lary in meaningful ways. During this study, it was evident that students at this young age benefitted on many educational levels from the incorpora-tion of technology in their classroom.

Brenda Boeglin-Quintana graduated with an M.S. in Edu-cational Technology from California State University, Ful-lerton in 2010. She works as a substitute teacher in Chino Hills and Pomona.

Loretta Donovan, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Elementary and Bilingual Education at California State University, Fullerton where she co-facili-tates and teaches in the Educational Technology graduate program. Dr. Loretta Donovan has been formally involved in Educational Technology since earning her Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2005. Prior to join-ing the faculty at California State University Fullerton, she was a K-12 teacher. As a teacher educator and technology specialist, she continues to share her passion for authen-tic technology integration with pre-service and in-service teachers across the United States. She consults with school districts and departments of education on planning, imple-menting, and promoting technology initiatives.

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Appendix AHome survey filled out by parent/guardian (English and Spanish version)

storytime using ipods: using technology to reach all learners

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