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The purpose of this feasibility study was to examine the potential impact of reading digital interactive e-books, Word Knowledge e-books (WKe-Books), on essential skills that support reading comprehension with third-fifth grade students. Students (N= 425) read two WKe-Books, that taught word learning and comprehension monitoring strategies in the service of learning difficult vocabulary and targeted science concepts about hurricanes. We investigated whether specific comprehension strategies -- 1) word learning and strategies that supported general reading comprehension, 2) summarization, and 3) question generation, show promise of effectiveness in building vocabulary knowledge and comprehension skills in the WKe-Books. Students were assigned to read one of three versions of each of the two WKe-Books, each version implemented one strategy. The books employed a choose-your-adventure format with embedded comprehension questions that provided students with immediate feedback on their responses. Paired samples t-tests were run to examine pre-to-post differences in learning the targeted vocabulary and science concepts taught in both WKe-Books. For both WKe-Books, students demonstrated significant gains in word learning and on the targeted hurricane concepts. Additionally, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) revealed that no one strategy was more associated with larger gains than the other. Performance on the embedded questions in the books was also associated with greater posttest outcomes for both WKe-Books. These findings suggest that the affordances offered by technology, which are unavailable in paper-based books, can effectively support students' development of reading-related skills, including strategy use. Further, this work discusses important considerations for implementation and future development of e-books that can enhance student engagement and improve reading comprehension. [This paper was published at "arXiv" 2024.]

The purpose of this paper is to guide the process of selecting meaningful books to use in pre-K-6 classrooms. With thousands of children's books being published each year, it is difficult for teachers to select which ones hold the most potential to inspire students towards a life time of reading pleasure and purpose. This paper outlines selection criteria and provides lesson examples grounded within past and current pedagogical research. The paper includes the following appendices: (1) Teaching the Book: K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo. Andreae, G. (2002); (2) Teaching the Book: Way Out in the Desert. Marsh, T. J., & Ward, J. (1998); (3) Teaching the Book: Runaway Pumpkin. Lewis, K. (2003); (4) Teaching the Book: I Survived: The Nazi Invasion, 1944. Tarshis, L. (2014); (5) Teaching the Book: The Nine Lives of Travis Keating Maclean, J. (2008); and (6) Teaching the Book: Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn by Herge (/erg/) pen name of Gorges Remi, Brussels, Belgium (1943c).

Informational text--resources whose purpose is to inform--is essential to daily life and fundamental to literacy. Unfortunately, young children typically have limited exposure to informational text. Two 9-week randomized controlled trials with 263 first-grade children from low-income communities examined whether free educational videos and digital games supported children's ability to use informational text to answer real-world questions. Participants received Internet-enabled tablets and were randomly assigned to condition. Study 1 found significant positive intervention impacts on child outcomes; Study 2 replicated these findings. Combined analyses demonstrated primary impact on children's ability to identify and use structural and graphical features of informational text. Results are discussed in the context of the scalability of educational media to support informational text learning. [This paper was published in "American Educational Research Journal" v59 n6 p1194-1228 Dec 2022 (EJ1355663).]

Contemporary nonfiction for young people plays a crucial role in the reading and writing lives of K-12 students. It is a rich and compelling genre that supports students' development as critically, visually, and informationally literate 21st century thinkers and creators. Unlike many textbooks and materials written for online or print-based school curriculum, nonfiction literature for young people does more than communicate information. Nonfiction literature contextualizes primary source evidence, offers multiple perspectives on current and historic events, and shares new scientific discoveries. Contemporary nonfiction addresses historical silences; explores historic and contemporary events rooted in racism, oppression, and violence; and highlights courageous trailblazers and organized groups working toward societal transformation and liberation. The purpose of this position statement is to propose a paradigm shift for teaching and learning with nonfiction literature in K-12 education.