A Deeper Look at the Raz-Kids Program As the school I work at supports the Raz-Kids online program (https://www.raz-kids.com/) I wanted to take this opportunity to further explore this computer program and how it relates to reading in the 21st century. The Raz-Kids website states that the program is a “teaching product that provides comprehensive levelled reading resources for students”. The teacher is able to set the level for each individual student so that they are reading books at their appropriate level. Each level is made up of ten or more eBooks. When the student has completed each of the eBooks and answered the comprehension questions they are moved onto the next level. If the teacher feels they are not ready, he or she may move the student back to repeat a level. As students read or listen to the online books and answer comprehension questions they earn points towards building a robot. This motivational aspect keeps students engaged and wanting to read through as many books as they can. Raz-Kids is a great resource to get students excited about reading. The question I am left with is how does the program act as a “teaching product”? I understand that this program provides students with the opportunity to practice their reading skills and the eBooks can be printed off and used in a Guided Reading group but does this program actual “teach” reading? I don’t believe that it does. Raz-Kids should be used to supplement and reinforces strategies that were introduced during teacher-instructed Guided Reading lessons, it cannot take the place of teacher instruction. While I do not feel Raz-Kids is a “teaching product” as the website indicates, it is a great tool to support reading used by teachers around the world. As technology becomes more popular in the classroom, teachers should embrace these online tools and use them to enhance student learning.
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