Peer Review

Read-aloud

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jun 17, 2012 by Teacher Education

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Read Aloud.Org is the offical website for the Read Aloud Organization which seeks to encourage parents to read to their children at home.
Type of Material:: Collection -- This is a colorful site that contains videos of Hilda, the talking goat, and provides information for parents to encourage them to read aloud to their children. There is also an interactive tab to create e-cards.
Recommended Uses:: Librarians, teachers, literacy awareness organizations, and parents could share the reading tips and information regarding the book festivals in the local area. There is also a Big Box of Books program created by the Read Aloud organization which donates books to low income families. Teachers could partner with local libraries to provide the books on the recommended book lists. The recommended book lists could then be distributed to parents for use at home.
Technical Requirements:: A flash player or a real player is needed to view the animation and to create e-cards. Computer must be able to access video and open .zip files.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Parents will be encouraged to read aloud to their children. Parents will be provided with resources to help them find books appropriate for their children. Educators have access to research articles, recommended books, and information about the organization and its events.
Target Student Population:: The parents of preschool and elementary school students could benefit from the advice on how to read to children and from receiving a box of books if they are eligible. Pre-service and in-service teachers can benefit from the content of the site and teacher educators could use it as a resource in reading and language methods classes.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: None

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: There are research articles posted on the websites to support the need for reading aloud to children. The advice given to parents on how to select books and get children interested in reading appears to be aligned with university reading methodology courses.
Concerns:: No concepts are demonstrated. There is no curriculum or model. It is a website used to promote an organization.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The website advocates that parents should should read to children early in their lives to encourage a love of reading. Books should be made available to children. There are links other organizations such as the Reading is Fundamental organization which post printable reading materials.
Concerns:: There are no learning materials posted by Read Aloud except tips and book lists. The events information has not been updated since March 2012 and the booklists were lated updated April 2010. Books are not organized by grade level.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The menus, labels, and buttons on the site are easy to locate. Children may enjoy making e-cards and listening to the animated goat.
Concerns:: The site does not give specific information on how to request a Big Box of Books but an email address and a telephone number is posted for more information. It maybe cost prohibitive for parents to buy the books on the book lists. Some of the videos of Hilda, the talking goat do have text equivalents, but some do not.

Other Issues and Comments:: The site is informative but it is not designed as a teaching and learning tool. According to various website, the Read-Aloud organization hosts community events during which a presentation is given to parents and books are distributed to the attendees. This is a worthwhile effort if parents can get involved in reading aloud, it will help children do better in school and life.
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