Websites with Digital Books, Songs, and Poetry

From the Marshall Memo #437

In this article in The Reading Teacher, Andrea Thoermer (University of Florida/ Gainesville) and Lunetta Williams (University of North Florida/Jacksonville) suggest ways to use technology to improve students’ fluency. They recommend the following websites with digital books, songs, and poetry:

• Bus Songs – http://www.bussongs.com - more than 2,000 nursery rhymes and songs, most with lyrics, videos, and music.

• Children’s Books Forever – http://www.childrensbooksforever.com/index.html - More than 20 illustrated books on primary-grade themes, including anger and bullying.

• Inkless Tales – http://www.inklesstales.com/stories - Fictional stories about a character named Fanny Doodle and her poodle, highlighting Dolch list words.

• Krazy Kats – http://www.krazykats-karaoke.co.uk/karaoke_kids.html - Additional links to sites with music and lyrics to nursery rhymes, Walt Disney movies, alphabet songs, traditional songs, and songs from PBS Kids. 

• Magic Keys Books – http://www.magickeys.com/books - Digital storybooks with audio for primary and intermediate students.

• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) – 

http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/read_aloud_stories.htm - Fun, animated stories for reading and sing-alongs, with Spanish stories and songs. 

“Using Digital Texts to Promote Fluent Reading” by Andrea Thoermer and Lunetta Williams in The Reading Teacher, April 2012 (Vol. 65, #7, p. 441-445), http://www.reading.org; the authors can be reached at andreat@ufl.edu and lmwillia@unf.edu.