Fire Up to Read with Kindle
For Pioneers in rural Missouri, supplying local elementary schools with e-readers encouraged both reading and technology literacy.
Through the Fire Up to Read with Kindle project, Pioneers aimed to promote reading, help students develop lifelong reading habits, and to motivate and enhance the reading experience. The project also had the benefit of giving students access to new technology.
Rural and low income schools were chosen to receive the Kindles because they often have fewer staff, less resources, and limited budgets for modernizing their technology. These constraints make it difficult for schools to have the tools they need to encourage students to become strong readers.
Local teachers and librarians have been thrilled with the new Kindles. Teachers are using the Kindles for extra reading resources, academic assessments, and in guided reading groups. The Kindles have also saved schools additional money because of the free books teachers can access.
The Kindles have been a big help for struggling readers who are using them to build fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary – and they are having fun doing it! The Kindles are also giving students access to a wider variety of literature. Since e-books are delivered instantly, students can access interesting books that the school may not have in hard copy.