This document discusses the Akron Ready Steps program, which serves over 300 at-risk children in five Head Start sites in Akron, Ohio. It aims to provide preschoolers with key knowledge and skills, train teachers, design literacy-rich learning environments, engage parents, and strengthen early education in the community. The document poses questions about e-books, including what makes a high-quality e-book for young children, whether they can support literacy skills, and what digital elements and design features are best. It proposes designing research on e-books that involves observing student engagement with e-books and teacher instruction with the technology.
1. Towards an e-Book Quality Rating Tool
EduCon 2.3
January 29, 2011
h"p://akronreadysteps.ning.com/
2. What
is
Akron
Ready
Steps?
• A
partnership
between
The
University
of
Akron
College
of
EducaBon,
(UA)
and
Akron
Summit
Community
AcBon,
Inc
(ASCA)
• Akron
Ready
Steps
(ARS)
is
a
program
that
serves
over
300
at
risk
children
in
five
Head
Start
sites
in
high
poverty
communiBes
in
Akron,
OH.
3. ARS
Program
Goals
• high
priority
knowledge
and
skills
preschoolers
need
to
learn;
• high
priority
knowledge
and
skills
teachers/
teacher
assistants
need
to
teach;
• the
design
of
high
quality
21st
century
language
and
literacy-‐rich
environments;
• acBve
parent
engagement;
• and
mobilizing
the
community
around
strong
preschool
literacy
educaBon.