Digital Emergent Readers are a simple, fun, and interactive way to get students reading in the classroom or at home!
A simple PDF Emergent Reader can easily be used in Present mode, viewed on Promethean/Smart Boards or any computer screen, and/or uploaded to SeeSaw! These are great reading activities for Distance Learning or In-Person learning!
After using several different curriculums, including Montessori, Reading Street, and ARC, I have found that having a balance of phonemic awareness and phonics based readers alongside whole word readers creates a dynamic environment for "learning how to read!" Of course, each individual student learns to read in a specific manner. But by providing both types of emergent readers for large group, small group, and individual intervention, you are increasing the "tool bag" so to speak, and allowing for more opportunity for reading growth in your classroom!
Every good emergent reader introduces the high-frequency words to be used in the story at the beginning. You can easily incorporate those words in a warm-up activity of your choice wherein the students are practicing those words before they begin reading.
Phonemic Awareness and Phonics based readers will incorporate those high-frequency words alongside current skills, such as letters of the week, rhyming words, CVCs, consonant blends, etc. These readers are considered decodable, since students can use current skills to decode the words in the story. These readers are great for practicing and solidifying current phonics skills, while simultaneously using previous background knowledge.
Example: The cat sits on the box.
Whole Word based readers will also incorporate those high-frequency words, but may also include new vocabulary words, in
which students will need to use the context of a sentence, the pictures on the page, the beginning consonant letter of a word, etc., in order to decode the word. For instance, my digital emergent reader A Holiday for Me! incorporates holiday words that students may not be familiar with - just yet! These readers are an amazing way to introduce new vocabulary and help to build students' background knowledge. And interestingly, many students will learn a word after reading it several times - independent of the "phonics rules" within the word!
Example: The presents are for the holiday.
I love finding any way possible to get students reading! I am now creating a myriad of thematic, seasonal, engaging digital emergent readers that I hope will make it into your classroom, school, or home. I will be adding new readers to TPT (and shortly to Etsy) every month, including various reading levels at the Kindergarten grade level. I can also create any readers for you that you may be interested in. Just send me an email!
