FAQ - I'm frustrated with the Listen to Reading tapes and CDs in my classroom. Do you have any suggestions?
We had the joy of meeting Kari Butcher, Cami Ashley, Katie Oney, and Cindy Matulis all from Hollywood Elementary in Stevensville, MI. They have taken Listen to Reading into the digital era by using MP3 players in their classrooms with their young children. They were generous enough to outline their process changing their Listen to Reading into using MP3s and gave us permission to share it with you! "We purchased our MP3 players through our local department store Elder-Beerman (during Christmas time for $20.00 each), but I know they can be found online and at other stores, as well. Here are the links to the players and the earphones, below. Little Tunes MP3 Music Boombox GE Jasco Flexible Headphones
There's a headphone jack on each, so we purchased these child-sized headphones (separately) for each player. Here's a link to Amazon's site (where they can be ordered) for $5.99 each:
GE Jasco Flexible Headphones
Teachers take their books on CD and transfer the files onto their classroom MP3 player. You connect the player to your computer with the USB cable (that's provided) and can then arrange files like you would a music playlist. We've also devised a "user friendly" system for the kids so they can indeed be INDEPENDENT! On the player itself, it has a track section in which is tells you ___/30 (or however many books you have). So, if a student wants to listen to the book that's track 18, the player display would read "18/30." We've collected our "listen to reading books" and placed them in a special bin in the classroom. Students who are using the MP3 players look through the bin and select a book that interests them, then they open it and look on the inside of the front cover. We've gone through and placed sticky notes on the inside cover that correlate to the track number. So, if they open the book and it says "12" on the sticky note, they use the arrows to move to track 12 (ex. 12/30). (We used sticky notes so that it'd be easy to change books on the player with the seasons and as we get new ones.) With little training they could all do it on their own (kindergarten and first grade)! Oh, and we of course have some "tech support" or trained helpers who students can go to if they have questions or need assistance (so they don't have to interrupt us)."
We cannot thank Kari, Cami, Katie and Cindy enough for sharing their process and wonderful idea!
| 
