EPP - Reading comprehension tasks on iPads

On my Enquiry Placement, I observed that a group of children were using their iPads during Guided Reading. They had different groups doing a set of tasks. The five groups were:-
- Guided reading with the teacher
- Answering comprehension tasks using comprehension cards
- Reading own book
- Handwriting practice
- Reading a book and completing comprehension tasks using iPads

The school is subscribed to Bug Club (Active Learn) where children can have their personalised reading journey. When they login, they are taken to their personalised homepage and can choose a book to read. As they are reading, they see a bug mark which indicates that there are some comprehension questions. Answering this questions allows them to earn points which they can convert into rewards that they can use on Active Learn.

I must say I'm not a big fan of using iPads for reading (simply because I love the feel of real books and I think children spend too much time on computers / phones at home anyway). However, I think this is a great way for encouraging children to read. Even though they are still reading a story, simply allowing them to use technology makes reading an exciting and rewarding activity. The questions that pop up as a little challenge also removes the daunting and boring aspect of having to answer a list of questions at the end. Definitely an example of ICT being used to enhance reading and comprehension skills!

I also like that children are given the chance to read using both the iPad and actual books during the week. I'm sure the children will appreciate the touch of real books too.