Jackie Kennedy once said "There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all." I couldn't agree with her more, and found a great website that would definitely help to grow that love for books. I chose Epic because it looked inviting and useful for literacy instruction and development, and it had not been selected by any of my other classmates yet. It is so full of books and other literacy resources in different formats and styles. I will give a guided tour through the site, noting its usefulness for reading instruction, ease of use, and other important details that are worth mentioning.
For starters, Epic is extremely visually appealing. The organization of its contents are pleasant to the eye, but are also self-explanatory, as well. It is a free site, which is a major plus, but I do need to add that signing up for membership is mandatory in order to enjoy the full extent of the web resource. The sign-up process is very simple, though, and completely worth it. Once you are signed up, you are taken to your dashboard, where a slew of tools and useful contents await. There is a class code for your specific account that you can share with your students. If desired, you can even use Epic as a Classroom Management System, just like Khan Academy, Google Classroom, or any other popular CMS.
Epic can be accessed based on specific subject areas, such as Math, science, or ELA. ELA is divided into genres such as fiction and nonfiction, poetry, and picture books. There is even a tool for teaching writing. What I found there was really cool, and I had never heard of it before. Epic’s ELA collection includes Hi-Lo books, which I had to look up for an explanation. Hi-Lo books, I found, are a type of book that features High interest but Low readability. These books are intended to get a struggling or reluctant reader to be comfortable and interested in reading. It is a great starting platform from which a teacher can expand upon as a student becomes more confident and equipped for more difficult literary material.
The website is also organized by types of literary material. Under the dropdown “Books” you will find more than a hundred electronic books, in different formats. When I selected the “Breadwinner” book, I was delighted to find a beautifully illustrated online graphic novel with a heart wrenching story about an Afghani girl who must disguise herself as a boy to help make ends meet for her family. There are countless other books that are just as beautifully illustrated and narrated. Other categories besides Books are Videos, Read To Me, Audiobooks, and Collections.
For every category, you can select the Age or Reading Level of your desired selection. You can also decide to search on the basis of Fiction/Nonfiction, Format, or Language. It is just incredible how you can target the needed reading materials by such specific parameters. There are even quizzes available for every resource.
Epic is such a diverse and easy-to-use website. There are so many topics, literary formats,
and even videos to guide literacy instruction. My favorite part about Epic is that a teacher can search so specifically based on the needs of each child. After finding the proper material, there is a Classroom Management System available, in which you can tailor assignments and quizzes to fit the specific development of each student. I will definitely be using this website in the future.
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