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App review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Education | Updated March 2015
WriteReader Classroom

WriteReader Classroom

Versatile, easy-to-use book maker for beginner writers

Learning rating
Editorial review by Common Sense Education
Community rating
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Privacy rating
Not yet rated Expert evaluation by Common Sense
Grades
Pre-K–1 This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
Subjects & Skills
English Language Arts, English-Language Learning, Communication & Collaboration, Creativity
Great for
Creating Media
Platforms:  iPad
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Take a look inside

5 images
Kids can add images and text or thought bubbles to their writing.
Teachers can guide kids' writing, demonstrating proper spelling and conventions.
Books can be saved in-app or to iBooks or can be shared by email.
Kids can read books published by other kids or publish their own publicly.
They can also add voice narration to their books.

Pros: Touch keyboard offers several options, including uppercase, lowercase, letter names, and phonetic sounds.

Cons: Teachers shouldn't rewrite every word or even sentence of kids' compositions, though some may be tempted to do so.

Bottom Line: Empowering tool will make kids want to write.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

WriteReader Pro does digitally what early-elementary students and teachers are already doing on paper. Instead of kids drawing a picture and writing a few sentences about it, with teachers rewriting some words to show kids the spelling (or translate so parents can read it), kids do all of that in-app. Plus, they can publish their writing in an ebook that can be easily shared with parents. Also, supporting documents about the app and its method are included on the developer's website, and they're a great boon to teachers and parents alike.

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Standards:

WriteReader is a research-backed writing tool that lets kids write their own stories in their own words. Teachers can then translate kids' writing using proper spelling and conventions. Books can be shared, printed, or published, with a teacher permission and assistance, using the in-app library. Kids can also read other kids' writing that has been published in the library. The developer's website includes the research supporting this form of writing practice as well as tips for developing kids' writing skills, both within the app and outside of it. 

To create their own books, kids tap the plus sign to add a new book and then give their book a title and author and add a cover image. They can then add text, voice narration, thought or speech bubbles, and images to each page of the book, which can have up to 40 pages. Kids can tap the speech icon to have their teacher's comments read aloud.

The features included -- feedback from teachers, the opportunity to publish, the ability to customize with pictures and speech bubbles -- make writing fun for kids, which is exactly what encourages kids to write. And the more they write, the better they write; the more they read, the better they read. WriteReader ties writing and reading together, letting kids write original texts, read each other's writing, and reread their own writing. The keyboard is customizable, too, letting kids see the letters in caps or lowercase and hear audio of letter names or letter sounds as they type. Overall, this is a great  tool for making reading and writing accessible, empowering, and fun.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

Adding their own images to illustrate their ideas and then sharing their writing as published work will motivate and encourage kids to write. Reading what other kids have created can help them to take risks in their own writing.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

Kids can write, read, get feedback, and publish their writing using this age-appropriate, easy-to-navigate tool. Teachers can easily revise or translate kids' writing on the same page.

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

Impressive resources (on the developer's website) include the research backing the method and tips to improve reading and writing outside of the app.

Common Sense reviewer
Amanda Bindel Classroom teacher
See how we rate and review

Key Standards Supported

Language

  • L.K.1

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • L.K.1f

    Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

  • L.K.2d

    Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships.

  • L.1.1

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • L.1.2

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  • L.1.2d

    Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.

  • L.1.2e

    Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.

Writing

  • W.K.6

    With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

  • W.K.1

    Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).

  • W.K.2

    Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

  • W.K.3

    Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

  • W.1.6

    With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

  • W.1.1

    Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.

  • W.1.2

    Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

  • W.1.3

    Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

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