Community reviews for LightSail

I really like this program even if I know I will miss having the kids read from the classroom library. One issue though is realizing what books to order and convincing the admin to buy the number of books you need. We are sharing the books through the whole school so teachers are going to have to be really careful about getting kids to make sure that the return the books digitally or other students can't check them out.

I like that both the students and I could track the students progress--both the number of books read and the genres. I like that it is a way for my students to have choice in what they read but also holds them accountable for their thinking and the common core standards. My students appreciate the conference aspect and that it is tablet-based so that they aren't responsible for remembering to bring bits of paper to school. LightSail allows me personalize my reading instruction and allows my students personal choice and personal accountability. All students' needs can be met--from those who only read fiction books (and are encouraged to set goals to increase the number of nonfiction books read) to those who struggle with reading to those who need a challenge.

LightSail is a great tool to use to monitor students during independent reading time. While reading, students answer quick comprehension checks. The data is then made available to the teacher who can make instructional decisions based on it. Collecting the data in this way helps to get intervention to the student much faster. No more waiting until the student has floundered through a few chapters.

The LightSail App is a highly engaging and interactive program. As a classroom teacher, I would recommend this program to other teachers who are looking for a way to provide students with the opportunity to grow as readers by incorporating blended learning with 21st century skills. The fact that I can confer with students both digitally and face to face, monitor how often they are practicing their reading goals, and monitor their comprehension through rigorous assessments allows me to better set goals on each student's instructional level to foster as much growth as possible. The students are able to select from a wide variety of texts on their instructional level. As the students grow as readers they are able to access more difficult texts. I love that the students are able to see how they are progressing on their goals independently. This program is truly an asset to any language arts classroom!

Imagine being able to track a student's reading rate, comprehension, and written responses to standards-based assessments in real-time! Picture yourself giving that student immediate feedback, or 1:1 intervention, because you are able to digitally monitor each of your students' progress individually? And that kid in the corner holding the iPad? A quick glance at his profile confirms that he is off-task and needs to be redirected. My prior experience with literature assessment was with the old-school "student reads the book and takes the multiple-guess test" after completing the text. Those days have been eclipsed by a hands-on, research-based digital tool which focuses on empowering the reader with high standards aligned to Core Curriculum. Reading competency increases, writing skills are strengthened, and students feel successful. Wow! This is a Win-win year in any classroom!

Lightsail has hit the mark with this Common Core-aligned program for all grade levels. The program gives students a large library of reading level appropriate books to choose from at their fingertips! Teachers are afforded the luxury of continuous, easy-to-access performance data for individual students which allows them to give students instant feedback to keep interest levels high. I wish I could have implemented Lightsail years ago!

This is an amazing tool for all around literacy; I love how easy it is to use and that students find it fun.

I think this is the future of literacy education! LightSail is a meaningful, engaging and thoughtful program for students of all ages. The use of technology is motivating for students and easy for educators to use. The assessments built into the text take away a lot of the guess work that can go into literacy education. When using LightSail texts/assessments I am confident that I am providing my students with meaningful instruction and assessment.

This is great tool for assessing comprehension. It is tightly aligned to CCSS for ELA and a good way to measure student comprehension of text. The fact that the assessments include short response answers from students gives it extra mileage and depth that other assessments don't have. Another benefit is the sample responses for the short response questions helping the teacher to quickly determine the depth of understanding and proficiency.

The Lightsail digital reading program has made my teaching much more effective while providing me with real-time data on my students. All of the assignments and information that I need are stored within the program and as a result, I rarely need to use copy paper! Lightsail gives me the chance to actually see what my students are thinking as they read. There are no more stacks of notebooks to look through or Post Its all over my classroom floor. The student motivation has greatly improved and there is definitely a healthy competition within my classes for who can read the most books, who can increase their reading level the most, etc. Having access to so many books on so many topics has been amazing! A digital library eliminates the problem of having to replace books that have been destroyed or taken. I am able to constantly pull small groups and confer with students about their progress by just tapping through a few screens on my iPad. Since we began the program, the progress that my students have made is astounding. Lightsail has truly revolutionized the way that I teach literacy in my classroom.