I love the versatility of this app!

This is a good tool to keep kids occupied to themselves while reading a book or having the app read it to them. It is kind of like a kindle with a large variety of books. However, it asks the child's interest and age, thereby pulling reading books that the child may be interested in reading. For a teacher, it has a search feature so the teacher can enter the topic and it will pull up some books. It is a good library source and makes it easier find topics to read about as opposed to looking through your physical library. The child will visit many different floating islands which has a library of common topics and it will also throw in a non-topic book that causes curiosity. It also has a video library that involves children telling the story or someone reading a book. The child is awarded a figurine to add to the world, such as a palm tree, a house, a dinosaur, etc. after reading or viewing videos. Overall this is an excellent app. I used an iPad however, I believe that it can be used on an android as well

Reading Rainbow is an excellent individual reading motivator however, I could also see using it as a class teaching tool for whole groups as well. It would be an excellent way to bring a story into social studies or science by projecting the story and reading it together and then going on a virtual field trip. It would be an excellent way to introduce a topic or reinforce a subject you have been teaching. Skybrary for school does require an account purchase but they do offer it free to Title I schools, it was only offered free while they were in BETA. That is the only downside I see to Reading Rainbow's Skybrary.

I think Reading Rainbow is a great choice for early learners, pre-readers, and reluctant readers. I think that's always been the magic of Reading Rainbow and, honestly, it's no surprise that the app brings the same enjoyment of reading that you and I remember from the show. I greatly enjoy the adventure and discovery that comes with a good book. I'm no reading expert but I do find that some kids have a difficult time enjoying their reading because they struggle to decode the text. Sometimes we all need a little motivation... And I think that is the niche of Reading Rainbow. The app provides scaffolding for early and struggling readers and really great graphics and interactives that all will enjoy. As far as classroom use, I think the Reading Rainbow app would work really well in a learning center. You may also consider pairing the app with Apple TV for a high-tech read aloud session. :)