I am a little late to the party, but I am here again to link up with Jen from Tech with Jen for her Be Appy Monday, and I’m excited to tell you all about a new reading software application called Snap Learning. There are so many options available for students to use, and it’s tough for teachers to know about them all, so I thought this would be a great time to talk about one I’ve been trying out. This week for Appy Monday, apps were shared on several topics, so be sure to visit Tech with Jen by clicking the Appy Monday logo at the end of the post.

By now, my readers have probably picked up on the fact that I really like Close Reading, and by Close Reading, I do not mean this. Close Reading is a strategy for our students to use during their reading to help them with analyzing the text they’re reading for importance.

Snap Learning has two options. You can use the “stretch” texts for Close Reading or use the program for guided reading in print form. One great idea would be to combine the two for shared reading prior to students using on their own. With the online version, students have the ability to read independently, read with a read aloud, record notes and mark text information in response to text questions. At all times, students have the option to work on the story at the place they like using the reader stage buttons. This shows the reader at the third step, but he/she can return back to previous steps when needed.

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With the page to the right, you can see the options for marking as well as how questions are answered. The reader has both red and blue pen options. The questions and response boxes appear in the margin.

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I like how the student is provided with previous responses for reflection as he/she moves to the summarizing step. This shows the connection between main idea and summarizing.

I also think the colorful pictures enhance the concepts included in the story. Here is an example of one showing the caterpillar stage. The story I looked at for this post was Life of a Butterfly which is a second grade standard in Virginia, and it explains each stage very well through diagrams, photos, and text.

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During the last reading stage, the student adds a quick write response (just a sentence) predicting or commenting on what’s ahead. Recording “Wonderings” helps the reader tap into natural curiosity.

The chart to the left shows the options with Snap Learning. Teachers have the ability to monitor student progress and observe word confusions. The software records the words students highlight, and the student has a collection of approximately 25 book titles for each Fountas and Pinnell level. As students work through the collection, teachers have the option to adjust the level as well. Titles include a mix of science and social students content and genres. At the level I worked through, the student had books about life cycles, the water cycle, space, Washington, rocks and minerals, biographies, and more.

If this sounds interesting to you, you can request a demo license through [this link]. Snap! Learning Company has donated a one year subscription to me to use as a giveaway. I hope you’ll take a moment to enter the Giveaway below. You never know. You just might win!

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