LightSail Literacy Solution (iPad App)
[LightSail (646) 468-8342]
   
       LightSail Literacy Solution is an interactive eReader that utilizes new technology enhancements to propel the eBook beyond conventional text formats.
         The product offers a library of over 100,000 fiction and nonfiction titles classified according to Lexile levels. Whether it be Huckleberry Finn, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln or Black Beauty, the reader will encounter a variety of exciting design formats such as the colorful Saddleback Illustrated Classics, graphic novel format, or a combination of text and eye-catching graphics - all of which make reading compelling.
         In the Library, the user selects a book, views an excerpt, and decides whether or not to read it. The Read button downloads (checks out) the book so it is available for use on the Dashboard until it is returned to the library. Schools can define the length of the loan period, after which time the book is returned to the library and made accessible to other students.
         The eBooks provide word definitions, and some offer a read-along feature. Assessment devices are employed throughout each book, such as built-in cloze items, multiple choice Common Core-aligned questions, and short response assessments to monitor comprehension. The student is thus motivated to read mindfully, and has the opportunity to make simple digital notes which are instantly visible to teachers who can provide real-time response to student thinking. 
         The Student Dashboard provides a Progress Bar (progress in each book, where purple indicates how much has been read, and dots represent assessments), What I'm Reading, Recommended Titles (based on current Lexile measures and books recently read), and more.
         The Teacher Dashboard gives immediate access to up-to-the-minute student data, including thoughts they record while reading; students' current focus and comprehension levels; and information about performance on assessments.
         Designed for Grades 1 to 12, LightSail Literacy Solution is an exciting reading product that students (including the struggling and gifted) will enjoy. It is currently available in iOS format/iPad, giving it the added advantage of portability. 

Istation (Website)
[Istation (866) 883-7323]

                  Istation Advanced Reading, winner of the 2104 EDDIE in Upper Elementary Reading, is something of a throwback - endearingly and powerfully so.  Endearingly, Istation is a downloadable software program (while most educational programs are now delivered via websites) with engaging cartoon characters and animation, especially appropriate for classrooms with limited or no access to the Internet.  Powerfully, it improves reading skills of students from 4^th to 12^th grade.
         Complying with state standards, as well as Common Core, Istation's ISIP [Istation's Indicators of Progress] delivers, by a computer-adaptive test, content tailored to each individual student's skill level in the four critical domains of reading: Word Analysis, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension.  Building on those skills, Istation provides three tiers of instruction and does so with engaging, compelling content and lots of guided practice - in a format even struggling readers and ELL students will find appealing.
         Teachers will like the available resources which include directed lessons, bibliographies for each lesson, online interactive books, and, best of all, student scores and placements are completed immediately, freeing up more time for actual teaching.
         If improving reading skills is in your wheelhouse, you'll want to take a look at Istation.