Literacy is an essential link for success in all academic subjects.

Reading literacy inspires lifelong learners, and as a result, good readers will have enriched lives and they are productive citizens in their community. The Versia William Elementary School Library Media Department desires to improve reading scores for grades 3 through 5 on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test by integrating Apple iPad Learning Labs to increase reading comprehension skills because STAAR test scores are consistently low in the learning outcomes of making inferences and draw conclusions about themes and genres in different cultural, historical, and contemporary settings. With the addition of the Apple iPad Learning Labs, students in grades 3 through 5 can access apps to increase inferencing and reasoning skills. Some inferencing apps include the following: Understanding Inference Fun Deck Super Duper What are they Thinking? Between the Lines - Level 1, 2, and 3 If ThenFun Deck Reading Prep: Inference Robot Rescue Reading for Inference

Additionally, students will have the opportunity to download eBooks. These eBooks will allow students to read text with audio support, word-by-word tracking, and picture animation. Moreover, the eBooks features will allow the reader to interact with oral readings by recording and replaying their own voice with the text. The eBooks will increase students vocabulary by supplying definition and pronunciation of any word on the screen by easily touching the word. Lastly, students are allowed to add notes and highlighting while reading. In addition to interacting with eBooks and inferencing apps, students may increase other reading comprehension skills by working with apps on making predictions, sequencing, cause and effect, drawing conclusions, main idea, and distinguish fact from opinion. Versia William Elementary School Library Media Department would like financial assistance to purchase ten Apple iPad Learning Labs with mobile charging carts to be used by nine classrooms. The tenth Apple iPad Learning Lab will be used in the Library Media Center. Each Apple Learning Lab will consist of 30 iPad devices. These learning labs will allow 3 through 5 grade students access to reading comprehension apps and eBooks. The iPads will be used for improving reading comprehension and intervention strategies. Through the purchase of the Apple iPad Learning Labs, reading comprehension scores will increase and the objective pertaining to inferencing will be explained using 21st century digital resources. Chandra Hayes is the Project Director responsible for local administration and implementation of this project. This proposed grant will begin in the 2013-2014 school year.