Reading beyond the lines? The role of digital texts and technologies in reading groups

Classroom practitioners are beginning to incorporate new technologies into literacy experiences. While these attempts are bridging the technological divide in classrooms between old and new literacies, some researchers argue that teachers and students are not necessarily engaging with new literacies when using new technologies (Lankshear & Knobel, 2003b). This paper discusses research conducted using a survey, interviews and classroom observations, on the use of technology during 'reading groups', in Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 classrooms in rural New South Wales. Technology was found to be most frequently encountered by small groups and individual students, working independently of the teacher. Students typically used electronic storybooks and drill and practice applications. This research illustrates the need to expand the definition of 'text' to close the technological gap in beginning reading pedagogy. Technology mediate texts must be endorsed as legitimate, and explored as part of the reading corpus in explicit reading instruction.