Literacy Now

Incorporating technology into elementary literacy spaces presents many challenges for teachers and students alike. Time constraints, device issues, and accessibility concerns make digital projects feel overwhelming. While these concerns are valid, my experience has shown that digital literacy projects can become a powerful and engaging norm in diverse classrooms across the nation.

I currently teach 23 second grade students who are eager to use technology in ways that far exceed what many adults expect from young learners. My students represent a wide range of academic ability, socioeconomic backgrounds, and linguistic identities, which means each of their products rarely look the same. Teaching in such a diverse classroom has taught me how difficult it can be to get every student invested in literacy projects. Yet it has also shown me how transformative digital tools can be when students are positioned as creators rather than passive consumers.

Using different platforms to create meaningful literacy experiences

Before diving into the projects, it’s important to note one key factor: Choice! Student buy-in dramatically increases when learners have ownership over what they read, research, and create. I often design literacy projects around a broad standard and then allow students to choose specific texts or topics they want to explore. I have found that choice is the most crucial component that gets even your reluctant readers to enjoy these projects.

Project #1: Pairing reader's theater with Canva

Early in the year, I noticed many of my students struggled with reading fluency. I tried traditional strategies like fluency trackers, character sticks, and individual recordings. All of these tasks were time-consuming, lacked consistency, and didn’t spark genuine engagement. I needed something more interactive, so I turned to reader’s theater with a digital twist: I selected five short reader’s theater scripts and gave a brief description of each story. They signed up for the story that interested them most, which immediately created a sense of agency.

Groups decided on roles, practiced during small-group reading time, and determined if they needed props or costumes. Their independence during this process reminded me how capable young learners are when expectations are high and clear. To elevate the project, I told students that they were going to become “movie stars” and that we would host a watch party once their films were complete. Their excitement was immediate.

After groups practiced their lines, I recorded each performance on my phone—no fancy green screen needed. I uploaded the videos to Canva, used the background remover tool, and allowed students to help select digital settings and graphics that matched their scripts. One group performing a pirate story added a treasure chest and a ship sailing into the sunset. Another group needed multiple settings, so we placed different clips on separate Canva slides with their backgrounds.

Once all the movies were complete, we hosted a watch party with juice and popcorn. Weeks later, students were still talking about their “movie debut.”

Project #2: Leveraging PebbleGo and Clipchamp for a news broadcast

The success of my previous project energized both my students and me. With their confidence growing, I introduced a second grade digital literacy project connected to our nonfiction standards. Nonfiction can be challenging for young learners, so I wanted to design an experience that made informational reading and writing feel purposeful. We decided that we would become extreme weather newscasters.
 
Students signed up for the weather phenomena that most interested them (i.e. floods, hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes). They read nonfiction texts, researched on PebbleGo, and wrote scripts with an introduction, key facts, safety tips, and a conclusion. Many students had never watched a news broadcast before, so we viewed kid-friendly examples to help them understand tone, pacing, and structure. 

Each student wrote their portion of the script and practiced reading it aloud. When they were ready, I handed them a Bluetooth microphone and an iPad to begin recording. Students took turns recording one another, which allowed them to practice speaking, listening, and using technology. We uploaded their videos into Clipchamp, added a news-style introduction with music, and layered in digital backgrounds to simulate being “on location” at the site of the extreme weather. The final products were creative, collaborative, and student-driven.

Adapting these projects for older students

My experience reaffirmed my belief that technology should be used in interactive, meaningful, and student-centered ways. Digital tools should not reduce students to silent participants completing tasks they will soon forget. Instead, technology can amplify student voice, deepen literacy learning, and create space for authentic collaboration.

These projects can also be adapted for older students. Older students could transform research projects—such as historical events or scientific discoveries—into news broadcasts that require accurate reporting and clear communication. Debate style “movie making” could support opinion writing grounded in facts and strong reasons. Reader’s theater can be used across grade levels to strengthen fluency, expression, and comprehension.

Incorporating technology shouldn’t feel intimidating for teachers. When used intentionally, it can inspire students, empower creativity, and transform literacy instruction into something memorable.

You May Also Like

In the Age of AI, Critical Literacy Starts in Preschool

Using Mentor Texts and AI to Transform Grammar Instruction

Imagine a preschool-aged child listening closely during a read-aloud of The Bad Seed by Jory John, living vicariously through the choices of the characters. When the story ends, the authentic conversation begins: Was the seed really bad? Can people change? In that exchange, literacy is not about recalling details; rather, it is about constructing meaning to use language to explore ideas and begin to understand the world.

Now imagine an adult sitting at a café table, laptop open, scrolling through a news article. Eyebrows raise as they pause to check a source. Fingers hover over the keyboard while they mentally weigh the author's intent. They highlight a paragraph, reread a sentence, and ask themselves: Is this reliable? What does this really mean? How should I respond? This work is remarkably similar to the preschooler since both are constructing meaning, questioning, and making decisions.

Between these two moments lies the full arc of literacy development. A beginning reader learns that words form messages. An adolescent navigating digital and AI generated texts learns that messages are influenced by perspective and author's purpose. Across every stage, reading is not merely skill acquisition, but rather reading is meaning-making, communication, and decision-making. In a world where artificial intelligence can generate text instantly, engaging with readers matters more than ever. 

Why meaning matters more than ever

In a world where AI can generate endless text at the click of a button, the real danger isn't that students will use it. The danger is that they might stop thinking about what they read. Traditional assessment often fails to capture what truly matters in reading: Thinking critically with the text.

AI can generate language, but it cannot determine relevance, truth, or ethical use. Those responsibilities remain with the reader. This is why literacy instruction must prioritize reading messages rather than simply reading all the words, a position by Nell Duke's work on purposeful, authentic reading. Empowering students to read with intention and critically engaging with concepts is essential.

Conversations as the fuel to comprehension

Meaning-making is fueled by conversations where teachers ask students before, during, and after reading questions to articulate what a text is saying and why it matters. Here, reading is an act of thinking rather than completing a task. 

The language teachers use shapes how students see themselves as readers. When classrooms consistently invite interpretation, reflection, and discussion, students develop agency and voice. These discussion-rich practices also prepare students for ethical AI use. Students who regularly justify interpretations and question texts are better equipped to evaluate AI generated content thoughtfully.

Critical thinking is a literacy skill

Media literacy and AI literacy are not separate from reading comprehension; rather, they are extensions of it. Evaluating bias, intent, and credibility requires readers to actively monitor understanding and revise interpretations. 

Kelly B. Cartwright's research highlights that skilled reading depends on coordinating multiple cognitive processes, including attention and self-monitoring. As digital and AI generated texts grow and become more widespread, the stakes for literacy instruction rise; and therefore, students must engage in authentic reading, rich discussion, and intentional response rather than merely practicing skills stripped of meaningful context.

Starting early has lasting impact

This work does not begin in upper elementary, middle, and high school. In the preschool classroom, we can see teachers facilitating discussions on character choices and lessons learned. Here they are engaging in early ethical reasoning while also developing rich oral language and expressive vocabulary. Research shows that preschool oral language skills, including vocabulary and grammar, strongly predict later reading comprehension. Preschoolers finding and sharing messages in a text fosters critical thinking and opens a world of possibilities.
 
As beginning readers explain what a text is mostly about, they strengthen comprehension and oral language simultaneously. These early experiences accumulate. By the time students encounter AI tools, they bring years of practice in listening, interpreting, questioning, and communicating. Without the foundation, AI becomes a shortcut. With it, AI becomes a tool that is used thoughtfully and critically to live responsibly in society.

Classroom practices that support meaning and language

Early Childhood	Upper Elementary and Middle School
Invite children to listen for a message during read-alouds.	Engage students in discussions that require justification and multiple perspectives.
Use open-ended questions to promote talk and vocabulary growth.	Connect texts to real-world decisions.
Primary Grades	High School and Post-High School
Ask what a text is mostly about—not just what happened.	Treat AI-generated text as material for analysis, not answers.
Provide sentence frames to support oral explanations.	Emphasize discussion and reflection as evidence of thinking.

Across grades, these practices reinforce a shared message: Reading is an active, communicative act of meaning-making.

Fueling critical thinking in an AI world

Avoiding technology won’t save literacy. True preparation comes from helping students make meaning, express ideas, and think critically. These skills travel across every text and every tool—including AI. Teachers are preparing students to navigate the world thoughtfully and with responsibility in preschool. This happens when teachers facilitate learning for students to read for messages, communicate ideas, and apply understanding.

In The Bad Seed, children are invited to wrestle with a powerful idea: People are not defined solely by past behavior, and choices matter. That early conversations mirror the work readers must do throughout their lives. Whether encountering a picture book, a news article, or an AI generated text, readers must ask: What is this saying? Why does it matter? And what will I do with this message? 

In a world where text can be produced instantly, the most important literacy outcome remains unchanged. What matters most is how deeply readers make meaning, and how wisely they choose to act on it. 

You Might Also Like

Navigating the New Era of AI: A Teacher's Guide

Using Mentor Texts and AI to Transform Grammar Instruction

Creativity is a skill that enriches all the other learning, discovery, and growth children experience in their school careers. For the fifth straight year, Crayola will bring Creativity Week to schools, libraries, homes, and community organizations around the world.  

In 2025, this free event drew more than 13 million student participants from 122 countries, and the 2026 celebration is on pace to exceed that number.

What can teachers expect from Crayola Creativity Week 2026?

As in year’s past, this celebration will feature a star-studded lineup of celebrity creators reading a featured book aloud each day of the event. Celebrities include artist and actor Kate Micucci, Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, musician and filmmaker Questlove, NASA astronauts, football/soccer greats Harry Kane and Matt Turner, actor Michael Rainey Jr., and conservationist Bindi Irwin. 


Each day, the illustrators of the featured books present creative activities so children can put their imaginations into action! From Bluey artists taking students behind the scenes of the TV show and showing children the storyboarding process, to having the opportunity to create original designs for a NASA mission patch and/or zero-gravity indicator, children can write, draw, and explore their own creative vision and interests.

Along with daily videos, the Creativity Week lineup also includes daily giveaways, an unforgettable group of sweepstakes co-sponsored by Crayola Learning and event partners, and a robust collection of instructional resources from both Crayola Learning and event partners.

Tune in to the livestream video event on Friday, January 30, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

As part of the Creativity Week lineup, a special livestream event will feature participating classrooms from around the globe, along with special guests including musicians, dancers, actors, and members of the wildly popular Savannah Bananas exhibition baseball team.

Learn more about the sweepstakes and daily giveaways.

Everyone who registers for Crayola Creativity Week also has the opportunity to enter the event’s five sweepstakes. Grand prizes include:

• 10 schools will win custom Junior Martin guitars printed with their classroom’s artwork.
• 10 elementary and middle school educators will receive an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to Florida’s Space Coast in June of 2026.
• 10 schools will win $2,500 to host financial literacy events for families, and one family will win $4,500 to establish or contribute to a 529 savings plan.
• 24 educators will win a Teachers’ Lounge makeover for their school.
• 15 educators will win a 4-day trip to a specially planned Creativity Retreat.
• Sweepstakes winners will all receive bundles of Crayola art supplies.
• Daily giveaways will include art supplies, tech, and more. Participating educators can earn extra chances to win these prizes by posting students’ artwork on social media using the hashtag #CrayolaCreativityWeek.

Here's how to plan your Creativity Week celebration.

Crayola Learning has developed two helpful planning guides, the Family Engagement Guide for Crayola Creativity Week and Beyond and Celebrate Creativity with Your Learning Community. These guides will give teachers, librarians, and principals all kinds of ideas and inspiration for involving families, and the community in Creativity Week events. 

Additionally, thinking sheets, activity sheets, family letters, supplies wish lists, and standards alignments for all the activities (available in 8+ languages) will help make planning and preparation easier for educators. There is no cost to register for Creativity Week, and no special equipment or supplies are needed for students to enjoy all the activities and events. 

Does Creativity Week make an impact in the classroom? The answer is yes!

Each year, Crayola Learning surveys participants following Creativity Week. Following the 2025 event, 80 percent of the educators and librarians who participated indicated that their students showed more curiosity, self-expression, and learning enthusiasm. What’s more, 70 percent noted that the event boosted their understanding of creativity’s importance in learning. Encouragingly, nearly 100 percent stated they were enthusiastic about participating in the 2026 event.

Registration is fast and easy. On the Crayola website, visitors will find information about the daily events, free content and resources, and FAQs. 

Learn More

No Empty Shelves: 10 Ways to Eliminate "Book Deserts" in Schools

Please RSVP: Inviting Children's Picturebooks Back Into the Classroom

As literacy professionals, we are always looking for ways to bring authentic, meaningful learning experiences to our students. Today’s AI tools offer an exciting opportunity to do just that—provided we use them thoughtfully. As a reading specialist and graduate literacy professor, I coach my graduate students on how to explore AI as a practical and creative teaching assistant. 

AI tools can be used to craft personalized and specific texts that reflect their students’ interests, reading levels, and learning goals. This coaching model not only empowers my graduate students to embrace AI with purpose, but it also allows me to see firsthand how these techniques play out in real classrooms to make sure the strategies truly support authentic literacy learning.

Personalized Texts to Meet Individual Student Needs

Every literacy teacher knows that choosing the right text is one of the most important decisions in a lesson plan. However, this process can be time-consuming; especially when you have students who read at different levels, enjoy different topics, or require practice with different reading strategies. This is where AI comes into play.

AI can help teachers tailor reading experiences to suit those needs, all while making lessons engaging, relevant, and rigorous. Through use of school-approved AI platforms like Magic AI or School AI, these tools offer promising possibilities for creating meaningful and personalized reading experiences.

Imagine you have a seventh grade reader named Sam who reads independently at a third grade level and instructionally at a fourth grade level, and who also loves playing Fortnite. As a reading specialist, you can provide scaffolding to support Sam’s growth and stretch him at the fourth grade level.

For example, you might model your thinking with a read-aloud and then give Sam a clear purpose as he reads the next segment of the text on his own. Instead of searching endlessly for a passage that matches Sam’s interests and reading level, you can quickly prompt AI to generate one tailored just for him. For instance, you might write:


Within moments, AI can produce a passage that captures Sam in a high-interest, well-structured article. This personalization not only hooks Sam’s interest but also enhances his motivation to read.

Lighting Speed Differentiated Texts With Instructional Strategies

AI can do more than tailor a single article; rather, it can also help you quickly differentiate instruction across reading skills, levels, and topics. When generating AI texts, craft prompts that focus on a particular skill you want students to practice. Whether you want them to explore cause and effect, make inferences, identify the main idea, or sequence events, AI can instantly produce a passage that matches that skill.

Better yet, you can generate multiple versions of the same text at different reading levels or on different topics that interest students, allowing you to personalize learning for each reader. For example, try a prompt like: 


Beyond generating texts, AI can craft follow-up questions that align with your goals and help you scaffold learning. Getting comfortable with these kinds of prompts takes a little practice, but the payoff is worth it. With more use, you’ll become even more confident using AI to enhance your teaching.

Cautions When Using AI-Generated Content

Although AI tools like Magic AI and School AI are powerful, teachers must use them thoughtfully. Here are a few considerations to ensure AI is supporting learning well:

• Check the reading level.Even if you specify the grade level, it is important to check that the text matches your students’ abilities. Run the text through a readability check or read it yourself to make sure the vocabulary and sentence structure are appropriate.
• Review the content for accuracy and sensitivity. AI can sometimes produce inaccurate information or unintended language. Before using AI-generated text with students, review it carefully for factual errors and bias.
• Teacher scaffolding. Even the most personalized passage still needs a teaching plan to go with it. Introduce background knowledge, pre-teach vocabulary, or pair the article with graphic organizers. This will help all readers succeed, especially struggling readers and English language learners.
• Student-centered learning.AI is most powerful when it enhances learning, not replaces teacher expertise. Think of AI as an assistant that can help you prepare engaging content faster, but not as a replacement for your close connections with students or your expertise in literacy instruction.

Wrap Up

AI can be a game changer for literacy teachers, making it easier to create meaningful, engaging instruction. When thoughtfully integrated, AI can be more than a time-saver; it can be transformative tool that enhances equitable access to literacy learning. By using strategic prompts, literacy teachers can craft personalized, high-interest texts; differentiate instruction with ease; and target specific reading strategies that meet the needs of diverse learners. Most importantly, these practices support the heart of our work: Empowering every student to see themselves as capable, engaged readers.

As we navigate an ever-evolving educational landscape, embracing AI with intention allows us to stay grounded in best practices while innovating for the future of literacy. 

Catherine Gibbons serves as a reading specialist for grades 7–12 at Gateway Regional High School in Woodbury Heights, New Jersey. She also works as a graduate reading adjunct professor. 

Learn More

Navigating the New Era of AI: A Teacher’s Guide to Ethical Decision-Making With High School Students

Literacy Today magazine: Thinking Critically

Grammar worksheets ask, "Can you spot it?" Mini-inquiries ask, "Can you understand it?" However, the imitation and innovation experience asks the most important question: "Can you create with it?"

Let's help students answer with a resounding "Yes!"

Imitation and Innovation Method

In grammar instruction, "imitation" is the practice of copying or repeating a grammatical structure to mimic a model sentence or pattern. "Innovation" is the active creation of new sentences or variations using the grammatical concept, demonstrating a deeper understanding through the application of the rule in novel ways, going beyond simple copying.

Here is how imitation and innovation may unfold:

• Select a portion of the mentor text that exemplifies the grammar concept you're teaching. If you are using the mentor text from this article, you may want to focus on varying sentence structure or building paragraphs. 
• Together with students, analyze the sentence structures or grammar patterns used by the author.
• Create a template based on the mentor text's grammatical framework. For example, if teaching complex sentences using When a tree is attacked by insects, it releases airborne chemical compounds to warn nearby trees of danger, you might extract the pattern: Subordinating conjunction: simple sentence: comma: simple sentence. 
• Students then use this template to collaboratively write their own sentences, following the same grammatical structure but with original content. 
  As they gain confidence, encourage them to innovate beyond the template while maintaining correct grammar usage.

This method allows students to practice applying grammar concepts directly, using the mentor text as scaffolding that can gradually be removed as their skills develop. (For even more, check out the Patterns of Power collection by Jeff Anderson and Whitney La Rocca.)

A Few Friendly Tips

After some trial and error, here's what I've learned:

• Mentor texts do not work well when they are cold reads. Read the text aloud a few times so that students are able to do the work of a reader through understanding the content. Once the reading work is out of the way, it is easier to study how grammar is used.
• Take it slow – don't try to tackle too many grammar concepts at once. It's like eating a delicious meal; you want to savor each bite.
• Choose texts that speak to your students' hearts. If the content feels relevant to their lives, they'll be much more invested in exploring the grammar.
• Remember that mentor texts are partners in grammar instruction, not replacements. We still need to explicitly demonstrate how to use grammar, but now we're giving context to why grammar matters.

Your Turn: Transform Your Grammar Instruction Today

Ready to revolutionize your grammar instruction? Take these three simple steps:

• Commit to trying just one mentor text lesson in the next two weeks.
• Share this post with a colleague who might be interested in trying this, too. Compare notes.
• Remember, every grammar lesson is an opportunity to empower writers.

I'd love to hear about your journey with mentor texts!

Patty McGee is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker, and educator with a passion for transforming classrooms into spaces where language and learning come alive. With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and advocate for delightful literacy practices, Patty has worked alongside educators across the country, partnering to unlock the full potential of their students through innovative and practical teaching strategies. Not Your Granny’s Grammar is her third book. Connect with Patty at www.pattymcgee.org.

Learn More

Using Mentor Texts and AI to Transform Grammar Instruction: Part I 

Literacy Today magazine: Reflecting Every Reader