With young children gaining access to a dizzying array of games, videos and other digital media, will they ever learn to read? The answer is yes – if we ensure that the media at children’s fingertips is harnessed to promote the skills and knowledge that enable reading, instead of undermining them.<p><i>Tap, Click, Read </i>helps educators and parents become more successful at supporting young children’s early literacy skills in the &quot;digital wild west.&quot; With compelling text, videos, and interactive graphics, the book answers such questions as:</p><ul><li>In what ways could new technologies promote the adult-child interactions that help children develop language and literacy skills that help them become strong readers?</li><li>Who are the pioneers in this field? </li><li>What will it take to create a future in which parents and teachers become adept at using media to build a foundation for children’s reading?</li><li>Beyond traditional literacy, what are the digital competencies that today’s young children will need to master in an increasingly complex and interconnected world?</li></ul><p>The authors provide findings from an ongoing examination of the app marketplace that identifies bright spots and pitfalls--a first-of-its-kind analysis, providing statistics on what kind of reading and other early learning apps are on offer in the free-for-all of the Apple app store and Google Play marketplaces. They also provide toolkits (such as e-media resource lists and community audit worksheets) for schools and community organizations to use as they foster literacy-focused relationships with parents and build high-tech learning spaces for tomorrow’s readers.</p><p>Rather than telling parents and teachers to push technology to the margins, <i>Tap, Click, Read </i>shows them how to put technology to work in serving children’s needs and helping to address the crippling problem of low reading skills across the country.</p>