Best+Practices

Using an Interactive Whiteboard to teach students the concepts involved in how to read is one of the best ways to incorporate it into the reading curriculum. Research supports the ideas of different learning styles, such as audio, visual, and kinesthetic. The Interactive Whiteboard allows for all three of these learning styles to be addressed. Many students may feel unmotivated when it comes to reading because they simply aren't being taught to read in a way that works well for them individually. The Interactive Whiteboard allows for the use of visuals, audio, and the touch screen feature allows the students to get up and manipulate information presented on the board.
 * Teaching

There are tons of fun and interactive games available for the Interactive Whiteboard. In the classroom where I interned, the teacher used center activities just about every day. The Interactive Whiteboard was easily the most popular and enjoyable center for the majority of her students. There were all types of games that dealt with increasing motivation and literacy skills. There were games that featured comprehension and sentence structure, which are both vital parts of learning to read fluently and effectively. There were also spelling games that provided the opportunity for students to work with spelling which directly corresponds to reading ability. Practice in these areas motivated students to practice reading and therefore increase their understanding.
 * Practice/Drills

Using an Interactive Whiteboard provides the opportunity for students to actively participate in lessons. There are many features of the Interactive Whiteboard that require participation from the audience. Students can come up and circle, underline, and manipulate letters and words on the screen. They can also write answers such as fill in the blank and short answer. Instead of becoming easily distracted while the teacher is practically lecturing at the front of the room, students can constantly be called on by the teacher to come up and participate.
 * Classroom Involvement

Conclusion The integration of the Interactive Whiteboard is beneficial in any area of the curriculum. When focusing in on reading instruction and the variables that accompany it, the benefits outweigh the downsides. The Interactive Whiteboard allows for more stimulating lessons, entertaining practice, and the opportunity to stay involved and the ability to get up out of your seat and participate. If teachers incorporate the Interactive Whiteboard into their lesson as opposed to traditional instruction they are very likely to see an increase in not only motivation, but understanding as well.