Online stories used in the classroom, library, or media center are a great way for elementary teachers to help their students develop reading skills. Here are some of the benefits of online stories: Using computers for reading can increase the amount of time students spend on literacy tasks. Some interactive texts - such as Scholastic's Clifford's Interactive Storybooks (http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1) have audio and multiple choice features embedded in the stories, giving readers immediate feedback, without the teacher's immediate presence. For some reluctant readers, using the computer to read may provide the interest necessary to tackle reading tasks that might otherwise be looked on as chores. The interactive and multimedia elements of electronic storybooks are appealing to elementary age students, and most reading passages for readers at this stage are of a length that is well suited to electronic formats. QuickTime Required Nicole Taormina  I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE TARGET A RELUCTANT READER, MAYBE, TO ENGAGE IN ONLINE READING BECAUSE IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ASPECT OR WAY WE CAN TARGET THEM, IF YOU WILL. HAVING THE COMPUTER, ALL CHILDREN LOVE TO GO ON THE COMPUTERS, AND THE NEXT THING THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A STORY AND A BOOK IN FRONT OF THEM, AND THEY ARE READING AND ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES. THE COMPUTER'S READING TO THEM, THEY ARE RECITING INFORMATION FROM THE STORY, COMPREHENDING IT, AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, THEY'VE FINISHED AN ENTIRE STORY ONLINE. Online stories are sometimes available in audio formats, which give students a chance to practice their listening skills, as well as test their comprehension and pronunciation. When an online story Web site has a number of stories to choose from, students may be allowed to enjoy the added incentive of being able to pick their own readings. You can extend the online reading with other related activities. Some online story Web sites give users the option of printing out the stories to read again later. In some cases, text-only versions can be printed, and students can then illustrate the stories themselves. Some Web sites will ask for readers' opinions of a story to be posted to the Web site. There is an increasing supply of online stories with a deep variety of subject matter, from multicultural tales to myths to science fiction to bedtime stories, so online stories can amplify many content areas. You will also find sites where you can post your own stories and those of your students. Parents can get involved with online stories, too. You can post URLs of stories students might enjoy reading with their parents on a class Web site, or print out a list of site URLs for students to share at home. QuickTime Required Susan Silverman  THE EXCITING THING ABOUT THE INTERNET, FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE READ ONLINE STORIES, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE. BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW GOING UP THERE. SOMETIMES GOOD THINGS WILL DISAPPEAR BECAUSE WEB SITES CHANGE, BUT THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE WEB. THE INTERNET IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. NEW EXCITING THINGS ARE COMING UP EVERY DAY. TIP: Always check to make sure a site or a particular story is still there before launching into your lesson! TIP: Click through the stories you plan to use before your students do. Some pages take a while to download, or may require special plug-ins. Student access will be quicker if pages are already cached on the computer. Online Story Sites Featured in The Internet in Action: http://the-office.com/bedtime-story/indians.htm http://afroam.org/children/myths/myths.html http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1 Other Online Story Sites: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/stories.html http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/stories.menu.html http://storyplace.lycos.com http://members.fortunecity.com/homework1/132.html http://hazel.forest.net/whootie/default.html