Epic! - Effective Literacy Website #5

Epic! 

URL:  (https://www.getepic.com/   

EPIC!

    Epic! (https://www.getepic.com/) is an extremely effective literacy website that fosters a child’s willingness to read. Known as “the Netflix of Books”, Epic! is a digital library for strictly children’s books. The target audience is mostly children 12 and under. However, older struggling readers can find this website extremely useful as well.  If you are an educator or librarian, the subscription to this site is completely free. If you are a parent interested in the full benefits of this program, the monthly cost is $7.99. This website is worth every penny! It can be easily accessed through a computer, tablet, and/or smartphone. With hundreds of options of eBooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, and educational videos, Epic! will have your child excited to read.

    The entire website is student-parent-teacher friendly. It is easy to navigate to and from picture books or chapter books. Users can also create their own collections by assigning 90+ specifically chosen books for easy categorization. For an educator, this website can be used for assigned daily/weekly reading homework or independent reading opportunities both in-class and at home.

    I, personally, have fallen in love with this literacy website. From its high-quality, award-winning books to its wide selection of topics and added features, I simply have not found a flaw worth mentioning. At the start of distance learning within elementary schools, the dire need to find opportunities online that would interest kids to stay active in their education was difficult. Especially for reading, finding a student-friendly site that was trustworthy was almost impossible. When Epic! was brought to my attention, I couldn’t believe there was something this amazing online…for free! Since then, I have used many books from this website to align with my standards across the curriculum. My students love this website! Even though it is not something assigned to them, I still see their active participation almost daily. It gives me great pleasure knowing they are not only reading but enjoying the reading process as well.

    Registering for Epic! was simple. After entering your e-mail and creating your profile, you are brought to a homepage that provides step-by-step instructions on how to get your class started. Adding students into your class is explained in two ways. One, students can either enter the class code (provided on your home screen) when entering the website and begin creating their own account. Another way that I used and found extremely beneficial is the option to link a class roster. Epic! allows you to connect with your Google Classroom roster and automatically enroll the students for you. So, when students first gain access, all they would have to do is enter the class code. They will then be directed to their student page and the exploring of books begin.

       Teachers can use this website to assign daily/weekly readings. Books can be assigned either individually or by a collection. Daily reading progress can easily be tracked by the teacher or parent. The tracker also signifies what book the child read and how long it took them to complete the book, or how long they spent reading a certain section. Teachers can also assign Assignments or Quizzes alongside the book chosen. It also offers teachers to add parents/guardians into their child’s profile to allow the monitor of progress both at home and school. Since the incorporation of Epic! into my lesson plans, I have received great feedback from parents who absolutely enjoy the site alongside their child.

    Another way this website can benefit is to target English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities. This site offers features in which students can have the book read aloud to them or they can use the highlighted strips to follow along with a story. There are also numerous educational videos on certain topics across the curriculum that relate to the books found on Epic!.

    Overall, Epic! is a highly effective literacy website that I encourage all educators and parents to get involved with. I love using this as a resource now and will continue to use it as a resource in the future.