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7 benefits of audiobooks for struggling readers.
ELAREnglish Language ArtsReading

Seven Ways Audiobooks Benefit Struggling Readers

by Chris Buecksler
written by Chris Buecksler

Technology is the great equalizer for students who have challenges accessing grade-level texts. Audiobooks are an “easy button” technology tool that can provide immediate access for students while optimizing teacher time and resources. 

Audiobooks Are Supports, Not Replacements

Teacher working with struggling reader in 1:1 reading instruction.

It’s important to note that audiobooks should not replace traditional reading instruction entirely. There is a time and a place for struggling readers to read within their decoding ability— when working on explicit skill building in a one-to-one or small group setting. All other times, when students need to read for grade-level assignments and participate in classwork or self-select titles for pleasure reading, they need access at their grade-level or cognitive level. That said, let’s look at eight ways audiobooks are beneficial when it comes to supporting reading interventions.

The Benefits of Audiobooks

1. Auditory Learning and Multisensory Approach

Some students are auditory learners, meaning they grasp information better when they hear it. Audiobooks allow struggling readers to access content through their sense of hearing, potentially improving comprehension and retention. Audiobooks provide a multisensory experience by combining auditory input with the visual aspect of following along with the text. This dual approach can reinforce understanding and help struggling readers make connections between spoken words and written text.

Struggling readers using audiobooks in the classroom to read the same text as their peers.

2. Access to Vocabulary

Listening to audiobooks, especially those with human narration, exposes struggling readers to correct pronunciation and varied vocabulary. This can enhance their language skills and contribute to a richer vocabulary, which is vital as the demand for higher-level word exposure increases as students age.

3. Increased Comprehension

Audiobooks can help struggling readers reduce their cognitive load. The student does not need to expend mental energy on the task of decoding so they can focus on comprehension. Learning through listening can enhance comprehension, as it allows listeners to focus on understanding the content without the added challenge of decoding written words.

4. Access to Grade-Level Material

Audiobooks enable struggling readers to access more complex and age-appropriate material than they might be able to read independently. This exposure to higher-level content can help them develop a deeper understanding of various subjects. Students can read the same books as their peers, allowing them to participate in class discussions with confidence.

5. Flexibility and Accessibility

Struggling reading listens to and reads and audiobook on the metro bus.

Audiobooks are flexible and can be listened to almost anywhere, allowing struggling readers to integrate reading into their daily routines. Additionally, audiobooks are accessible to individuals with print disabilities, such as dyslexia, making reading more inclusive. Students can download books onto their personal, online bookshelf, which can be accessed with or without internet access at school and at home 24/7. For example, the Learning Ally Audiobook SolutionTM is compatible with PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, Android, and iOS devices.

6. Independence

Audiobooks provide struggling readers with the opportunity to engage with literature independently. This independence can boost their confidence and motivate them to explore a wider range of texts.

7. Encouragement and Enjoyment

Audiobooks can make the reading experience more enjoyable for struggling readers. The engaging narrators, sound effects, and overall production can capture their interest, fostering a positive attitude toward reading.

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution can remove the barriers to reading, permitting your students to read and learn along with their peers. Audiobooks provide a quick win for you in terms of improving your students’ reading and literacy skills. 

Now, through an exclusive partnership with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), any public school in Texas can bring the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution to their students at no cost! Take advantage of the TEA funding and get started with audiobooks at no out-of-pocket cost to your school or district. Get started today!

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Learning Ally logo and TCEA logo with the blog article title and a photo of books wearing headphones.
AccessibilityReading

Four Easy Steps to Accessing No-Cost Audiobooks Through Learning Ally

by Chris Buecksler
written by Chris Buecksler

According to a recent article in The Dallas Morning News, Texas students’ reading scores have lagged behind the rest of the country. Without this foundational skill, students usually struggle to understand word problems in math, grapple with historical texts, and may fail to comprehend experiments in science. This reinforces what we all know to be true – reading is the foundational skill that drives performance in all subjects. Let’s look at one proven solution that can support struggling readers: audiobooks.

How Audiobooks Benefit Students 

One way many schools in Texas have found to unlock student potential is through the use of audiobooks. This proven tool removes barriers most struggling readers have and provides access to grade-level content with ease. As students progress through school, they move to deep learning and reading. 

Hearing real people read builds oral fluency and cuts down reading time, while students improve vocabulary and comprehension. Students have the satisfaction of reading independently, which increases their self-esteem, and success in school.

What Is the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution?

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven multi-modal reading resource for all instructional settings. Composed of human-read audiobooks, student-centric features, and a suite of teacher resources, it’s designed to help students with reading deficits become more engaged learners and achieve their academic potential. Because of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) funding for K-12 public and charter schools, every educator in the state can support their struggling readers with the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution at no out-of-pocket cost to their school or district.

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is easy to implement. Texas educators can get started in four easy steps:

  1. Enroll your school
  2. Set up the portal
  3. Launch audiobooks for students
  4. Monitor progress and personalize instruction

Step 1: Enroll Your School

Leveling the playing field for your struggling readers starts by enrolling your school using this form. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. School districts are required to submit one application for each individual school. You will receive an email from Learning Ally with your temporary passwords once the application is processed.

Step 2: Set Up the Portal

Once your school is enrolled, you can access the platform and begin set up. Start by determining which students are eligible. The audiobook solution is designed for students with a reading deficit who struggle with decoding, fluency and/or comprehension. Any educator (or other professional) who has experience observing students with a reading deficit, blindness or visual impairment, or physical disability can make the determination of eligibility.

Then you can determine the best way to create, update, and log in your educators and students to the Audiobook Solution. Learning Ally integrates with many single-sign on providers, including Clever, ClassLink and others to help you quickly and efficiently assign users.

Step 3: Launch Audiobooks for Students

Once students are added to the system, you can begin to add books to their bookshelf and have them start to read through the Learning Ally Audiobook App. Students can access Learning Ally on any device at your school, so you should consider strategies by device depending on your school’s technology and load the reading app on all devices.

Next, add the books students need to read and allow them to add the books they want to read to their bookshelf. Learning Ally has over 80,000 human-read audiobooks including anchor texts aligned to your curriculum and popular books for independent reading. The library also includes textbooks, study aids and primary source documents. 

Many schools in Texas use audiobooks during independent reading time and incorporate audiobooks into lesson plans during whole-class instruction, small-group instruction and to support homework.

Step 4: Monitor Progress

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution features a reading progress indicator that helps students build strong reading habits as you monitor student reading data. This helps you understand reading targets and set goals for each student. Most students will show substantial improvements after reading 33 days (approximately 20 minutes per day) within a school year. 

Using the educator portal dashboard, you can easily view students reading, pages and minutes read, books completed and more. You can also export this data to share and customize for your school’s needs. You can also review these reports with students and parents/guardians for stronger engagement and motivation.

Getting Started with Learning Ally’s Audiobook Solution

By following these four easy steps, you can help striving readers, from grade school to high school, access grade-level content with ease. By removing the barriers to reading, your students will be able to read and learn along with their peers. Audiobooks provide a quick win for you in terms of improving the reading and literacy skills of your students. Take advantage of the TEA funding and get started with the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution at no out-of-pocket cost to your school or district. Get started today!

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AI audiobooks
Artificial Intelligence

AI-Powered Open Audiobooks

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Looking for your next book? Or are you an audiobook afficionado? You don’t need to wait for an Audible performance to listen to your favorite classics. The Project Gutenberg (PG) Open Audiobook Collection has made its debut, and now, you’ll find a wealth of audiobooks powered by Microsoft AI on various platforms! These AI audiobooks boast an audio version of public domain e-books. But before jumping into all the details, let’s step back a moment. Project Gutenberg has a 50 year history of volunteers digitizing texts.

What is Project Gutenberg (PG)?

Project Gutenberg offers free e-books. Their collection is over 70,000 strong, and includes the world’s great literature. It also includes books for which U.S. copyright has expired.

Stories of Grit by Archer Wallace in Project Gutenberg with a list of various e-book formats for download.
Screenshot by the Author: Project Gutenberg, Stories of Grit by Archer Wallace

You may have missed the word “free” before, so let’s clarify that these e-books are without cost to you, and you can read these on a variety of devices. That’s because their books are in common formats, such as ePub, Amazon Kindle, and HTML. That’s right, HTML is the language of the web, and you can read books via your web browser.

Some PG links to get your started:

The Project Gutenberg (PG) Open Audiobook Collection

The website characterizes the Microsoft and PG collaboration in this way:

Project Gutenberg and Microsoft have worked together. They have created create thousands of free and open audiobooks. They used new neural text-to-speech technology and the large open-access collection of e-books.

This project aims to make literature more accessible to (audio)book-lovers everywhere. It seeks to democratize access to high quality audiobooks.

(adapted from source)

The books are accessible via several audio sources, including:

You can browse the collection online, as well. Browsing the collection yields an alphabetical list of audiobooks.

The Internet Archive's listing of the Project Gutenberg Open Audiobook Collection
Screenshot by the Author: Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg Open Audiobook Collection

A quick note about audio quality and its reception among listeners. Of course, you will want to judge the storytelling ability of AI voice.

Audio Quality of Project Gutenberg Audiobooks

Since PG relies upon Microsoft AI reading of texts, it’s worth taking a moment to assess the audio. For example, compare these acoustical renderings of a favorite text of mine:

Since Nick Offerman (e.g. Parks and Recreation, Last of Us) reads the Audible version, you’ll find the audio rich. Once you start listening to the sample Audible makes available, you may not want to stop. That aside, the AI version in the Open Audiobook Collection was quite good, smooth and full of youth. The story captivated me, and the AI reading did not get in the way. And, that is amazing given it’s Microsoft AI voice.

Bonus Tool: LibriVox Recordings (No AI Audiobooks Here)

Now that you know about Project Gutenberg, allow me to doff my hat to LibriVox .

LibriVox's Advanced Search by Genre/Subject Page showing the author browsing children's fiction on the LibriVox site.
Screenshot by the Author: LibriVox’s Advanced Search by Genre/Subject Page

Since August, 2005, LibroVox has offered free public domain audiobooks. LibriVox terms these readings of public domain texts “acoustical liberation of books in the public domain.” Real people read the texts and quality varies per the reader. Some are quite richly read with a convincing timber and resonating authenticity.

Unlike Chirp or Audible books that you have to pay for, LibriVox’ library of content is available at no cost and includes texts from Project Gutenberg. The famous Internet Archive hosts the audio files.

LibriVox's summary, audiobook chapters, and available downloads of The Adventures of Peter Cottontail
Screenshot by the author: LibriVox, The Adventures of Peter Cottontail

Some LibriVox recordings to enchant your ears:

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn more about Project Gutenberg, explore LibriVox. It’s time for the new!

AI-Powered, Open Audiobooks

Be sure to check out these AI-powered audiobooks in this Open Audiobook Collection by Project Gutenberg. And, explore the LibriVox recordings! Let us know what you think in the comments.

Featured Image Attribution: Screenshot by author: https://marhamilresearch4.blob.core.windows.net/gutenberg-public/Website/index.html

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Reading

How to Improve Reading Proficiency and Literacy Rates Across the District

by Chris Buecksler
written by Chris Buecksler

Improving literacy skills not only benefits individual students – it strengthens their overall academic performance across subject areas, which greatly impacts their future prospects. This guide aims to provide you with practical steps and strategies you can implement to foster literacy development among students and improve reading proficiency in your school or district.

Step 1: Evaluate Current Literacy Levels.

Begin by conducting an assessment of the literacy levels within your district. You have more data available than ever before. Use state and/or standardized test scores, English Language Arts grades, reading and writing proficiency ratings, and other relevant metrics for a detailed view of current literacy levels. This assessment will help identify areas that require improvement and serve as a baseline for measuring progress against enhancement efforts as you work to improve reading and literacy rates.

Step 2: Set Clear Goals and Objectives.

Establishing clear and measurable goals and objectives is the only way to guide your efforts and track progress effectively. Make sure these goals are quantifiable and align with district-wide priorities and the specific needs of your students. For example, you might aim to increase the overall reading proficiency by a certain percentage or decrease the achievement gap by a certain degree between different student groups.

Step 3: Enhance Professional Development.

Make time for professional development programs to improve instructional practices and pedagogical approaches. Lean into training sessions on evidence-based literacy strategies, differentiated instruction, assessment techniques, and effective use of technology in the classroom. Collaborate and share best practices to create a supportive learning community. Leverage workshops, coaching, and collaborative communities of practice to turn instructional strategies into action for stronger student outcomes and improved reading proficiency. 

Step 4: Develop a Coherent and Effective Curriculum.

Review your district’s current curriculum to ensure it aligns with the latest research and best practices in literacy instruction. The Science of Reading is the leading topic today – it’s vital to your students’ success that you adopt a literacy curriculum that supports all factors of Scarborough’s Reading Rope – including word recognition and language comprehension. Consider adopting a balanced literacy approach that combines explicit skills instruction, guided reading, independent reading, and writing activities. Integrate diverse texts, including fiction, non-fiction, and digital resources, to engage students and promote critical thinking. An effective way to promote guided and independent reading is through the use of human-read audiobooks, which support vocabulary building, background knowledge, literacy structures, and more. 

Step 5: Implement Early Intervention Programs.

Early intervention is critical in improving literacy outcomes and improving reading. One way to put your youngest readers on a path to success is to establish programs that target students who are most at risk or struggling with reading and writing skills. Enhance the experience with personalized support to address individual needs, and collaborate with intervention specialists, reading specialists, and other support staff to provide comprehensive support.

Step 6: Foster a Culture of Reading.

Promote a culture of reading within your schools and across the district. Encourage your teachers to create classroom libraries, organize book clubs, and facilitate read-aloud sessions. For earlier grades, invite parents, guardians, grandparents, and other volunteers to lead read-aloud sessions in class. Engage the community and establish partnerships with local libraries, community organizations, and businesses to provide students with access to a wide range of reading materials. Celebrate reading achievements through events like book fairs, author visits, and literacy-themed contests. 

Step 7: Engage Families and the Community.

Student success hinges on support at home. Involve families and the broader community in literacy initiatives to improve reading. Provide resources and workshops for parents to support their child’s literacy development at home. Organize literacy nights where families can participate in activities that promote reading and writing skills. Collaborate with community organizations to sponsor literacy events and distribute books and reading materials to students. 

Step 8: Leverage Technology.

Embrace technology as a tool to enhance literacy instruction. Get trained on utilizing educational apps, digital resources, and online reading platforms. Integrate multimedia elements into lessons to cater to diverse learning styles. Explore using virtual libraries, e-books, audiobooks, and interactive writing tools to engage students and make learning more accessible. Effective use of technology can accelerate learning, level the playing field for many struggling readers, and help improve reading.

Step 9: Monitor Progress and Adjust Strategies.

Any new project or program must be monitored, and results measured. Regularly monitor and analyze data to track progress toward your goals. Engage the “data warriors” in your schools and cross the district to help you measure results. Use formative and summative assessments to evaluate student performance and identify areas that need additional support. Adjust instructional strategies and interventions based on the insights gathered from the data. Continuously reviewing and refining your approach will help ensure ongoing improvement.

Step 10: Collaborate and Share Success Stories.

Success is more powerful when it is shared. Encourage collaboration and communication among fellow teachers. Establish professional learning communities where all educators can exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and share successful practices. Highlight and celebrate success stories of students and teachers who have made significant strides in literacy and improved reading proficiency. Make sure your district administrators and school board are aware of the success. Most importantly, take steps to replicate the success in other classes and schools across the district.

Infographic outlining 10 steps from the article for how to improve reading proficiency.
Click to download.

Literacy is the foundation for continuous learning throughout a student’s life. It enables them to engage with books, digital media, and other educational resources. Reading proficiency fosters a culture of learning, critical thinking, and intellectual growth. Lifelong learning is essential for personal development, adaptability in a rapidly changing world, and the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. A proven audiobook solution developed specifically for students with reading difficulties can be the key to unlocking potential. It’s easy to implement, easy to set up, and proven to accelerate reading growth. And with the funding the Texas Education Agency has provided, there is no cost for K-12 public and charter schools in the state to offer this resource to students. Learn more today.

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websites
Web 2.0 Tool

Five Free WebSites You Need to Know About

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Want to access Spanish-friendly resources, and dig into history, science, math, or philosophy? Perhaps, you want to double-check your critical thinking processes? Let’s explore exciting Open Educational Resources (OER) and educational websites. I have all of these websites bookmarked and easily accessible on my computer. Why? They broaden my knowledge and awareness of the world in ways my traditional education did not. Explore them as powerful enhancers for your own learning and teaching.

Let’s start with a website that connects us to culture and science.

Website #1: CaixaForum

Are you learning Spanish or do you have students who might appreciate access to Spanish media resources? You definitely need to tune in to CaixaForum – a free, no-cost source of Spanish media. No matter what you may be learning about, you will find many fantastic resources in Spanish here.

What is CaixaForum+? This is a question I asked myself when I first stumbled upon this wealth of media content. You will find a bilingual description of the CaixaForum+ below:

CaixaForum+ es la plataforma online de la Fundación “la Caixa” que permite acceder a contenidos audiovisuales y podcast de diferentes temáticas: música, artes visuales y plásticas, artes escénicas, cine, historia y pensamiento, ciencia, arquitectura y diseño o literatura.

CaixaForum+ is the online platform of the “la Caixa” Foundation that allows access to audiovisual content and podcasts on different topics: music, visual and plastic arts, performing arts, cinema, history and thought, science, architecture and design or literature.

CaixaForum+ offers its Spanish content via the web, as well as through iOS and Android apps for mobile.

Website #2: World History Project

“Only a few know how much one must know to know how little one knows,” says Werner Heisenberg. After reading a few history books, I have found myself realizing how little I know about history. Now, teachers and students can learn about world history. They can do so through the OER’s World History Project (WHP).

This website offers four courses for teaching world history to high school students, including:

These courses are free to everyone, and you can save them for offline use. Accounts of history make me curious. It’s an area that was sorely treated in my education, which focused on writing, science, and mathematics. In the midst of reading Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’ book, “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States,” I look forward to seeing how OER Project’s offering differs in its account.

Website #3: MediaWise

“The first thing you should do when coming across a suspicious meme or video is to check your emotional reaction. Do you feel anger, fear, disappointment, sadness, or anxiety? You might be looking at misinformation,” says Pride David. He goes on to say:

Posts that trigger emotion are designed to get people to share them, so it’s best to pause, take a deep breath and do some fact-checking first. (Source: Is This Legit? A Media Literacy Skills Recap, The Poynter Institute).

Want to hone your critical thinking? Take advantage of a free, one-hour lesson plan via PBS Learning Media. It offers media literacy skills and student activities. You can find a wealth of resources (viewed over 53 million times!) via The Poynter Institute’s MediaWise initiative. It includes:

  • International Fact-Checking Day 2023 resources
  • Training and Resources
  • Teen Fact-Checking Network
  • MediaWise Ambassadors

Catch them on YouTube as well.

A complementary resource is The Thinking Shop. Let’s take a look.

Website #4: The Thinking Shop

It’s so easy for humans to make mistakes in thinking. That’s why it’s important to be aware of logical fallacies and cognitive biases. Consider the following assertion:

Want to see a ten percent jump in academic achievement, and record growth over the course of a year? One thing you can do, according to a study designed by a famous academic, is this:

“To test the effects of pleasant imagery on motivation, employees were shown images of baby animals and beautiful nature scenes for their first five minutes at work.

What might this mean? Showing students and teachers pleasant images is a great way to increase motivation. It also improves productivity.

But does it? The quoted paragraphs (adapted from source) above contain what the source article calls, “logical fallacies.” Logical fallacies present in the quoted text above include:

  • Appeal to authority. Who is this “famous academic?” It implies that the argument is research-supported.
  • False inductions. This is where you infer there is a relationship between two things that happened, but there may not be. Showing pleasant images to students may or may not be linked to increased academic growth.

There are many other logical fallacies. Unless you become familiar with how human brains can fall into these traps, you may fall for fake news and information. One way to avoid that is to refresh your memory of Logical Fallacies. The Thinking Shop offers a poster for logical fallacies and cognitive biases.

You can buy the poster, or get the free downloadable version at no cost. It is available, along with all their posters, via a Creative Commons copyright as a download.

What’s more, also available in the downloads are bonus game cards for logical fallacies. Once you’ve read these, you will want to keep them handy to check your thinking. I plan to buy the posters and put them in my office so I can review them while writing.

Finally, you may also be interested in the burgeoning tabletop game Conspiracy by Urban Games, LTD.

For the players of Conspiracy, putting themselves into the shoes of fictional characters bent on destroying society with nefarious plots can demonstrate how unlikely these complex, hidden systems (5G, chemtails, anti-vaccine conspiracies) really are. (source)

A print copy of the game is available online. Tempting to play and discover your fallacies and biases in action.

Website #5: LibreTexts

Dump those conventional paper-based books for ebooks. Well, not so fast. Curious about open-access texts under constant revision by students, faculty, and outside experts?

The LibreTexts mission is to unite students, faculty and scholars in a cooperative effort to develop an easy-to-use online platform for the construction, customization, and dissemination of open educational resources (OER) to reduce the burdens of unreasonable textbook costs to our students and society.

LibreTexts’ Mission

Deepen your awareness of areas of knowledge, like art, composition, history, languages, philosophy, and more. You will find a wealth of online books available for post-secondary learners.

For example, world history does the following:

World history examines history from a global perspective. It looks for common patterns that emerge across all cultures. World historians use a thematic approach. That approach has two major focal points. Those include: integration (how processes of world history have drawn people of the world together) and difference. The latter reveals how patterns of world history show the diversity of the human experiences.

The LibreTexts Humanities website comes with BeeLine Reader and Readability integrated into it. What’s more, you can access a K12 Education Library.

Ready to try out these free websites and resources? I hope you do, and once you have, let us know how it goes in the comments.

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AccessibilityLibraries

Graphic Novels, Audiobooks, and More: Six Ways to Add Accessible Stories to Your Library

by Adriana Lebrón White
written by Adriana Lebrón White

As a middle school librarian, I am acutely aware of the in-between space that middle school students inhabit. I serve 6th graders who just moved up from elementary school, 8th graders who are about to move on to high school, and 7th graders who are stuck in the middle of everything. As a former special education teacher, I realized that our school library needed to serve students across a variety of reading levels, making reading accessible to all. Disabled students, English Language Learners, and other students who are still working on developing their reading skills can all benefit from a diversity of formats in the library. It is especially important to consider when we’re looking to add diverse books to our collection. A variety of story mediums can make our library even more accessible and inclusive for all of our students.

Here are six formats that you should be sure to include in your school library collection. 

1. Ebooks

Ebooks are an excellent reading resource. Most ebook apps and programs allow readers to customize their reading experience. Students can change the size of the text, or choose a different font (which is especially useful for readers with dyslexia). They may be able to highlight key words and sentences, or use a built-in dictionary to define unfamiliar words. Some apps will even read ebooks aloud for readers or translate words into another language. Ebooks can be accessed from Chromebooks, iPads, and cell phones, so whatever technology your students have access to, the chances are pretty good that they can access some kind of ebook program. 

Logos for Sora and Libby accessible audiobooks

Two resources to use in your library: Overdrive’s Libby and Sora apps. 

If your school is unable to build a robust ebook collection, your students may be able to access additional ebooks through their local public library. Once students have logged into Sora and added the public library to their account, they’ll be able to access the public library ebook collection automatically. Most public libraries also have a suggestion form on their website, where readers can submit requests for new ebooks. 

2. Audiobooks

While there are undoubtedly some educators who still see audiobooks as “easier” than print books (or even consider them to be “cheating”), there is plenty of research to support the use of audiobooks in our school libraries. Listening to audiobooks, or even read-alouds in the library, allows readers to take in a story without visually decoding the text. This frees their brains up to listen for elements like humor, new vocabulary, and much more. While audiobooks can be especially helpful to disabled students and English Language Learners, all of our students can benefit from hearing stories read aloud in the library.

Logos for learning Ally, Libro.fm, sora, and libby for accessible audiobooks

A resource to use in your library: Libro.fm’s ALC program. 

Audiobooks can also be found in Libby and Sora, as well as through programs like Learning Ally. For librarians who want to sample audiobooks in advance, Libro.fm offers an Advance Listening Copy (ALC) program that is free to join. New audiobooks are added every month, and can be added to your account for later review. 

3. Large Print

Research has shown that large print books are good for everyone! Having fewer words on the page makes reading accessible and less overwhelming to young readers. Vendors like Thorndike Press make an effort to ensure that large print books are not noticeably larger than their normal-sized companions. Disabled students may also be able to access free large print ebooks through the Bookshare program. And of course, as mentioned above, many ebook programs and apps allow readers to tweak the size of the text while they read for accessibility.

logos for bookshare and thorndike press for accessible large print books

A resource to use in your library: Gale / Thorndike Large Print Books. 

There are additional vendors that you can use to purchase Large Print books, but I’ve personally had a great experience with Gale’s Thorndike Press. The company aims to release 100 new large print books each month, so there’s always something new to consider adding to your collection.

4. Novels in Verse

Novels in verse can be a hard sell on paper, as most students seem to shy away from poetry. But I’ve had some success with book talking novels in verse, especially if I share (and read aloud) pages on the projector, or if I show a video of the author reading their own verses out loud. The rhythm of verse novels can remind students of song and rap lyrics and slam poetry (from the likes of Elizabeth Acevedo) or spoken word poems (from poets like Amanda Gorman) can be useful for piquing student interest in verse.

logo for TeachingBooks for novels in verse

A resource to use in your library: TeachingBooks.

If you have access to TeachingBooks, they offer a variety of resources for novels in verse. From author name pronunciations to lesson activity ideas, there’s a lot to find and use on their website. 

5. Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are an often misunderstood and underestimated form of reading. Students love them, but some teachers see comics as “too easy” or “not real books.” Librarians can counter these kinds of negative reactions by emphasizing the literary merits of graphic novels. A lot of my students enjoy Jerry Craft’s “New Kid,” which was the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Award. Comics also encourage readers to linger and reread each page, taking in the text and searching the images for context clues. Amazing stories can be told through a combination of pictures and text, and graphic novels are a hit with more than just our struggling readers.

photo for Jarrett Lerner for downloadable comics and image

A resource to use in your library: Jarrett Lerner Comics.

Jarrett Lerner is a huge advocate for graphic novels and other forms of illustrated books. His website has free comics and images that you can download and print for your library. Seeing important concepts like literacy shaming and student choice succinctly portrayed in comic panels makes these ideas easier to understand (and easier to advocate for).

#6: Picture Books

Finally, picture books can be a useful tool, even in middle school or high school libraries. Beyond the obvious uses of picture books (for instance, as a way to provide appropriately-leveled reading material for students in special education settings), these texts can also be used to introduce or support new concepts in the library. From scientific processes to biographies and historical fiction, picture books can help bring learning to life in new and unexpected ways. Books can also explore math topics like measurement, spatial thinking, and fractions.

middleweb logo for picture books

A resource to use in your library: MiddleWeb. 

MiddleWeb offers a variety of resources for middle school educators, including a piece on using picture books to teach Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Kasey Short lists some recommended books, discussion questions, and activity ideas for over a dozen fantastic picture books that middle school readers are sure to love. 

Using a variety of formats in our library collection will allow us to reach and teach more young readers. While books are, and likely always will be, the focal point of our libraries, there is definitely a place for images, sounds, and even videos in the library space. When we share stories with our students, in any format, we are encouraging skills that will lead to a lifetime of reading by making reading more accessible. 

It’s the last week of School Library Month (SLM)! TCEA has featured a guest article written by a member librarian once a week throughout the month. This week, be sure to acknowledge:

Have you shown appreciation for your librarian, media specialist, and library staff yet? Make plans to say a big thank you for all they do for students, staff, library advocacy and curation, your school community, and more!

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ELAREnglish Language ArtsReading

How to Close the Reading Gap Before Summer

by Terrie Noland, Ph.D., CALP
written by Terrie Noland, Ph.D., CALP

As the end of another school year is coming into sight, is it too late to see accelerated learning gains from students who are struggling to find success? What if there was something that could have a positive domino effect on the students who are still struggling in their classes, even at this point in the year? Closing the reading gap to improve reading can have that domino effect.

Reading is the foundational skill that permeates all other subjects. A student who struggles to read faces insurmountable challenges in any subject area, while a student who reads at proficiency engages in school subjects on a level playing field. While there is no shortage of reading supplements and tools, there is one option that can accelerate reading growth before school ends for summer.

Audiobooks for Students

For students struggling with reading proficiency, an audiobook solution designed for education, which features high-quality, human-read audiobooks and a suite of resources educators need to drive outcomes, can be the missing element to success. But how do audiobooks specifically help improve reading proficiency to close the reading gap?

  • Listening to real people narrate while following highlighted text on a screen helps students model fluent reading.
  • Using audiobooks designed for the classroom, students can read the same books as their peers, allowing them to participate in class discussions with confidence.
  • A proven audiobook solution developed specifically for schools can help students master basic reading skills and build reading independence lacking in those struggling with literacy.
  • Access to math, science, and other textbooks in audiobook format ensures students don’t fall behind in other classes and supports growth and development as the curriculum gets more advanced.
  • Audiobooks help students stay on top of classwork and promote staying in school and reaching their potential.
Screenshot of the first page of chapter 1 in the book "Wonder."
Example Audiobook from Learning Ally Audiobook Solution

Five Steps to Set up a No-Cost Audiobook Solution

But is it too late in the year to get started? Simply put– no. It’s never too late to remove barriers preventing students from succeeding. Breakthrough results can be achieved with struggling readers, some of whom have realized rapidly accelerated reading growth– with an ease of effort and time investment for educators– through the implementation of the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution.

Here are the steps you can take today to accelerate reading growth, improve reading, and close the reading gap before the end of the school year. Best of all, you can address student reading gaps and make an impact with no cost to you, your school, or your district. 

  1. Learn more about the funding the Texas Education Agency has provided for K-12 public schools and open enrollment charters to support struggling readers with the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution.
Screenshot of an example audiobook library for a student
Example Student Library in Learning Ally Audiobook Solution
  1. Enroll your school using the Texas-funded Institutional Membership Application. Once the form has been submitted, you will receive emailed instructions on how to get your account set up and get started. 
  2. Set up your school access once your account is active. Determine eligible students, identify educator roles, and assign access accordingly.
  3. Launch the audiobook library for your students. Browse titles and assign books individually or in groups. Integrate instructional strategies with the app, which allows for note-sharing, onboard dictionary, and more.
  4. Monitor student progress and tailor instruction to meet goals. Use reporting dashboards to easily track student advancement toward reading targets and monitor growth.

Make Independent Reading Time More Effective

With audiobooks available to struggling readers who need them, independent reading time will be more effective. Students can don their headsets and dive into an audiobook from the library, anytime from any device. Some suggestions to extend and explore include pairing with a classmate to discuss the story and demonstrate their comprehension in the form of a book report, giving an oral report, acting out a scene, designing a poster, playing a guessing game of “who am I,” or doing a Q&A with their teacher.

A proven audiobook solution developed specifically for students with reading difficulties can be the key to unlocking potential. It’s simple to implement, easy to set up, and proven to accelerate reading growth. And with the funding the Texas Education Agency has provided, there is no financial impact for K-12 public and charter schools in the state to offer this resource to students. 

Summer is right around the corner. Get started with this no-cost audiobook solution today.

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digital tales for remote learners
Content Areas

Digital Stories for Remote Learners

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

You’ve heard of audio books, but what about video books? The phrase doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. But in spite of that, many educators are looking for video versions of popular stories they can share to encourage students to engage with stories in a new way. In this blog entry, we’ll explore several sources of multimedia, digital tales for remote learners.

The Power of Digital Stories

Have you read Gene Zion’s story of Harry, the Dirty Dog? If not, Betty White’s reading of an old favorite of mine will get your tail wagging. That’s the power of digital stories, to bring to a child the power of another human’s voice and interest in a story. Take a moment to listen to Betty White read the story.

digital stories

Listen online: https://www.storylineonline.net/books/harry-the-dirty-dog/

Let’s take a look at some sources of online stories you can share with your students.

Story Source #1: Storyline Online

This is a phenomenal resource of fifty-seven digital stories and all are completely free. The narrators are top notch, and each story comes with a teacher’s guide. For example, the guide for Harry, the Dirty Dog focuses on Grades K-2. Predictions, which is one of Reciprocal Teaching‘s Fab Four, are encouraged.

Storyline Online (@StorylineOnline) features apps for Android, iOS, and the Chrome browser. The stories and apps are free and will remain so.

Did You Know?

Sign up for one of our Google Certified Educator certifications. You’ll learn about more than Google Meet, as well as earn 12 CPE hours per course. Use these courses to get Google Educator certified. Find out more online.

Story Source #2: Audible Stories

We know listening to stories has the same benefit as reading with one’s eyes. Audible Stories is now offering, at no charge, a large collection of stories which are organized into a variety of categories, such as the following:

  • Littlest Learners
  • Elementary
  • Tween
  • Teen
  • Literary Classics
  • Folk and Fairy Tales for All

Digital Tales for remote learners

Their stories are also available in various languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, and more. During COVID-19 crisis, Audible offers these at no cost.

Story Source #3: Storynory

Storynory has a variety of stories and tales in video format as well as in audio and text. They are also accessible via the  iOS or Android app that you can get on your device. Students can read the story on the screen while listening to the audio recording, enhancing their reading and listening skills.

Digital Tales for remote learnersStorynory describes itself in this way:

Storynory has been giving free audio stories to the world since November 2005. We are a podcast and a website with audio streaming. Some months we serve around a million downloads of our mp3 files (stored on Libsyn). All our content is free.

Another source of audio books is Loyal Books. They offer classic titles in audio format. You can often find the text version online since most are in the public domain.

Story Source #4: David Walliams

Author David Walliams is sharing stories through March and April, 2020, releasing an audio story every day.

Digital Tales for remote learners

“All those stuck at home with their kids may be able to relate to ‘_The World’s Worst Children_’!” as David Walliams revealed that he’d be sharing his stories with the nation.  (Source: Good Housekeeping)

You can get started with Grubby Gertrude. Try not to laugh too much at this delightful tale.

Story Source #5: EPIC!

Looking for a free source of books and audio books? Check out Epic! which offers free teacher accounts through June 30, 2020. It’s easy to get set up as a teacher and then add your students. Creating the students’ accounts is as easy as copying and pasting their names into a text box.

You can find quite a bit of content online, and your students will have easy access.  Here’s some of the content, featuring audio and video books:

Story Source #6: Vook

Teachers get a year free of access to Vook. This offer is also open to home school educators. From their website:

“Vooks brings children’s books to life with animated illustrations, read-a-long text and narrated story. The ad-free platform features a variety of titles that have been engaging students all across the world. Whether being used as part of the lesson or to wind class down, Vooks is a fun and versatile tool for the classroom.

Learn more about Vook content:

Looking for more stories? Be sure to check out authors online. Like David Walliams, many such as Kate Messner will read their books online.

Image Source

Feature image. screenshot by author.

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Educational Trends

Finding Free Audiobooks for Educators

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Earlier this spring, a report commissioned by the Audio Publishers Association found that, for the first time, half of all Americans have listened to audiobooks. Like many technologies, audiobooks, and their cousin, the podcast, are making their way into the classroom.

Recent research on the use of audiobooks on education is limited. A 2016 study found that those who received a lesson through audio did not lag behind those who heard and read the audio. Some researchers also point to the notion that the human brain is designed to interpret aural information first and foremost. A 2012 study published in the journal School Library Research noted a positive impact through the use of audiobooks for struggling readers. As the study summarized:

The findings indicated that struggling readers’ use of audiobooks had a positive impact on reading skills and attitudes toward reading. These findings are significant given the dearth of research directly related to the impact of audiobooks, despite the prevalent usage of audiobooks.

Audiobooks carry the possibility of helping struggling readers, though they possess other potential limitations. It’s difficult to grasp where you “are” in a text you’re listening to. You lack the ability to highlight, re-read, or otherwise “go back” over a passage, at least not without scrubbing through the audio. Still, having multiple ways for students to interact with language learning is important to many educators, and audiobooks are one such tool. The technology is even catching on as a teaching tool at the higher ed level.

Ready to try using audiobooks yourself? Here are four great sources for free audiobooks for educators.

Free Audiobook Resources

LibriVox includes free, public domain works read by volunteers. Its collection also contains a number of plays, poetry, and a vast array of nonfiction, in addition to its numerous fiction titles.
free audiobooks

 

OverDrive allows readers to digitally “check out” ebooks and audiobooks through their local public or school libraries. OverDrive’s Sora app is specifically designed to allow schools to set up accounts that students can use to download ebooks and audiobooks.
free audiobooks

Loyal Books, formerly known as Books Should Be Free, offers many classics in ebook and audiobook format.
free audiobooks

 

Storynory is all about children’s audiobooks, from fables to educational titles and beyond.
free audiobooks
Photo: Alireza Attari

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learning with audiobooks.
Good TeachingSpecial Needs

How to Inspire a Passion for Learning with Audiobooks

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

If you had to decode every word you ever read, wouldn’t you tire of reading? I would. For my students, every word on a printed page is a challenge to decipher. Over time, reading struggles leave students feeling inadequate, underperforming, and frustrated. Without the right reading accommodations and tiered interventions, they will statistically fall behind and withdraw emotionally.

I am an elementary teacher and dyslexia interventionist for DeZavala Elementary School (San Marcos CISD) in San Marcos, Texas. My students are bright, underprivileged youngsters who are not good readers. I am their champion and find strategies and resources to overcome their reading barriers. I am the teacher that tells other teachers that children who cannot read well are not dumb or lazy; their brains just do not process information like yours or mine do.

Audiobook Skepticism, Breakthrough Learning

Human-read audiobooks are at the heart of my strategy to support struggling readers. Some teachers and parents are skeptical about the power of audiobooks. They ask me, “Is my child really learning when they are listening to a book read aloud?” The answer is YES!

A thoughtful human narrator with the right intonation and accurate phrasing can heighten the senses of a struggling reader. I have seen children break through the unending burden of decoding words to read with ease and to comprehend what they read. I have heard children request more books just so they can hear different voices inspire them. Many of my students now score above average on the Texas STAAR. They have become independent learners who are confident and prepared. Some have made the honor roll, received certificates, and are top ten in their classes, all great achievements.

Diving into Digital Learning

A few years ago, I decided to dive into digital learning. Our school did not have funding for technology devices, but I managed to get my hands on two Kindles. At that time, Kindles did not support Learning Ally, but a media specialist knew a workaround to get the devices to work. I handed the devices to two elementary students with stories they would never be able to read in print. Just like that, a nurturing and caring human voice made a real emotional connection with my students. Success! They understood the story. You could see real passion on their faces.

This was a game-changer. I needed more devices, so I made a video of students (Fight Song) who were excited about reading audio books and telling their story in their own words. This video was a hit with our principal and school board and we got more devices.

Inspire a Culture of Readers

Teachers cannot always find the time to develop extracurricular activities that ignite reading passion, so I appreciate 33&Me and The Great Reading Games. In these games, a digital leaderboard highlights students’ reading activity against other U.S. schools competing for cash and prizes. The learning with audiobooksleaderboard became a cheerleader for us. It fueled the flame of reading.

My students love the excitement of seeing the number of pages and books they read. This quickens their pace. They read in class, at home, and in their spare time. They listen and learn. They retain information. They discuss stories with friends. Even if we were the poorest district in Texas, my students won prizes!

Read for 20 Minutes a Day

Research says that you must practice reading fluency consistently for 20 minutes each day. Using audiobooks, my students could easily do that. They enjoyed accessing a wide range of stories on and above their grade level. They used the mobile reading app to see highlighted words, hear correct vocabulary pronunciation, and feel the excitement of the story through the narrator’s tone. With the free Learning Ally app, they can take notes for tests, build larger vocabularies, explore new genres, enjoy classic literature, and entertain themselves with popular series. As a teacher, I can do cool reading activities with audiobooks, like read with a hero, partner reading, and read with a pet.

Come on teachers! Put audiobooks into your learning mix and see struggling students ease into a story with a greater comfort level. They will understand the content. They will feel empowered. Their self-esteem and reading stamina will improve. They will develop a passion for reading and the academic rewards you have been longing for them to achieve will become a reality.

This is a guest blog by Nelda Reyes. Nelda is a Dyslexia/Leading Interventionist at DeZavala Elementary School in San Marcos CISD in San Marcos, Texas. 

 

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