Ebooks

Ebooks are an excellent reading resource especially since 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. SORA is our favorite application to use for this and there and several links easily found for the students. We have linked a few other public library resources for this as well. 

Audio Books

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. Audiobooks can help students in many ways, including building vocabulary, improving comprehension, and building confidence. While we suggested the use of SORA as well for this Learning Ally is a site that would be very beneficial for students in serious need of this assistance. 

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. Large print books make reading accessible to people with disabilities or vision impairments. Large print books can reduce eye strain and exhaustion. 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. 

Novels in Verse

Novels in verse can be a hard sell on paper, as most students seem to shy away from poetry. 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. While this may be a harder sell to some kids a book talk or read a loud may help peak their interest. The poetic structure of verse novels can make the text less intimidating and easier to digest, which is beneficial for students who have learning differences or are learning to speak English. Another important benefit of using this type of poetry in the classroom is that they can be highly engaging for students. The poetic form of verse novels can help students connect with the text on a deeper level, making the reading experience more enjoyable and meaningful. Teachingbooks is a great resource to find some novels in verse to share with students. 

Picture Books

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 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.