We now have hundreds of e-book and audiobook titles that can be accessed through the Sora reading app from Overdrive. The app is available on smartphones, tablets, and through Class Link on desktops. (If you've borrowed e-books from the public library you may have used the Overdrive or Libby app. Sora is Overdrive's app for schools).
There are many reading activity enhancements that students can do using Sora.
Highlight words or passages and add notes. These notes can be exported from the app to a PDF File to share with the teacher
Look up the definition of an unknown word. These definitions can be exported from the app to a PDF file to share with the teacher.
Dyslexic Font and high contrast displays
Sora also personalized each students' reading achievements by keeping track of reading minutes and badges of achievements.
Attached is an instruction sheet to help you and your students get started. Below are links to quick video tutorials I created to help get you started.
Sora mobile app introduction video (6:07) This video shows how to get started from the app on your mobile device including adding the correct libraries, searching, placing a hold, and borrowing a book.
Sora additional features video (6:44) This video includes how to use accessibility features such as dyslexic font and high contrast, defining words while reading, renewing a book, and returning a book early.
Accessing Sora on a desktop using Class Link (7:51) This video shows how to get started with and access Sora using a computer and Class Link.
Click to open the document below to get you started.
Free stories for kids of all ages. Audible Stories is a free website where kids of all ages can listen to hundreds of Audible audio titles across six different languages—English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese—for free, so they can keep learning, dreaming and just being kids.
Junior Library Guild is offering a free stream of e-books, both fiction and non-fiction, available while schools are closed.
Print-outs and activities that encourage creativity and story creation.
Workshops, readings, activities, are projects, writing games, writing advice, and more, made possible by an amazing community of children's book writers and illustrators.
Collection of authors reading their own works on video, including a list from the Indianapolis Public Library with over 100 titles and some titles in non-English languages.
Children's books reads by astronauts while in space, provided by the Global Space Education Foundation.
Streamable videos featuring celebrated actors reading children's books alongside creatively producted illustrators.