New discovery tools that classify picture books and a phonics ebook package are designed to supplement science of reading instruction

 

TAMPA, Fla. – October 19, 2023 – As schools nationwide increasingly turn to evidence-based strategies for early literacy, TeachingBooks and OverDrive Education announced new services and products to address instructional needs. Discovery tools that classify popular picture books for phonics instruction and the Supersonic Phonics & Decodables package for PreK-grade 4 make it easier and more affordable to support early literacy initiatives. The ebooks are available to schools using Sora, the award-winning student reading app.

Educators can learn more about TeachingBooks, Sora and the Supersonic­ Phonics & Decodables package at Booth #509 at the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) conference in Tampa from October 19-21.

Schools are increasingly seeking effective strategies to stem the widely reported decline in reading (such as NAEP in 2022). With the shift to digital reading on the upswing, apps like TeachingBooks and Sora continue to develop new ways to reach readers with effective tools and content, including ebooks, audiobooks and digital magazines.

“The new TeachingBooks tools are making it easy for classroom teachers to locate classroom read-alouds that are rich in rhyme, alliteration, or have multiple vowel sounds or blends,” said Kym Davick, TeachingBooks Manager of Implementation and Training, who leads the development of the tools based on 26 years of classroom teaching, curriculum planning, mentoring and leadership. “Readers now have more opportunities to deepen comprehension while practicing decoding and reading with new or familiar words.”

The OverDrive acquisition of TeachingBooks in 2021 expands its early childhood literacy services by making it easier for educators to supplement phonics instruction with quality trade picture books. This unique offering facilitates the discovery of exceptional texts to support and supplement science of reading instruction. While underscoring phonics, phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, TeachingBooks is classifying popular picture books by more than a dozen phonics and phonetical awareness classifications (vowel and consonant sounds, alliteration, rhyming, and more). Additionally, TeachingBooks is developing exclusive activity sheets that reinforce phonetical skills that can be used with trade books so that teachers, families, and librarians have a collection of worksheets to expand their reading instruction.

Meanwhile, Sora’s Supersonic Phonics & Decodables package gives students instant, unlimited access to 200 always-available (no wait list) fiction and nonfiction ebooks exclusively for the 2023-24 school year. Sora serves a growing network of more than 61,000 schools worldwide with the industry’s largest catalog of popular and educational ebooks and audiobooks and award-winning user experience.

Attend presentations in the booth at AASL to hear educators from around the country share how they are implementing digital content, TeachingBooks and Sora to engage their students and staff:

  • Using Socia Media & Hobbies to Get Kids Reading (Webb School of Knoxville, TN) – at 6pm ET
  • Our Sora Story (Essex Westford School District, VT) – at 9:30am ET
  • Sora-ing to New Heights with TeachingBooks (Montgomery County Public Schools, MD) – Fri. at 12pm ET
  • Keys to Elevating Readers with Ebooks and Audiobooks (Canyons School District, UT) – at 1pm ET
  • How to Make Your Virtual Library Literally Awesome – Engage Teen Readers (Glendale Union School District, AZ) – at 2pm ET
  • Tips for Success with a Digital Collection Consortium (Virginia Beach City Schools, VA) – at 3pm ET
  • DEI Collection Analysis for Displays, Programming, Classrooms & Smallish Collections (TeachingBooks) – at 3:20pm ET in Room 116-117
  • My Role as a Digital Reading Champion (Arlington Public Schools, VA) – at 9am ET

For more information about TeachingBooks, visit TeachingBooks.net/OverDrive and AASL Booth #509. For more information about the Sora app for schools, visit https://discoversora.com.

 

About TeachingBooks

TeachingBooks is an engaging collection of resources that brings children’s and young adult’s books to life. With access to hundreds of thousands of materials including original author interviews, video book trailers, discussion questions, vocabulary lists, interactive games and more, 55,000 schools and libraries have received more than 70 million unique investigations since August 2020. Awarded the Best Digital App of 2020 by the American Association of School Librarians and the 2021 Common Sense Education Selection for Learning, TeachingBooks was founded in 2000 and is based in Madison, Wisconsin USA. TeachingBooks was acquired by OverDrive in 2021. www.TeachingBooks.net

About OverDrive Education and the Sora student reading app

OverDrive Education, a division of OverDrive, offers the largest catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, digital magazines and other content for over 61,000 K-12 schools and millions of students worldwide. The Sora student reading app, named one of TIME’s Best Inventions, provides every student with access to the right books and supports the need for required curriculum titles, class sets and pleasure reading. TeachingBooks.net (acquired in 2021) complements Sora with one of the largest catalogs of supplemental resources that “bring books to life.” Founded in 1986, OverDrive – which also provides digital content to public, academic and corporate libraries – is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA.

www.overdrive.com/schools Contact:
David Burleigh
Director of Brand & Communications
dburleigh@overdrive.com

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