For years, educators have grappled with the challenge of supporting high school students who struggle with reading. These students have outgrown picture books, but are still developing the foundational skills needed to tackle complex texts. This skills gap can lead to frustration, disengagement, and even school dropout. But there's finally good news! The educational landscape is welcoming a revolutionary resource: decodable chapter books for high school readers, by Storyshares.

At Storyshares, we try to carve out new shelves for regional and classroom libraries. This series is designed to transport readers through multigenre illustrations, characters that want to change the world, and Science of Reading alignment that provides access and opportunities for literacy advancement.

There is a false binary too often created in teacher education programs and professional development settings. It is a hopeful false binary and goes like this: teachers in grades K-3 teach students to learn to read, while teachers of students in grades 4 and up teach students to read to learn. Continue reading for ways to support striving teenage readers with the science of reading, as well as specific Storyshares resources that align with these key strategies.

What does it mean to advocate for the needs of youth? For me, it means to offer my talents and passions to raise awareness about critical global issues and to support the advancement of children's rights. That is why Storyshares is a platform that is so close to my heart, and why I find so much enjoyment working with Storyshares!

Storyshares will be offering our entire eBook library collection at no cost to anyone who is interested from now until September 1, 2023!

Shira Engel is a former New Yorker who both attended and taught in New York City public schools. She now lives and teaches seventh and eighth grade Humanities in New Haven, Connecticut, and works as a Wilson tutor for students with dyslexia after school.

Emmily Magtalas Rhodes is a freelance writer of Filipino heritage currently living in an English spa town. She's fascinated by folk horror, witchcraft and magic. Her debut YA novel, What It Means to Be Malaya, was published in the Philippines in 2020.

Phoebe Angaye was born in Denton, TX, and her parents are from Nigeria. She considers herself Nigerian-American. She has been writing for eight years, and was inspired to write diverse stories for people who look like her, and other minorities. She loves reading diverse stories, so she decided to write them.

We’re excited to share that Storyshares author Kugu Soykan recently received the United States Congressional Award Gold Medal, the highest award given by the US Congress to youth for their leadership, community service, and social impact.