Blog

The world of reading is no longer confined to physical books. In the 21st century, being a reader goes hand-in-hand with navigating the vast digital landscape. This means equipping students with the skills to be safe, responsible, and effective in their online interactions. Read on to learn about our unique approach to teaching teens about digital citizenship.

Schwa! The hard-to-describe, often confusing, most common vowel sound in the English language. Let’s break it down.

Struggling readers in grades 3-12 often feel left behind when it comes to practicing foundational reading skills. Traditional decodable books, geared towards younger children, can be unappealing and lack the complexity needed for older students. Storyshares offers a revolutionary solution: the Storyshares Decodable Library. Read on to see what sets our books apart.

A chorus of praise is rising from classrooms and literacy programs across the country, and the source? Storyshares decodable chapter books. Educators are finding these innovative resources to be a game-changer in their efforts to cultivate a love of reading among all students, especially those facing reading challenges.‍ Here's a closer look at how Storyshares is transforming literacy experiences for older, striving readers.

This week's Tuesday Tidbit dives into the world of phonics terminology! While younger learners might struggle with these concepts, older students striving for fluency can benefit greatly from understanding them. Equipping them with terms like welded sounds, digraphs, and blends empowers them to tackle new words with confidence.

Summer break is just beginning for most students, and while it is a fun time of rest from school, good weather, and new opportunities, it can also eat away at the important skills gained over the school year. Without deliberate efforts to keep up reading over break, students of all ages can experience reading loss, which is the decline in reading development over periods without formal literacy instruction. Luckily, reading over the summer doesn’t have to be a chore. These tips can help set students up for success for the next school year without compromising their fun over the summers. 

The pendulum of reading instruction has swung between phonics-heavy and whole-language approaches, but the Science of Reading offers a more nuanced understanding. Explicit phonics instruction is crucial, but it must be combined with opportunities to build fluency, comprehension, and a love of reading through access to engaging and age-appropriate materials for all students, even those struggling beyond elementary school.

To help celebrate Pride Month, Storyshares is thrilled to shine the spotlight on one of our talented authors, Julian Simiński. Julian’s book, Math = Silence, is a popular and compelling title in the Storyshares library.

We all know the struggle to get teens engaged with reading. But what if the key lies not just in compelling stories, but in stories that reflect their own lives? Studies show that relatable characters and familiar experiences make reading more meaningful and engaging. This is especially true for LGBTQ+ teens, who are often underrepresented in Young Adult literature.