Literacy Night

Write About It

LINK

My Storybook is a web based app that's perfect for elementary school students.  You can set up a free account. Create your own simple storybook using images from their small image bank or upload your own. You can also use provided background scenes and colors. Change font size, style, and color. Share your completed stories with others through email, Facebook, Twitter. Download and print your books for a small fee.

All South School students have their own Google Drive account. Google Drive is a web based storage and creation program as well as an app for iPads and tablets. We begin modeling how to use Google Drive in Kindergarten but it is not taught until second grade. Students in grade two through four use it regularly to write and collaborate. In Google Drive you can create Documents, Sheets, and Slides among other things. Children are encouraged to use Google Drive at home as well as at school. Anytime children use the internet, they should be closely supervised by an adult.

Read About It
The South School Library eBooks

The South School Library has begun a collection of eBooks that are available to all of our students. To access these eBooks, go to the library website and click on the online library catalog.

From the online library catalog, click on Follett Shelf.

When you are in Follett Shelf, look in the top right corner and click on "Collections". Then click on eBooks.

Books that are available will say "in" in the top right corner.

Books that can be checked out by an unlimited number of people will have a blue corner and the infinity symbol. You will need your username and password to check books out. Your username should be your first initial and last name.  Your password should be your district password. See Mrs. Tibbetts if you need help.

You can also download the Free Follett Brytewave K-12 app on your iPad or tablet.

Open eBooks and First Book
South School students qualify for this free eBooks program accessible from your iPad, iPhone, or tablet. Watch this video to learn more. See Mrs. Tibbetts for a username and password.

Read more here. LINK
And here. LINK
Learn how to use Open eBooks here. LINK

LINK

Book Bub is a daily email service that helps you to stock your digital library with free and low cost books.  You can choose the categories of books you want to be notified about including children, middle grades, teen and young adult. This is a service that adults should use on behalf of their children, I do not recommend that children have their own accounts.

LINK

Larger public libraries in the state of Maine belong to a consortium that provides digital books and digital audio books free to members. They have children's and teen categories.  You will need your public library card number. If you don't have a public library card, applications are available from the South School Library. Just click on the "Download Library" icon from the Rockland Public Library website and login.  The Maine InfoNet Download Library includes for all ages including adults. Parents should filter accounts so that only appropriate content is available to their children. From your account you can change settings to filter out adult content. See Mrs. Tibbetts if you need help with this.

Talk About It

Adobe Voice is an iPad app.  It's a great program to create simple videos comprised of images and audio recordings.  We have used it many times in the library. We have created ABC books, recorded fractured fairy tales, retold classic fairy tales, and created Maine postcards for friends in New Zealand. Videos can be embedded in a website and emailed to friends. You can use your own photographs and artwork or use icons from their image bank.  You can also search the internet for images.  This is an amazing app with infinite possibilities.

Where to find great books 
for your kids (or yourself):

AWARD BOOKS
Award book lists make great reading lists and they are a great way to challenge yourself. Make it a goal to read all of the Caldecotts or Newberys, participate in choosing the Maine Student Book Award or Chickadee Award medal winner.  Click on the links at the top right side of the library website to learn more.

• Maine Student Book Award. Forty books are nominated each year by a panel of librarians and teachers. Students in grades four through eight vote for the award winner.
• Chickadee Award. Ten nominees are selected by librarians and teachers each year. Maine students in grades K through four vote for the winner.
• Caldecott Award. The Caldecott Medal is selected annually each year by the American Library Association, usually in January at their annual conference. The medal is given to the artist of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
• Newbery Award. The Newbery Award is selected annually by the American Library Association to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".
• Theodore Geisel Award Awarded by the American Library Association to the author of "the most distinguished American book for beginning readers."
• Sibert Award is selected annualy by the American Library Association for the most distinguished informational books.
• Noteable Children's Books are the "best of the best" as selected by the American Library Association. The list is for children from birth through age 17.

READING ADVICE

• Novelist K-8 is a book review site located in Marvel Maine.  You can find out Lexile level, reading level, locate new titles based on old favorites and more. You will need your public library card to login.
• Common Sense Media Visit this site to evaluate children's books, videos, and apps to see if they are appropriate for your child.
• Good Reads is a reader's service that helps you to locate books, read reviews from other members, view "best" book lists...  This site is not intended for children but is a place where parents can learn more about books their children might be interested in.
• Amazon.com Of course!  This is a great place to read reviews and determine suitability.