What’s New @TheReadingTub
This is the first of a periodic series sharing highlights of new content on the literacy side of the Reading Tub literacy portal.
Just like moving in real life, when you do a virtual move there are opportunities to find treasures.
Over this past couple of months, as we have been “unpacking” and continuing with our housecleaning, we have discovered (or rediscovered) some really cool things. Here are three I’d like to highlight.
Read-Alike Tools
It is always helpful to have a read-alike tool, but it is especially helpful when selecting books for gifts. If you know a child or teen who liked a specific book, these tools help you find something that may be just as well received.
The cool thing about the “If You Like” page on the Hennepin County Public Library Teen page is that you start with the GENRE! Most Read Alike lists start with a book and then give you suggestions. If you don’t know a book title but DO know they like a certain kind of story, then THIS is your resource.
Pick “Graphic Novels and Manga” and then narrow it by biography, graphic novels, manga, superheroes.
Hear a Story
On a YouTube channel called Children’s Books, a narrator (a former teacher) reads picture books out loud. The teacher has been loading “a couple books a week” since 2016.
This is a great resource if you want a preview of a book before deciding if you want to read it with your kids! Never heard of a book everyone is talking about? Children’s Books might have it for you to hear. Plus, browsing might even lead you to books you hadn’t known about.
Multi-Media Tools
Technology can be a wonderful complement to other learning methods. This annotated and curated collection has a little of everything. Here are five of our faves.
- Apps and websites for tech-loving teachers
- Blabberize – Recording your voice to make the mouth move on a picture you have chosen. Now an app, too.
- Purple Mash – Lots of writing, drawing and creating activities.
- Wacky Web Tales – Sort of like Mad Libs.
- Wordle – A toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide.