News and reflections from experts and practitioners on the latest literacy research, events and daily practice
Welcome to Learning Ally's blog. You've come to the right place if you are an innovative teacher who wants to transform more struggling readers into grade-level achievers.
December 10, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
For Immediate Release:
PRINCETON, N.J., December 10, 2019 -- Learning Ally, a leading nonprofit education solutions organization, has won a 2019 Tech & Learning Award of Excellence for its Learning Ally Audiobook Solution. The Solution now serves more than 470,000 U.S. students with reading deficits, including those with learning disabilities like dyslexia and visual impairments.
Each year, Technology & Learning judges evaluate products that are unique in the K-12 market, as well as those that are helping schools solve specific problems, such as providing equitable access to educational content for students with exceptional needs. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution was selected as an outstanding education technology product that improves the way educators work and students learn in today’s diverse learning environments.
Eligible students can study grade-level text and read age-appropriate titles using a quality reading accommodation with access to an extensive “human-read” audiobook library. The 80,000 audiobook collection contains curriculum-aligned textbooks, literature, fiction, non-fiction, graphic and diverse novels, poetry and popular titles. Audiobooks are narrated by skilled subject experts, voice artists and volunteers who make information come to life.
Students enjoy the freedom of using a mobile app with built-in classroom tools to read in school, at home, and on the go in a multisensory reading experience to comprehend information on a deeper level and improve fluency, vocabulary and critical thinking skills while maintaining academic pace in mainstream classes.
A suite of professional development resources support teachers' efforts to monitor data for reading accountability and to gain insight into genres students enjoy reading independently. Teachers can easily integrate fun, reading engagement activities into their classroom instruction to motivate students to read all year long.
Terrie Noland, V.P. of Educator Leadership and Learning for Learning Ally says, “This Award of Excellence reinforces our mission to support the teachers and specialists who are working diligently to transform the learning experiences for students with reading deficits who deserve every opportunity to reach their full potential."
Technology & Learning Magazine will recognize Learning Ally and all 2019 winners of the T&L Award of Excellence in the December/January 2020 issue and at a special ceremony during the TCEA Convention & Exposition in February 2020 in Austin, Texas.
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading education solutions organization dedicated to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven multisensory reading accommodation for students with a reading deficit, composed of high-quality, human-read audiobooks, student-centric features and a suite of teacher resources to monitor and support student success. Used in more than 17,500 schools, this essential solution, along with its catalog of Professional Learning, bridges the gap between a student’s reading ability and their cognitive capability, empowering them to become engaged learners and reach their academic potential.
For more information, visit https://learningally.org.
Categories: Audiobook Library, Curriculum & Access, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, Funding & Awards, In the news, Learning Disabilities, Reading Strategies for K-12
December 5, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
Lane Young, the Director of Educational Technology at Phillips Brooks School in Menlo Park, California says, “The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is super helpful to support children who are showing early signs of a reading deficit.” The independent, co-educational private day school serves preschoolers through fifth graders in Silicon Valley near neighboring Stanford University. The school community inspires its more than 280 students to love learning, to develop a spiritual nature, to communicate effectively, to be kind and to respect the uniqueness of each classmate and to enjoy reading. Young says, “Audiobooks help children who struggle to read comprehend the context of a story or assignment.” As a former librarian, he believes audio support is a beneficial supplement to formal reading instruction to keep children engaged and reading consistently.
Learning specialists at his school – one for K-2 and one for grades 3-5 -- work closely with each child to assess their reading skills, particularly in decoding and comprehension. If they assess a child with a potential learning disability or identify them as falling behind, the specialists prescribe the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution as a reading accommodation for additional support.
The specialists download audiobooks for eligible children, which is roughly one-third of their overall student population. They find titles to match daily reading-themed studies, Readers’ Workshop assignments, and a variety of titles for literacy circles, where children may be reading several books. Young says the intention of all of these reading events is to promote a thriving culture of young readers.
In third grade, each child receives an iPad. Young sees a big jump in technology prowess at this stage of learning. “Not surprisingly, we serve a lot of tech-native children in our school,” he says. Fourth and fifth graders enjoy even more opportunities to read and to make individual choices of what they want to read. “Learning Ally gives us plenty of access to all types of stories and curriculum. This versatility is great to keep all children engaged and motivated to read. We can select titles based on their personal interests and their comprehension and grade level. The supplemental, accessible library fits into our school’s student-centered philosophical approach to cultivate a growth-learning mindset in every child to become confident, independent readers and thinkers.”
The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a multi-sensory reading accommodation that levels the playing field for students who struggle to read due to a reading deficit, providing them the opportunity achieve in school and in life. Gaining access to the books they want to read—and the books they need to read—in an easy-to-absorb format can be a game changer. Sign up for a demo or get more information today to experience the satisfaction of seeing students who have never before experienced reading success blossom, with improved grades, higher test scores and increased confidence and self-esteem.
Categories: Assistive Technology, Audiobook Library, Curriculum & Access, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, Learning Ally “How-To Use”, Learning Disabilities, Reading Strategies for K-12
November 25, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
PRINCETON, NJ., November 25, 2019— Learning Ally, a leading nonprofit education solutions organization producing human-read, high-quality audiobooks, is celebrating Dave Fennoy, a prominent voice artist and the win of a Society Of Voice Arts And Sciences™ (SOVAS™ ) Award.
At the 2019 Voice Arts® Awards Gala at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA, Fennoy received the prestigious recognition for ‘Best Voiceover Audiobook Narration-History’ of “March Book III,” a graphic novel written by Congressman John Lewis, a central figure in American history for the civil rights movement.
Dave Fennoy is an iconic voice artist in Los Angeles. He has one of the most versatile voices in the industry narrating globally-recognized commercials, TV programs, games and educational programs for companies like Lexus, McDonalds, The Disney Channel, Time Life Music R&B, National Geographic and the Science Channel.
For years, Dave has volunteered his time and unique voices to Learning Ally to narrate historic and popular titles in audiobook format so that students with reading based learning differences can better understand information and enjoy books their peers are reading.
Lewis’ trilogy, coauthored by Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell, is a New York Times Bestseller and one of YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens. It was inspired by the 1950’s comic book to bring historic lessons to life for all generations, and is especially relevant for today's youth.
Cynthia Hamburger, Chief Operating Officer for Learning Ally said, “Dave Fennoy has done an extraordinary job of narrating Congressman Lewis’ series, and we congratulate him and our production team on this outstanding achievement. Human-narration can have a powerful effect on students who struggle to read, which makes the SOVAS award extremely meaningful to our organization. This recognition is a testament to the high standards of our audiobooks, and why tens of thousands of students enjoy stories told the way the authors intended – with passion, veracity, and authenticity.”
The March Book I, II and III series can be downloaded from the Learning Ally audiobook library, which holds more than 80,000 titles narrated by subject experts, volunteers, and professional voice artists.
Visit www.LearningAlly.org.
About SOVAS
The mission of the Society Of Voice Arts And Sciences™ (SOVAS™) is to bring training, education, mentoring and employment opportunities to create and sustain a successful career in the voiceover industry with diversity and inclusion through educational events, financial scholarships, job placement, and awards recognition.
Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit education solutions organization dedicated to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven multisensory reading accommodation for students with a reading deficit, composed of high-quality, human-read audiobooks, student-centric features and a suite of teacher resources to monitor and support student success. Used in more than 17,500 schools, this essential solution, along with its catalog of Professional Learning, bridges the gap between a student’s reading ability and their cognitive capability, empowering them to become engaged learners and reach their academic potential.
Categories: Audiobook Library, Authors for Access, dyslexia, General, In the news, Learning Disabilities, The Digital Age
November 21, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
When students enter Jenna Ponx’s class at Ira Jones Middle School in Plainfield, Illinois, most of them say that they hate to read, but by the end of the year, students are not complaining, they are celebrating. In Ms. Ponx's class you're more likely to hear a joyous, “Hey, Ms. Ponx I did it!” Students’ self-confidence skyrockets; more books are read and more hands are eagerly raised. Middle schoolers, who once thought themselves failures, are now willing to tackle grade-level text.
Students fall, winter and spring I-Ready Diagnostic Assessments confirm significant improvement in reading levels. Some improved by two and three grade levels in one year. Others by as much as 100% to 400% growth, an increase of three to four grade levels. The same students showed similar growth on the Language Live Benchmark tests, making 200-300 point gains on their Lexile levels – a consistent trend in their reading skills.
An Award-Winning Teacher
Jennifer (Jenna) Ponx is a Special Education Teacher and Reading Intervention Specialist, and one of four educators in the United States to receive the 2019 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Teaching Award. "Nothing is more important than helping students believe they can be good learners,” she says.
Her colleague, Katharine Sheble says, “Jenna is a champion teacher who takes a unique approach to educating students. Her passion for learning, combined with individualized instruction, accessible materials and supplementary resources, have instilled a love of reading in our most vulnerable learners.”
Customized Education Materials
The students in Ms. Ponx’s Language Arts classes are diverse learners. Some are honor students with dyslexia. Others struggle with different reading deficits. Yet all learn from the same curriculum-aligned textbooks and required novels – just in different formats. Ms. Ponx likes to provide multiple representations of instructional materials and give her students options when demonstrating knowledge or taking assessments. She routinely uses feedback loops and data to enable her students to chart their own reading goals and growth.
Students who are eligible for a reading accommodation receive the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution. Ms. Ponx says, “Students who struggle with learning disabilities have to be coaxed to read. These audiobooks unlock their barriers to reading and the frustration of trying to decode words to read fluently goes away.”
Listening Counts – Reading Independently Works
Ms. Ponx works closely with general education teachers and parents. “I want everyone to agree that listening to an audiobook is reading and we all learn in different ways,” she explains. “Hearing a story or textbook with human narration gives my students the right intonation and intensity to keep them engaged and comprehending information. This is a critical component to reading achievement.”
Data Mining - Setting Goals
For students using the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution, Ms. Ponx is able to use the Learning Ally Educator Dashboard to track their reading progress. She uses the reports to talk with students about their individual goals and growth. At the start of each semester, students receive a required reading list to download and prepare for classes. They also have 24/7 access to any titles from Learning Ally’s library of 80,000+ books to pursue their own reading interests. Ms. Ponx’s rule is that students read independently for at least 20 minutes every day.
Reading Best Practices
Her students are now equipped with strategies to increase retention such as taking good notes and organizing their thoughts by making mental movies. They understand the importance of background knowledge and looking up definitions for new vocabulary. They exercise their critical thinking skills through exposure to grade-level fiction and non-fiction texts. Their academic results are a powerful demonstration of the benefits that a reading accommodation and accessible text can provide.
Marked Reading Improvements
“It is always a team effort to identify what the best instructional strategies are and what supplementary resources a student needs to achieve,” says Ms. Ponx. “When we understand dyslexia and see consistent reading growth, this is proof that what we are doing is working. When learning confidence shifts to pride, we know our students have the tools and strategies they need to succeed in whatever they do.”
Categories: Assistive Technology, Audiobook Library, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, Learning Disabilities, Reading Strategies for K-12, Student Centric Learning, Teacher Best Practices
November 20, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
PRINCETON, N.J., November 20, 2019— Learning Ally, a leading nonprofit education solutions organization dedicated to improving literacy for all, is currently inviting U.S. schools to sign up for its 2020 Great Reading Games – a nationally recognized audiobook reading event.
The seven-week Games occur in January and February to ignite a reading passion in school-age children with reading deficits, like dyslexia and visual impairments. The Games challenge students to improve their reading stamina, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary skills, while boosting their social and emotional belief that they can become high achievers.
Terrie Noland, V.P. of Educator Leadership and Learning says, “The Great Reading Games focus on students who lack decoding skills, like those with dyslexia. These kids may have never finished a book or are reading low-level chapter books; nothing on grade-level. They rarely stand out academically, so teachers appreciate the opportunity to shine a spotlight on their efforts.”
Students in grades 3-12 compete in brackets for awards and prizes. They monitor their school’s participation on a digital leaderboard and their progress against other schools and districts. At the end of the Games, students can participate in a live, nationwide online discussion with renowned authors, like Kwame Alexander, author of “The Crossover Series,” who talked with students last year about the joy of lifelong reading.
In the 2019 Games, more than 380 7th and 8th graders at Luther Jackson Middle School in Fairfax, VA read over 150,000 pages for a total of 12,591 minutes. Students competed against 22,000 peers from 1,210 U.S. schools to place 2nd in the nation. Chad R. Lehman, former Principal of the school, said, “These Games significantly increased the amount of time our students read, and it led to a higher level of engagement with our curriculum.”
The Great Reading Games is no cost to Learning Ally schools. Prizes include Chromebooks, headsets and gift cards, and national recognition. Students enjoy 24/7 access to vast selections of human-read audiobooks, including curriculum-aligned textbooks, grade-level literature, popular series, graphic novels, diverse literature, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. They can read in school, at home and on the go with the Learning Ally app.
Teachers can easily implement the Games into any instructional framework with these ready-made materials:
guided instructions and best practices tips
class posters, badges and student certificates
letters to parents and caregivers
weekly recaps, and real-time, online reading data
Sign up begins today for the 2020 Great Reading Games.
Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit education solutions organization dedicated to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven multisensory reading accommodation for students with a reading deficit, composed of high-quality, human-read audiobooks, student-centric features and a suite of teacher resources to monitor and support student success. Used in more than 17,500 schools, this essential solution, along with its catalogue of Professional Learning, bridges the gap between a student’s reading ability and their cognitive capability, empowering them to become engaged learners and reach their academic potential.
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Categories: Assistive Technology, Audiobook Library, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, In the news, Learning Disabilities, Reading Strategies for K-12, Student Centric Learning, The Great Reading Games
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