COMMUNITY VOICES This question was asked and answered in ISTE Connect (iste.org/connect), home of ISTE’s Professional Learning Networks.
What are some sites that offer free access to audiobooks? Get Epic! (getepic.com) Epic! has a really good selection of audiobooks, but probably caps out at lower middle school interest/reading level. Hailey Reiter, teacher Fremont County School District #1, Lander, Wyoming
Vooks (vooks.com) Vooks is an awesome site for younger learners (K-3). There is a free teacher account for a year, and it also has put together some lesson plans for teachers to use throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Allison Thompson, director of technology St. Gerard School, Lansing, Michigan
Free digital stories, books, read-alouds (bit.ly/2z1KChU) I created this Pearltrees page of stories, books and read-alouds. I shared more goodies, including (audio)books free from your public library, in the School Library Journal post “Resources for learning at home while we’re keeping each other safe” (bit.ly/2XD3U7E) and on this Resources for Learning@ Home Wakele (bit.ly/2Vow9UI). Joyce Valenza, assistant professor of teaching Rutgers University School of Communication and Information, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Libby (bit.ly/2V9RHFO)
Sora (meet.soraapp.com)
Both the Libby app (access to our San Diego Public Library) and my kid’s Sora app (links to Overdrive at their school) have digital texts as well as audiobooks. I would suggest exploring the options from your public library.
Sora has books for all grade levels and is free to all districts right now.
Melinda Kolk, editor YES Tech4learning Inc., San Diego, California
Laurie Guyon, assistant coordinator for model schools Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Gansevoort, New York
Rivet (rivet.area120.com)
Audible by Amazon has gone open and free during this period of remote learning.
Google’s Rivet app has over 2,500 leveled books in its collection. The book titles and topics are of high interest to students. My students love the interactive features built into each book as well as the ability to review the book when they finish reading it. Rivet is a hit with my students!
John McBride, tech coach The Metropolitan School of Panama
Tara Schneider, teacher YES Avon Elementary School, Avon, New York
Free Audible (adbl.co/34Ci4Hn)
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