Meet two ambassadors for summer reading who are advocating for high quality summer learning experiences that boost literacy and establish a habit of reading.

Here's list to grow readers from the world of audiobooks, the format for learning that engages struggling and other readers when books in print do not.

The format, that is essential for students with print disabilities, helps learners access the same books that their peers are reading in print. The literacy that can result from "ear reading" creates "academic" knowledge and the "social" opportunity to "talk books" and be part of literacy conversations struggling readers so often miss.

So many special education webinars, so little time. It is hard to choose. But, podcasts can be a short, sweet, and entertaining opportunity to inform teaching and learning.

Jump On In

When Sharon Plante uses her combined expertise of technology in education and learning disabilities for her #spedchat "Learning Differently" podcast interviews, the BAM Radio Network's Special Education Channel comes alive with 12 minutes of engaging key conversations, information, opinions, and resources. 

Digital Learning Day on March 13 is an important time to remember that all digital text is not accessible. The focus for future digital purchases should be on products where digital text and images of all kinds are accessible to the widest range of students. 

Wise Buys

Buying accessible products – those that serve a diverse range of learning needs – is easier now as compared with the past. More products offer flexible digital text with learning supports and options that formerly did not exist or were excluded in older products.

For some students, hearing passages aloud is enough for them to understand the content. For those learners, human and/or electronic readers keep them involved with learning across the curriculum. Sometimes those learners combine an audiobook and keep a printed copy in hand or on their lap. They also do well if the assigned text is converted to an accessible digital format that runs on their computer or mobile device. But other students struggle with those choices. They need text that is simplified.