Augmenting Print Resources
Finding access to high quality children's trade books can be difficult. School districts and local libraries provide great resources - in both print and digital formats. In order to augment student access to non-fiction and fiction books, several free resources are listed below.
There are other online ebook providers but the following list of collections can be used as a starting place. |
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Epic! (www.getepic.com) is a free resource for K-5 teachers and librarians. This site contains hundreds of digital books. Books can be browsed by topic and filtered by grade level or reading level. “Magic Readers” are a series of books on the same animal written at different reading levels. Some books are also available as “Read-to-Me” versions that read the text aloud to students. These features allow teachers to differentiate for reading level, delivery method and student interest.
Zing (http://www.schoolwide.com/zing) is a free resource that provides educators, parents, and students unlimited access to thousands of authentic eBooks in English and Spanish, both in school and at home.
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Signing in to INFOhio (www.INFOhio.org) is required to view resources in their collections. Districts have a username and password for teachers and students to use. If this is not available, teachers can contact INFOhio to request log in information.
Within INFOhio teachers can access resources including BookFlix, issues of Scholastic News, andWorld Book Kids (easy to navigate information, activities, pictures and videos). 
ReadWorks.org provides research-based units, lessons, and authentic, leveled non-fiction and literary passages directly to educators online, for free, to be shared broadly. Reading passages are searchable by topic, grade level, and contain sets of questions related to the text.
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State and Local Public Libraries
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Public libraries frequently offer digital materials. Many branches have access to BookFlix, print ebooks, audio ebooks, children’s magazines, and more. Common apps used to deliver this content must be downloaded and include Overdrive Media, 3M Cloud Library, Hoopla, and Zinio Magazine Collection. These collections require users to create an account and the account must be associated with a library card number. Different library systems offer different content within these apps. Content may be “always available” or may need to be digitally checked out.
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Several libraries allow all Ohio residents to apply for an account and do not limit accounts to local residents. In certain library systems accounts can be created online and the physical library card must be picked up in person. Columbus Metropolitan Library (www.columbuslibrary.org) allows all Ohio residents to create an account online and will mail the physical card, so no on site pick up in Columbus is needed to use the library's digital resources.
