You’ve come to the right place, if you’re keen on exploring when kids learn to read, the challenges they face, why reading is crucial for their academic and personal growth and, of course, some practical advice on how to get started with the habit building.

Last but not least, we will not let you leave empty-handed. A list of resources is also waiting for you to support your students or your child’s reading development. Let’s get started, taking a look at the basics.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, most children learn to read by the end of third grade. However, children develop at their own pace, and some may learn to read earlier or later.

With gaming apps, television, YouTube, and too much screen time, it can be challenging to cultivate a reading habit in children. However, reading is a critical skill that fosters creativity, improves vocabulary, and enhances cognitive development.

Parents and educators can help young learners develop reading habits by setting aside time each day for reading and providing a conducive environment that encourages reading.

Habits are not easy to build and require some key concepts to be true: consistency and strategy. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it does take a couple of clever steps to achieve, but it is so worth it!

Let’s see what are some of these steps that you can take. 

Begin reading to the little ones as early as possible. Reading to children in kindergarten is very useful, even if, at this point, the child isn’t an active participant.

This experience helps them prepare for the primary school and nurture their love for stories.

As students develop their reading skills, encourage them to read independently. Start with simple books and gradually progress to more challenging books, but with a smart digital tool, you could even assign books to your students through the app and give homework.

BOOKR Class for example enables students to choose their interests – such as sports, nature or animals – and the system automatically shows them books they are likely to read and enjoy. What a great way to engage them!

Create a comfortable and inviting reading environment. Ensure there’s adequate lighting, a comfortable seat, and no distractions.

Children are more likely to develop a reading habit if they see their parents and teachers reading regularly.

Set an example by reading yourself and discussing books with them – of course always in an age-appropriate manner.

Reading is crucial for not only a child’s academic but personal growth. It helps to develop language skills, fosters creativity, and improves cognitive development. Reading also helps children to develop empathy, social awareness, and understanding of different cultures.

Additionally, reading improves academic performance, enhances vocabulary, and improves comprehension skills. The list of benefits goes on and on, however one element stands out: reading has a positive impact on children’s mental health. 

Don’t believe me, believe the experts of leading universities and organizations across the globe, here are some statistics that support the positive impact of reading:

These statistics all highlight the same baseline: reading can have a massively positive impact  on children’s mental well-being.

By encouraging children to read regularly, parents and educators can help promote healthy habits and positive attitudes towards learning and self-improvement, while also providing children with important tools for coping with stress and difficult emotions.

Reading in a foreign language can be an excellent way for children to develop language skills and enhance their cultural awareness. The British Council’s LearnEnglish Kids website offers a variety of reading resources to help children develop their English language skills.

There are also reading applications with graded readers developed specifically for ESL students – so you can improve reading and English skills at the same time, killing two birds with one stone. 

How to change the narrative and make reading a fun and enjoyable activity, rather than a daunting task? 

Let’s see some tips and activities that can help make reading an experience for children.

What to pay close attention to during lesson planning 

How to further discover a topic that you read about in class? Here are some ideas on how to snowball their reading and language development, starting with the reading task. Improve their writing skills, vocabulary, or creativity.

Oh, such crucial areas!

Have your child create their own illustrations for the story. This can help them engage with the content and better understand the plot.

There is no doubt that there is a variety of resources to help promote reading in the classroom. The question is: do you have time to find these resources and make sure you use reliable, quality materials that support your lesson goals?

How about a collection of books that supports you in creating the most exciting and effective ESL reading lessons, aiming to make reading a habit for kids? You can download the 300 pages long Teacher’s Handbook created by BOOKR Class’ qualified teachers and educational content experts.

Mental health, however, by nature, is like improving one’s flexibility. You can increase it as an adult, work hard and consistently to master the perfect split but you most likely won’t be able to compete with athletes who have been working on their flexibility since they were four.

It is very similar to habits and practices of mental health – start working on it in time, and your students or children have a much easier task managing their emotions as an adult.

What do we mean exactly, when we say mental health? Well, mental health refers to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

It affects how we think, feel, and act, and also determines how we handle stress, build and keep relationships, and make decisions in life. 

Throughout all stages of life, mental health holds significant importance, ranging from childhood and adolescence to adulthood. Any mental health issues experienced during your lifetime could potentially impact your behavior, mood and thinking.

Childhood mental health awareness is inevitable to talk about in any 21st-century institution. Why? 

First, mental health issues can arise in childhood and can have a significant impact on a child’s development and well-being. However, early identification and treatment of mental health problems can prevent them from becoming more severe and having long-term effects.

Raising awareness of childhood mental health issues can also help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and promote more understanding and support for children and families dealing with these issues.

It all starts at home, but teaching mental health in school cannot be avoided.

Because improving the mental health of students is not ‘only’ crucial for their overall well-being, but for their academic success as well.

If you are an educator looking for ideas to pay more attention to mental health awareness, this quick guideline was made for you.

Teachers should make sure their classroom is a safe and welcoming space for all students.

As an educator, you can encourage students to express themselves and their feelings without fear of judgment. Promote inclusivity and respect for diversity in their classrooms! 

Teachers can teach their students coping skills such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and positive self-talk. These skills can help students manage stress and anxiety and improve their overall mental health.

So many books are available that can help you introduce these topics, read on for the full list.

Physical activity is known to improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Teachers can encourage their students to participate in physical activities such as sports, dancing, or yoga.

It’s okay if you’re not a dance teacher – it’s all about creativity and fun. Find ways to bring these playful elements into your English or Maths classes and do a favor to your kinesthetic learners by creating a little routine to memorize vocabulary or maths theories. 

Teachers can create a supportive network for their students by connecting them with school counselors, mental health professionals, or community resources.

You can also encourage students to build positive relationships with their peers, there are great resources available in form of books or worksheets.

While as an educator you are not required to possess the abilities and knowledge of a professional psychiatrist, you should be aware of mental health issues that can affect students, such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD.

Your role here is to recognize the signs and symptoms of these conditions and provide appropriate support and resources. 

High academic pressure can have a negative impact on students’ mental health. You can reduce academic pressure by setting realistic expectations, providing support, and encouraging students to take breaks and practice self-care.

In addition to these tips and tricks, it is essential to have mental health programs in schools.

These can help students with mental health issues by providing them with the necessary support and resources, and they can include counseling services, mental health education, and support groups.

Consult your school about the programs available and the policy to follow. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Suggest starting mental health programs in school!

Seek out your school’s counsel and be prepared to notice if a student shows early signs of any issues. We’ve gathered some of the most common disorders children could face and the most basic early symptoms that could raise suspicion: 

An exciting term that we must touch upon when talking about mental health awareness in school.

Even though SEL is not a new concept, there are so many questions that are still left unanswered. 

While you think that social-emotional learning is related to how we connect in our social sphere and manage and understand our emotions, it’s so much more. 5 components form the basis of SEL. 

Amongst these five, Self-awareness is the core. This refers to the ability to recognize and comprehend emotions, thoughts, values and ultimately, how they affect behavior.

As our behavior and the decisions that we make basically compose all aspects of our lives, this means that social-emotional learning can really change the world. This is what mental health awareness month aims to achieve. Get more tips for SEL at home from this article.

Teaching mental health in schools is an essential component of SEL programs. 

Mental health education in schools can take many forms, such as classroom lessons, workshops, guest speakers or other events unwrapping the topic. These programs can help students – and teachers! – learn about mental health in a safe and supportive environment.

If you don’t have the means to make these a reality in your school just yet, there are baby steps you can take, and they are threefold:

Read.
Listen and discuss.
Be the role model. 

While it is often thought of as a leisurely activity, mental health benefits of reading could surprise you.

How does reading help your mental health?

 Reading can help reduce stress by allowing the reader to escape into a different world and forget about their problems for a while.

Research has shown that just six minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by up to 68%. Well sign me up!

Reading can improve cognitive function by keeping the brain active and engaged. It can also improve memory, focus, and concentration.

Reading can enhance empathy by allowing the reader to experience the lives and perspectives of different characters. This can help develop emotional intelligence and increase understanding and compassion for others.

Reading can provide a sense of community by allowing readers to connect with others who share their interests. This can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Reading before bed can improve sleep by relaxing the mind and reducing stress levels. This can lead to better quality sleep and improved overall well-being.

Reading can be beneficial for those struggling with mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. It can provide a healthy distraction and escape negative thoughts and emotions.

Read more about making reading a habit on this detailed article tackling each and every question you may have regarding.

There are many stories specifically designed to introduce and discuss some of the mental health topics in an age-appropriate way. 

At BOOKR Class stories and hand picked and selected by educiational experts and psychologist to ensure children become familiar with concept such as relaxation for example. 

The collection of our book recommendations

As easy and obvious as it may seem – talking is the key. 

Regular check-ins with students is a great practical implementation of mental health awareness support. 

It can foster a sense of solidarity among students, as they realize that not all of their peers are as flawless and they might not be doing as great themselves, as they may seem. This realization could provide a sense of relief for students and hopefully encourage them to seek assistance if necessary.

Introduce Feeling Fridays once a month, and let your students share what’s going on in their lives in a playful way. Try this printable worksheet on one of your Friday sessions and talk about what the little ones can do to support each other on a bad day.

Your students look at you as role models. Whether you are an educator or a school administrator, students’ faith is quite literally in your hands. Although you want your students to respect you and your work, you can be genuine and humane with them at times.

Introduce the topics through stories, or just by hanging this visual in the classroom and discussing the topic. Students might share their experiences, the times they made a mistake. What a great way to create a classroom environment full of acceptance, sense of community and love.

Let’s get this one out of the way; what are we talking about exactly? 

ChatGPT is a conversational AI language model developed by OpenAI that can answer follow-up questions, admit mistakes, and engage in meaningful dialogue. ChatGPT is a powerful tool for generating human-like text and can be used in various applications such as chatbots, customer service, and content creation – any written content. In practice, it looks like this: 

To sum it up, let’s go directly to the source. When asking about its capabilities, this is what the platform says:

The question: ‘What can ChatGPT do?

Response: ChatGPT is a language model that can:

Despite its promising capabilities, ChatGPT’s impact on education has sparked mixed opinions and ethical concerns. School administrators, teachers, parents, and students are divided on its use, with some questioning its place in the classroom. In addition, the potential for cheating and plagiarism has led some schools, including New York City Public Schools, to ban the app across their district devices and networks.

Other central city school districts such as Seattle, Baltimore, and Los Angeles have also blocked access to ChatGPT, and that’s only in the United States. 

Content creation and grammar correction are nothing new. We’ve seen what Artificial Intelligence is capable of, so why is ChatGPT different? Why all this attention and buzz? 

Experts say that ChatGPT’s main difference is its remarkable example of advanced natural language processing. It sounds just like what a human might respond, and it’s very easy to use for anyone. 

After creating a profile and logging in for free, you can use it for different projects with no limitations or complicated options. One chatbox, one bar, go! 

I quickly realized it would take little time to hand in an assignment about teaching English as a second language. The exciting part is that once you get a response to your question, you can continue digging deeper, asking it to give you more details if anything needs to be clarified.

Now, this is an area where ChatGPT and education go hand in hand! This tool can create lesson plans for various subjects and educational levels, from one task to an entire lesson plan specifically designed for your classroom – if given the proper instructions.

Don’t forget to provide details such as the subject, target grade level, learning objectives, and any other specific requirements you have.

Yes, English is not the only language ChatGPT is trained in. As an AI language model, it has been trained to understand and generate text in many languages, including but not limited to English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, and Korean, among others. Although its proficiency in each language may vary, it tends to make errors or produce unnatural text, so be aware of that. 

In general, if we’re unhappy with the content generated or it’s not exactly what one was looking for, with a click, you can ask it to generate different answers, and the system will look for other ways to assist our needs. No need to tell it; just click on ‘Regenerate response’. 

As dedicated English teachers, it’s essential to embrace innovative tools that can enhance the learning experience for our students. In today’s rapidly changing educational landscape, the question of ‘how ChatGPT can improve education, not threaten it‘ is a pertinent one. ChatGPT holds the potential to be a valuable aid in the English classroom.

It can provide instant feedback on grammar and writing, generate thought-provoking writing prompts, and serve as a resource for language enrichment. Rather than perceiving it as a threat to traditional teaching methods, let’s explore how ChatGPT can be integrated thoughtfully into our curriculum to elevate our English instruction and provide our students with even more valuable learning opportunities

Teachers are advised to adapt their practices to ChatGPT rather than merely focus on catching students cheating. For example, experts say they’ve heard of some teachers giving ChatGPT a prompt and analyzing its response with students as a practice in editing and critical thinking.

Technology surrounds us – and students – whether we like it or not, so why not guide children through the process, showing them the pros and cons of letting technology into their lives? It’s better to dictate the narrative rather than banning it and letting students use it for all the wrong reasons.

Enemy or best friend? There’s a fine line!

Teachers can also explore the capabilities of ChatGPT to generate ideas for lesson plans and class activities, answering the question of ‘can ChatGPT write lesson plans?’ This versatile tool can provide valuable insights, suggest engaging topics, and offer creative approaches to curriculum development.

Additionally, educators can rely on ChatGPT to receive recommendations and edits for their students’ writing, ensuring that assignments meet high standards. This not only enhances the quality of student work but also helps save precious time for teachers who are often absolutely strapped for time.”

As a school English teachers, you’ll be delighted to discover the myriad of things you can do with ChatGPT to enrich your classroom experience. ChatGPT is not just a tool; it’s a versatile resource that can engage young learners in creative ways. You can use it to generate captivating writing prompts, develop interactive storytelling exercises, and even create personalized spelling and vocabulary quizzes.

Furthermore, ChatGPT can assist students in proofreading and refining their writing, instilling good language habits from a young age. It’s a valuable ally in fostering a love for language and literacy, making English lessons not only educational but also enjoyable for your students. Explore the endless possibilities of things you can do with ChatGPT to enhance your elementary school English curriculum.

In the realm of education, the choice of prompts when using ChatGPT is of paramount importance, especially for English language teachers. The “best chatGPT prompts for education” in this context are those that facilitate language learning and proficiency.

For instance, an English teacher might use prompts like, “Compose a short paragraph describing a picturesque countryside scene,” or “Generate a conversation between two characters discussing their favorite books.” These prompts not only encourage creativity and language fluency but also provide opportunities for grammar and vocabulary practice.

Well-crafted prompts are the key to harnessing the power of ChatGPT, making it an invaluable tool for English educators to enhance language instruction and engage their students effectively.

In addition, using ChatGPT for specific functions can improve your efficiency in your job, leaving them more time to focus on giving their best when in front of the class. 

For students, the most important aspect is learning how to use it correctly and for what reason. Logical and critical thinking are key skills that educators and institutions need to teach them: “AI tools are here to stay, so we must make the most of them, but don’t lose sight of the task and learn to work with it, not make it do your homework for you!” 

In the ever-evolving landscape of educational technology, the accessibility of AI resources becomes paramount. One platform leading the charge in consolidating these resources is There’s an AI for That, a website dedicated to curating a comprehensive list of sites and programs that engage with AI.

From language models like ChatGPT to specialized educational tools, this website serves as a gateway to the diverse applications of AI in education. By providing a centralized hub for educators and students to discover and explore AI-driven solutions, There’s an AI for That empowers stakeholders to harness the full potential of AI in learning environments.

Whether you’re seeking assistance with homework, exploring innovative teaching methods, or delving into the latest AI research, this platform offers a wealth of resources to support your journey.

Embrace the future of education with There’s an AI for That and unlock a world of possibilities at your fingertips.

Over the past decade, there’s been a significantly growing interest in using AI and machine learning techniques to enhance and augment traditional teaching methods. Personalized learning experiences, generating new educational content, and allowing for real-time feedback and assessment are all benefits these tools can provide –  find more information about how important technology is in education and how to exploit all it can offer.

No two children are the same – they all come with a unique set of characteristics and ways they display their emotions. While teachers and parents make an effort to prepare them for academic growth, it is just as important to create a higher awareness related to the social and emotional environment. 

Social-emotional learning (SEL) skills involve cultivating the ability to comprehend and manage our emotions, establish positive relationships, develop empathy for others, set and achieve goals, and just feel good about ourselves in general. 

Even though SEL is not a new concept, there are so many questions that are still left unanswered. 

Let’s dive a little deeper and see what experts have to say about the matter. 

Head of Education at BOOKR Kids and specialized psychologist for social and emotional learning, Dominika Gyanyi, emphasises how crucial it is for us to help our kids decode and manage their emotions. It truly has the potential to change our children´s lives and – at the risk of sounding dramatic – even impact the world as we know it. 

Dominika Gyanyi reveals “While you think that social-emotional learning is related to how we connect in our social sphere and manage and understand our emotions, it’s so much more. 5 components form the basis of SEL:

Amongst these five, Self-awareness is the core. This refers to the ability to recognize and comprehend emotions, thoughts, values and ultimately, how they affect behavior. As our behavior and the decisions that we make basically compose all aspects of our lives, this means that social-emotional learning can really change the world”

Some families find it hard to figure out how they can assist their children when it comes to emotional development. 

“First and Foremost —Being a Role Model for children- showing a great example and building their own social and emotional awareness is an expremely important task for a parent, yet it is hardly ever mentioned as a main responsibility.  Let’s start simple, using the often underrated power of storytelling. Try this at home:

She also added – ‘Apart from these, parents or grandparents can be more observant of their child’s feelings because they are also part of the learning process.’ Usually when kids are sad, we often try to encourage them to ignore the feeling, saying things like: ‘forget about it, don’t be sad’ and use similar phrases. While the intention might be good, we do not want them to sad, right? It actually does only harm. It teaches young kids to neglect and avoid their feelings – only problem is, that just can’t be done. It’s not how that works, those emotions will inevitably come out sooner or later. What we should do instead is address how it makes them feel. How?

By asking explicit questions like: 

How can I help you? 

Or saying, 

‘please, talk about your feelings’ or 

sharing our own personal experiences to make them understand that it can happen to anyone. 

This definitely offers more profound help to them”

You can find the interview in the Digital Journal as well.

Now that gives us a lot of useful information and tangible tips on how to act around the little ones when they experience sadness or difficulties. It sounds quite easy too – but let’s dig a little deeper to avoid potential pitfalls.  

BOOKR Kids has been working effectively to build a safer space for families and give parents an effective tool. Thus, with COPUBLICA, Learning Planet Institute, and HarperCollins, it has come forward to make social-emotional learning accessible with a set of innovative gamified digital and non-digital tools to create your family’s stories for your children to improve family SEL.

Considering how stories make sense of the world and can pass on social skills and values to children, we focused on social-emotional learning at home for children from age 0 by encouraging families to share their intergenerational stories with their children. Through playful digital and non-digital tools, built-in animations and narrations, this new project gives a chance for families to play together and create books about their own lives and stories, giving an amazing basis for conversation and deeper connections.  

Social emotional learning matters. We believe that storytelling alone gives children opportunities for a brighter future and can foster personal and collective growth as well as well-being. And yes, with that, it may as well change the world as we know it today. Sounds too good to be true? 

All we need to do is try to find out. 

The changing face and demands of present-day language learners now urge educators to take prompt action to cater for their students’ needs. As a result, the success of learning will greatly depend on the learning context. As a result, classrooms ought to become more inclusive and welcoming than before in order to provide learners with a platform for free interaction in a welcoming and supportive environment to achieve their goals.

Triggered by the varied needs of 21st-century learners, the implementation of more inclusive practices have become necessary in modern-day teaching. Before jumping into the topic, we must elaborate on a few key terms connected to various learning contexts in terms of human relationships.

In essence, inclusion is “a process that is concerned with the identification and removal of barriers to the presence, participation and achievement of all students”. The formerly mentioned and closely related notion of equity refers to a (learning) context where everyone receives fair treatment (according to individual needs).

Peripheral learner identities (related to gender or ethnic background), differences in socio-economic status, or physical, sensory, or cognitive challenges to overcome mean the most typical obstacles to class participation.

Moreover, research has shown that inclusion may not only be beneficial for the marginalised but can also provide an enriching learning experience for all who belong to diverse groups and “share the power of representation and presentation”.

“Students have special educational needs if they have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of students of the same age, and special educational provision has to be made for them”. The exact wording of the notion may vary across countries, depending on what the national core curriculum places an emphasis on. Note that exceptionally talented or gifted students should not go unnoticed either as they will also require a different approach (or special treatment) in the classroom.

The below list shows some common areas of special needs teachers may encounter in the classroom:

Regarding academic achievement, special educational needs (SEN) students are likely to exhibit (one of) the following types of learning difficulties to a certain extent:

A severe lack of confidence and self-esteem to cope with failure is often the root of the problem. The inability to keep up with peers may cause a feeling of worthlessness, stupidity, or even shame and lead to anxiety, demotivation, and listlessness.

Although drawing universal conclusions for learning difficulties would be extremely difficult, here are a few tips that may be applicable across a broader range of contexts.

Dyslexia is a widely researched area of special needs education, and it is probably the most relevant to talk about on the blog of BOOKR Class, the interactive library of English readers.

Yet, as mentioned earlier, if someone is challenged in reading in the first language, we can only imagine how intimidating it must be for dyslexic learners to do so in a foreign language.

For this article, I have conducted an interview with Dean Bragonier, founder and executive dyslexic of NoticeAbility, which is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping students with dyslexia identify their unique strengths and build self-esteem.

In their work, they incorporate the neuroscience of dyslexia, the best practices of special education, and the power of EdTech to construct curricula and educator training programmes for global distribution.

When asked about how NoticeAbility might help students and teachers in special education programmes, Dean answered that their pedagogy was based on the neuroscientific discoveries made by Eide & Eide in The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain.

The book pinpoints the cognitive and neurological assets of dyslexia, which NoticeAbility recognizes in order to boost student self-esteem and academic persistence in students through a strength-driven classroom approach. By re-contextualizing dyslexia, NoticeAbility’s holistic and comprehensive intervention enables teachers better to understand the potential of these often misunderstood students.

With reference to Hosking’s: 

The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 report argues that the two predictors of long-term success for students with learning difficulties are 

1. supportive teachers who understand learning differences, and 
2. establishing close relationships with mentors

Consequently, building mutual understanding becomes inevitable as the unmet needs of SN students have far-reaching consequences for both the individual and society.

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), there are about 2.4 million American public school students identified with a learning disability. Nonetheless, in reality, this number may be even higher as many cases are undiagnosed due to a number of reasons ranging from reluctance from the family to shame.

Some negative outcomes may be as follows:

In order to advance further, decision-makers ought to build awareness on a systemic level, ideally by increasing staff capacity specialising in the field.

NoticeAbility designs project-based curricula centred around social-emotional learning (SEL) and executive functioning (EF) (i.e., a set of skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self control, used on a daily basis for learning, work, and navigating through life).

The aim is to empower educators to lead their students to success through a shift in classroom dynamics built on cooperation and authentic inquiry to replace doubt and fear of failure.

Students who complete SEL programs show a stronger sense of connection to the school, improved classroom behavior, and greater academic achievement. Similarly, improved EF skills have led to success in and outside of school, better mental and physical health, and positive cognitive, social, and psychological development.

Dean added that while it is undoubtedly a ‘reading’ disability, he opposes the categorization of dyslexia as a ‘learning’ disability.

No wonder that empowerment through education is crucial, and even at the world’s best engineering university, dyslexia is referred to as ‘the MIT disease’.

This just goes to show that dyslexia, and learning difficulties in general, need not be fundamentally disabling.

“[Dyslexic people] have an ability to look at a situation and identify seemingly disparate pieces of information and blend those into a narrative, or a tapestry, that makes sense to us that most people can’t see.”

Fortunately, many EdTech companies have been able to answer the call of experts in terms of providing opportunities for SEN students. For example, BOOKR Class aims to support learners with dyslexia by incorporating authentic narration and captivating illustrations in their books.

The reading texts are broken down into smaller, more digestible paragraphs and presented with text-highlighting and increased spacing between words.

The post-reading comprehension activities are also designed to strengthen the decoding and retention of information. Reading the tasks and certain answer options out loud facilitates the understanding of the instructions while the games provide instant constructive feedback for students, which contributes to a greater feeling of success.

As a result, detection, diagnosis, and the encouragement of a growth mindset are critical for students with learning differences. It is a general problem that students aware of their struggle will try to remain undetected at all costs.

This may be due to confusion, or the fear of being identified and labelled as ‘different’, ‘stupid’, or ‘lazy’. Most of them will adapt a persona to distance themselves from this narrative, e.g., by becoming the class clown, remaining unengaged in class, or acting rebellious.

Ultimately, they will likely be considered as having behavioural issues rather than a learning disability.

NoticeAbility’s Magellan Campaign strives to respond to the growing international demand for their courses in the global ‘dyslexia family’. Transcending gender, ethnic, and socio-economic inequities, they aim to ‘democratise access to dyslexic empowerment worldwide.

NoticeAbility provides students with curricula scaffolded by adult mentorship, helping to shift the traditional teaching paradigm to one that embraces the traits of the individual.

In this new setting, the dynamics of the classroom shift, replacing doubt and isolation with comradeship and empowerment.

Even though there are different types of inclusive education, in order to truly value our learners, we must embrace diversity by working towards a curriculum accessible to and representative of all.

Thus, the ultimate goal should be the creation of a respectful and safe learning environment for all.

If students go beyond their typical social circles, they can develop interpersonal and socio-emotional skills while broadening their horizons. Eventually, they become more tolerant and willing to cooperate with people outside their daily encounters.

Designing or adapting materials for mixed-ability groups largely depends on how relevant the content is for the learners.

Tomlinson emphasises that learners’ confidence and affective engagement should be prioritised when selecting, adapting, and designing materials with pedagogical content.

Respect plays a crucial role in creating a positive learning environment. It is universally accepted that learning becomes the most effortless when students feel safe and their contributions are welcome and appreciated.

Below, you can see some ideas as how to model respectful behaviour and being mindful of others in class:

Cooperation in the classroom is built on two main cornerstones as follows:

1. positive interdependence (the ability to collaborate with others to reach a shared goal), and 
2. individual accountability (where the success of the group depends on the contributions individual members make). 

Eventually, every student will take charge of their own learning while also affecting others around them.

Let us take a closer look at assigning project work.

Have you ever tried establishing certain roles and responsibilities that students will have to take up in order to integrate the above two principles? Of course, these roles may be customized according to the context of the project work and the students in the class, but below are some general ideas for you to try.

What is more, as a teacher, you may also take part in the project by giving yourself a role that will make students interact with you (e.g. by becoming a bank clerk with whom they will have to negotiate to receive funding for their project). Getting actively involved will also help the monitoring process.

Further advice for efficiency:

1. It is important to keep instructions clear and concise so that all students can easily get what the task is. 
2. It is worth designing tasks that incorporate different levels of difficulty so that students can choose the ones that suit their needs and are comfortable with.
3. Incorporating movement through mingling tasks may also prove helpful in establishing group dynamics and creating an atmosphere of free self-expression.

Regarding projects, the adaptation of a problem-based curriculum is highly advised, as it focuses on real-life problems from the students’ perspective, leading to a “constructive, self-directed, collaborative and contextual activity” that develops a critical mind, communication skills, autonomy, as well as transferable skills.

Should you want to try implementing cooperative learning practices, Anderson (2019) recommends considering the following points to get started:

Try the Think » Pair » Share approach when working with mixed-ability groups to get the more reserved learners to participate in the classwork.

First, allow all learners some time to think individually about their answers to the questions (and write them down). Then, pair them up with someone to share their ideas so that they have more opinions about the same issue.

When everyone has completed their notes, start a class discussion and ask for all to contribute.

When introducing a new topic, the KWL grid may come in handy. Before active learning begins, students should complete the first two columns of the table. Once the new material has been covered, they can reflect on their learning by completing the third remaining column of the chart.

It is never easy to uncover learning difficulties as, oftentimes, they are not medically diagnosed.

When researching your classroom, you may consider the following general indicators to identify special educational needs:

Does my student…

Answer these questions to start exploring what the underlying reasons for challenging student behaviour might be, and do not be afraid to consult a SEN professional for further advice.

In its most common sense, alternative education is often defined as a non-traditional, or non-mainstream, way of teaching and learning based on the social, emotional, behavioural, academic, etc. needs of students taking part in it. Thus, alternative pedagogies, as opposed to viewing children as ‘miniature adults’, are centred around building healthy classroom relationships, drawing on children’s individual strengths and weaknesses, talents, and needs in an academically and culturally appropriate yet challenging setting.

Going back to its origins, the turn of the 20th century was characterised by a wave of reform movements to improve the established education systems.

Apart from pedagogical considerations, the era was also dominated by various student movements, the main ideas of which these merely new alternative pedagogies would also try to incorporate.

It is worth noting that today, alternative education has gained new connotations, and besides catering for special needs, learning difficulties, or prodigious students, it should be further regarded as a means to enable all kinds of students to unlock their full potential in society. Such programmes are not only feasible in completely independent schools but can, in fact, be designed for any kind of school setting so that no student is labelled as a ‘special case’ in any sense. In turn, an alternative study programme may open new doors and enrich the portfolio of more traditionally-orientated institutions.

Some recommendations by Parker for alternative-education design are listed below:

As the old adage says, students will not care about what you know until they are made aware that you care about them.

In an ideal situation, they should not be afraid to make mistakes and to fail since we all learn from our mistakes, and a F.A.I.L. is only the First Attempt At Learning.

So far, it has been reported that students in alternative education will make greater strides in areas such as:

Last but not least, let us consider some of the key-differences of alternative and mainstream schools. The below chart summarises information gained from the website of Sands School.

It is widely known now that working in smaller groups is much easier and will lead to more meaningful (academic and social) learning experiences. Being involved in decision-making will result in student-student and student-teacher relationships built on mutual trust and respect instead of fear. An individualised lesson plan also means that you learn what you actually need at a given time and not something “useless” or less likely to ever appear useful later in life.

Concerning discipline issues, alternative schools have often been criticised for being too lenient with kids; however, being actively involved in decision-making and having a platform to freely express the self may yield great results in the long-run, as exhibited by students who are more aware and less dependent on other members of society.

Going back to the distinction made by Sands School between alternative and mainstream schools, it is clear to see that the four cornerstones of alternative education, i.e., small-scaling, joint decision-making, emphasising learner needs, and free self-expression, are all present in the pedagogical-methodological base of each school type featured in Table 2.

To further explain these differences, we can say that reflective practices, projects, and the incorporation of arts in the school curriculum are all vital for nurturing students capable of expressing themselves across a range of contexts on various problems and questions. It is also clear to see that these educational programmes are tailored to light a creative spark in children while paying close attention to their needs and the peculiarities of students’ (individual) learning style.

The emergence of student-centred approaches is believed to be a fairly recent phenomenon; however, they have been, in fact, present in education for more than a century now.

As a result, it will inevitably become more welcoming, inclusive, and less formal.

In the next part of the article, you will read about a global language-school franchise that offers alternative language education to kids and teenagers, ranging from infancy to late adolescence, i.e., 19 years of age. Read our in-depth articles about Montessori method here.

When it comes to private education, decision-makers in language schools and other educational institutions have long been looking for the perfect methodology that is capable of responding to the needs of 21st-century learners. The truth is that there is no universal, one-size-fits-all methodology to cater for the various needs of present-day students.

From among the vast portfolio of private language-education programmes, let us focus on one particular example, namely Helen Doron.  With regard to the formerly mentioned alternative pedagogies, we can see that the Helen Doron methodology pays close attention to the age-specific attributes and needs of children, while creativity, collaboration, and play remain as key elements in their methods. As mentioned earlier, Helen Doron is a language-school franchise that offers alternative education to infants, pupils, and even teenagers.

Their distinct approach stresses the importance of child’s play in a stress-free, emotionally and socially supportive English-language environment where kids can naturally acquire the language via active involvement in various critical thinking and collaborative tasks and activities.

Their methodology draws on the science of how children learn, complemented by a pedagogy built on mutual respect, self-appreciation, and being engaged with the language/content as well as each other. In Helen Doron schools, learners work in small groups following a pre-structured syllabus that is still flexible enough to make room for working with emergent language and to activate students’ pre-existing knowledge about the subject matter and the world in general.

All resources are well-tailored to the learning context and mostly involve original chants and songs, animated videos, as well as applications written and developed by Helen Doron to support learning even beyond class, thus exploiting the openness and enthusiasm about learning with technology.

The overarching aim of the method is to make language acquisition effortless, following similar patterns to how kids acquire their mother tongue. The classroom materials are topic-based and closely linked to each other to progressively develop vocabulary and grammar, with the application of spaced repetition to continuously revise previously learnt language elements, expressions, and structures.

Helen Doron provides teacher training to all interested parties. They train professionals who are capable of supporting language development by giving positive feedback and constant reinforcement to learners. 

Developed by linguists and trained teaching professionals, apart from acquiring English, Helen Doron students are taught life skills and a unique worldview that focuses on showing them how to make the world a better place.

Now that we have looked at what makes education alternative, let us consider a few practices that you can easily implement in your own classroom to offer your learners a broader and more colourful range of opportunities for growth.

Have you ever heard about problem-based learning?

It is an educational approach that brings real-life issues into the classroom but considers these from the perspective of the students. The emphasis here should fall on ‘inquiry’ in order to make learning a constructive, self-directed, collaborative, and contextual activity.

For instance, when talking about entertainment, why don’t you let your students take control and organise a class party where they could decide what they want to do and arrange everything for themselves on a fixed budget? If their proposal is really convincing, you may even make the party happen for them. A fun time will be guaranteed either way.

Having mentioned autonomy, it may be extremely beneficial to teach your students how to learn by discussing what effective study skills and practices they can apply in their own language learning. In turn, learners will develop organisational, analytical, and other study skills necessary to work proactively and independently of others. An added bonus of applying more of these practices is to be found in the skills they learn communally through sharing ideas and strategies with their peers. You might want to ask them the following questions:

Following this train of thought involving life skills, task-based learning (TBL) is another method worth trying. TBL is centred around meaning-focused communication that begins in the very first minute of your class. Based on the conversations you have with your students, you will be able to decide what to dedicate your (next) class to.

Thus, instead of following a pre-written, rigid syllabus, you will be able to better understand your learners’ needs and possible difficulties they might have in learning.

Generally, the application of TBL is about satisfying the communicative needs of learners. To put it simply, you should always allow yourself the space and time to analyse, reflect on, and respond to your students’ demands by custom-tailoring the content of your course.

Thus, when talking about some more serious topics, such as politics, why don’t you start small and have a discussion on the importance of human rights, freedom of speech, and democracy from their perspective by answering questions such as:

Each student will have a different idea about these issues, all you need to do is just find the right questions to ask so that they can actually relate to these. Before wrapping up our discussion on alternative pedagogy, we still have one crucial teaching element to talk about: assessment. The Assessment Reform Group laid down the following guidelines to reform how students are assessed in schools as follows:

In the 21st century, effective feedback should feed forward, meaning that when you assess a student’s writing, instead of marking and correcting errors with a red pen, you can highlight examples of appropriate language use.

Moreover, to take this one step further, you can ‘feedforward’ by offering alternatives or suggestions so that students can compare their ideas with yours and analyse and reflect on their own writing more critically.

All non-test forms of assessment are evaluated by humans, some of which have been included in the below table.

To better comprehend what you have read in this article, consider the below questions and think critically about your own teaching practice.

The above, however, is a truly 21st-century phenomenon and was not always the case for language teaching. There were times when language skills were not seen as an asset but rather an obstacle to assimilation and conforming to the norms of society. People say, ‘old habits die hard’, and this is why it is crucial for us teachers to keep in mind what changes have shaped today’s language teaching practices. This article will highlight some of the key teaching approaches that have shaped and steered language education in the course it is going today.

Living in the era of a global pandemic crisis makes this quote truly relatable, yet even prior to that, change would dominate every walk of life. As for language teaching, it is universally accepted that languages (and even learners) change, which may be triggered by different socio-economic as well as geo-political factors, or a shift in priorities, as societies develop.

Looking at the historical underpinnings of language policy, we can say that the evolution of humanity has affected our perception of and attached value to language as a social construct. This evolutionary timeline may be divided into three distinct phases, i.e., premodern, modern, and postmodern (Graddol, 2006), as detailed in the below chart.

Language learning became institutionalised in ‘linguistic modernity’, yet it also became less incidental and a less natural process. This process accelerated in the 20th century when various language teaching approaches were invented in order to fulfil a certain language-learning purpose. Owing to the fact that paradigms take a long time to shift, ample approaches and views of language govern language teaching, depending on our geographical location and the education system we are a part of.

In the following chart (Table 2), three different contexts have been outlined with regard to the focus of learning and the social embeddedness of English. Some of these principles have had a profound effect on education policy at a(n inter)national level.

Having emerged back in the 1950s, methodologies based on EFL dominated the English Language Teaching (ELT) industry for a long time. Currently, these older approaches seem to be giving way to a merely new orthodoxy that better corresponds with global trends.

CLIL, or Content and Language Integrated Learning, has been on the European Union’s agenda for a few decades aiming to promote multilingualism and the development of 21st-century skills (e.g., communication, critical thinking, creative thinking, and collaboration) among its member states. It is undeniably true that these skills and the ability to speak foreign languages will be inevitable for future generations, thus, by drawing on real-life experiences, CLIL seems to be just the right approach to learning.

The methodological foundations of CLIL derive from English-Medium Instruction (EMI) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) practices, thus allowing for a more holistic approach to teaching.

Right at its inception, CLIL meant a novel approach to foreign-language teaching that is rooted in language immersion and content-based instruction (CBI). What distinguishes CLIL from EMI is the integration of certain mother-tongue and target-language practices that facilitates the emergence of a more dynamic language system, as well as the use of a more extensive and varied vocabulary in the classroom.

We must, however, distinguish between particular CLIL types in certain cases according to the aims of the course and the students’ needs. Consequently, the terms ‘hard CLIL’ and ‘soft CLIL’ have been coined, with the former one referring to target-language content classes (e.g., the instruction of biology in bilingual education), while the latter one integrates elements of CLIL (especially the ‘content’ segment) in the foreign-language classroom. Thus, students would have a language lesson on genetics doing various activities (Kelly at al., 2011; Clegg et al., 2015). In summary, we can say that hard CLIL is content-driven as compared to soft CLIL, which appears to be more language-driven.

Regarding the role of the teacher, CLIL teachers, in an ideal situation, are capable of utilising a confident level of English of at least level B2(+), yet in bilingual education, the requirements may be well above that (at levels C1/C2).

As intricate it may seem, lesson planning is actually a really simple process, regardless of the language, subject, or type of lesson (e.g., EFL, or CLIL). Below, you can read a few – more or less universal – statements to bear in mind when designing lessons of any kind:

In reality, the ‘art’ of lesson planning becomes a really simple procedure once you get acquainted with your teaching context and the needs of the learners you are working with.

From a language point of view, lessons can easily be broken down into three key phases. In the ‘Introduction’ part, teachers draw on students’ previous knowledge regarding the problem in question (i.e., a speaking topic, a new grammatical structure, recently learnt vocabulary items, etc.). In other words, this is the stage where you activate schemata.

What makes this approach a tad different from the well-established PPP (present-practice-produce) pattern is that students become the centre of attention right at the beginning of the class, as well as active participants in the learning process. In the PPP framework, production (thus activation) typically happens at the end of the lesson.

The next two steps involve practice: ideally, in the second (‘Interaction’) phase, students target (or ‘drill’) the new content directly through activities. (It is imperative that your learners not only interact with the language through various exercises but also with each other. As language itself is a social construct, it all comes down to how they use it to communicate with their peers, or even the teacher! This is also what most PPP-based classes lack.)

What follows in the final (‘Internalisation’) segment is the facilitation of free practice so that students can have a contextualised (CLIL) experience working with what they have learnt. This way, their brains will start to create synapses more easily and new information gets retained quicker and in the long run.

To illustrate the above with an example, let us take a look at how the past form of modal verbs could be taught within this framework in an English class:

give students some problem statements and try to elicit modal verbs by asking them to give advice, suggestions, or establish rules. Then, write some of the examples on the board.

As a class, discuss what these verbs mean and what purpose they serve. Once you have done this, write examples of sentences with past modals and elicit how we can put the modal verbs into the past (by adding the verb ‘have’ and the past participle [V3] form of the main verb).

hand your students some drill exercises (requiring either writing or speaking) to complete in pairs for more focused practice.

contextualise this new grammar by playing Agony Aunt (based on the famous newspaper column), where students are given a problem (i.e., letters to the columnist) to which they need to find solutions, offer suggestions, or explain what they could/would have done differently if they were the reader.

Contextualising learning is inevitable for your students to see language ‘in action’. CLIL is an approach that can easily lead to the emergence of meaningful, lifelike communication in the classroom. As for the formerly mentioned Introduce-Interact-Internalise framework, it can be stated that it is flexible enough to come in handy in all sorts of language-learning situations.

In our rapidly changing world, it almost feels as if we were expected to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of our lessons. In order to do so, I can recommend you two strategies to implement:

you may find flipped classrooms beneficial to save time for in-class discussions.

Flipped classrooms have been criticised for increased teacher preparation time and for not offering viable solutions as to what happens when a student, out of negligence, does not prepare for the next lesson.

This is why it may require caution when and how to flip your classes, as well as what exact tasks should be set for self-study at home to benefit the next session with your group (Hertz, 2021). Consequently, making at-home learning interactive is crucial, and this is where applications like BOOKR Class may come in handy.

After assigning a book to your students, the application and its teacher dashboard will allow you to track their individual progress and anticipate possible challenges they may have faced while reading at home. When you next meet in class, you can start by discussing some problem areas based on your observations.

in contrast to PPP, TBL hinges on meaning-focused communication starting right at the beginning of your lesson (as opposed to the final minutes of it).

Based on how effective the initial communication is, you can later decide what to dedicate your class to. Thus, instead of structure, the emphasis will fall on meaningful communication, drawing on the exact communicative needs of your learners.

A task can be as simple as a paired activity where students discuss and agree on something, e.g., In pairs, look at the list of 10 possible birthday presents and agree on the TOP 5. You may wish to add further examples on your own. The essence is in meaningful communication.

Instead of repeating what has already been said, I encourage you to reflect on the article by answering the following questions and engaging with the issues raised more actively. I hope you will find the presented strategies and the below reflection questions useful for your professional development.

You can use the books as a well-earned reward after a particular topic or material, to close your lesson, or simply for reading for pleasure. In fact, some of the ideas for these quick activities are in the last part of the introductory chapter.

The introductory part of the handbook was written by the educational team, while the unit plans are the masterpiece from the combined work of 6 teachers from different backgrounds, who were willing to share their expertise with us about how to use the app in lessons. The lesson plans were reviewed and edited by the educational team, so it was a group effort between 6 teachers and us, who have come together with one goal in mind – to provide you with educationally rich material! 

There is an introduction to the handbook for those who would like to understand the concept and app better, unit plans for 12 BOOKR Class books and the appendix. The first part of the document includes:

On every level there are 2 unit plans, so a total of 12 unit plans altogether. That gives you 36 lessons + the condensed 3 in 1s which are extracts of the three-lesson-long unit plans. 

We picked two books from each BOOKR Class level. This list of 12 books vary in genre,  have different topics and improve the students in different ways besides language teaching (literature, biology, history, soft skills, finances…).

We created the unit plans in the approach principled eclecticism. This means that we combined various approaches and methodologies to teach language depending on the aims of the lesson and the needs of the learners. And of course the communicative approach, which helps to increase student talking time.

There is always a warm-up activity, to recall the students’ previous knowledge and we raise interest, then we make the students work and think to deepen their understanding and improve their language skills. It is followed by a wrap-up exercise and there are also planned activities for evaluation. Here the students mainly evaluate each other or their own work during the lesson. 

A unit is a 3 lesson long complex session which guides the students and the teacher through a BOOKR book. Relying on the students’ language level we planned a lesson to introduce the book. Then comes a lesson with a chosen focus (comprehension, grammar…) and the last one is centered around language production. 

We also take into account those who don’t have the opportunity to work with a book for three lessons. A condensed lesson is a plan for one lesson, which gives a shorter but the same quality experience with the topic and the book.  

To satisfy individual preferences, there are cross-curricular activities that teach other subject matters, such as biology, geography, history. There are many content and language integrated activities that use language as a tool to teach about a historical period, the parts of animals or a recipe, for example

Yes, for sure! All the extra materials needed to bring these lesson plans to life are included in the Appendix. There are flashcards, coloring pages, cutout puppets, thought-provoking printable questions, role play cards and much more.

All the books are accessible in the BOOKR Class app, so one might think that the Teacher’s Handbook is not that useful for those who haven’t started using the app yet.

However, some of the stories that we chose can often be found in most school libraries, such as the Itsy Bitsy Spider, the Stone Soup or the Yellow Wallpaper. If you would like to compare what you’ve been doing so far when you wanted to work with Itsy Bitsy’s story, you can check our suggestions and see how you and your students could benefit from using the application or the desktop app.

If your class or your school is already a BOOKR Class subscriber, we’re sending you a digital copy via email soon. If your school hasn’t subscribed yet, don’t worry. Subscribe now on our website or access the handbook through our webpage. The only thing you need to do is to click on the following link, subscribe with your email address and you can have it for free.

The BOOKR Class Teacher’s handbook is designed for innovative educators looking for ideas how to implement digital interactive books in their curriculum. 

One thing is for sure: this Teacher’s Handbook is a unique, quality resource with valuable advice from experienced professionals. If you’re just getting started with BOOKR Class or longing for fresh ideas, the BOOKR Class Teacher’s handbook is just for you!

If you’re interested in more, join our teacher community on facebook. Feedback is always appreciated, and feel free to share your comments in the group.

The Education Alliance Finland evaluation process

EAF’s standard offers an academically sound approach to evaluating the strengths and development areas of a product through the assessment of three focus areas: learning goals, pedagogical approach, and usability.  An analysis using a contrary pair criterion determines how well the product supports learning of different skills.

The Evaluator uses the same slider to describe the best possible approach and gives a rate (0-100) on how adequate an approach the product offers. All diagnoses and ratings are carried out by two separate expert-evaluators. Skills are diagnosed through the criterion, evaluators discuss and form a concluding diagnosis from two separate evaluations.

The rating highlights the strengths and development areas, mirroring them with the educational needs and product development opportunities. After highlighting development areas, the analysis collates suggestions on how to improve the product. 

The word ‘traditional’ can refer to both methodology and the materials used in the classroom; and in order to put all these changes in context, this article will focus on the importance of reading skills in English and how this – supposedly – traditional skill can be turned into something ‘cool’ for our digital-native students.

Today, teaching is becoming an ever more complex activity that goes way beyond teaching a subject to students. Consequently, a teacher often assumes a host of roles, depending on the needs of their learners. Most typically, we refer to teachers as educators, agents of change, facilitators (of learning experiences), or even trendy ‘influencers’ at school. In terms of classroom management, the shift from the teacher to a more student-centred view was inevitable as English evolved from a school subject into a life-skill that is best learnt ‘by doing’ (through experimenting and gaining experience).

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) has been on the agenda of the European Union for about three decades (Marsh, 2002 in Bailey, 2015) and is being recommended as a methodological base among its member states to design language courses.

As a result, a more complex and dynamic language system is likely to develop in the minds of our learners, aided by a richer and better-established vocabulary in both their first language and the chosen target language. The linguistic and intercultural competence they gain, complemented by a host of social, cognitive, and additional ‘soft skills’, are inevitable for achieving success in learning a foreign language as well as in life itself (Thompson & Mckinley, 2018).

When it comes to these so-called soft skills, we must acknowledge the fact that having gone back to school after a prolonged lockdown period, our classrooms have become an even more crucial part of our students’ social life, providing an environment for personal interaction while learning with each other and about one another. Thus, we, teachers, have to take the responsibility to build an interpersonal, flexible, and dynamic community inside our classrooms (Holden & Nobre, 2019).

Choosing our materials wisely is key as it must happen in a way that reflects our students’ interests and everyday (life) experiences (Németh, 2019). It goes without saying that every student is different, so it is highly recommended to conduct needs analysis right at the beginning of your ‘shared career’. Besides language skills, learners can differ in terms of motivation, self-confidence and other factors that impact how they acquire the language. Research has shown that languages are inherently dynamic and so is their representation in our minds. Altering one component of this system will trigger change in all other sections that interact and influence each other (Németh, 2020).

As an added benefit, analysing your students’ needs will help you better capitalise on their strengths, and make differentiation more seamless. In turn, establishing group dynamics for your class will also become less excruciating.

To make sure the above listed educational and social needs are satisfied, all we need is a simple yet effective tool that is entertaining and, most importantly, meaningful to the whole classroom community. Believe it or not, storytelling as a methodology seems to be just right.

Jumping on this train of thought, it would be almost impossible to ignore stories in the language classroom.

Our mind needs narratives like our body needs food – this is especially true for young children who use stories to discover and understand the world around them. It is a less commonly known fact that children can easily be helped to understand rather complex stories in a foreign language well above their own active command, and as language learners, this is what should first and foremost be expected of them.

Stories can provide a rich source of language input and exposure, all the while being motivating and – comparably – inexpensive. Going beyond motivation, the challenge to subtract the essence of a text will offer countless opportunities for children to awaken a genuine interest and a hunger for learning more (Wright, 1995).

Nonetheless, we should not assume that all the above are enough. Developing language skills can be a time-consuming and challenging process, and may as well require occasional reinforcements to help students find their own voice, gain skills and adopt attitudes in the target language.

Aristotle once said that “the soul never thinks without an image.” Our imagination can soar when we find ourselves in a safe and welcoming environment that allows students to boldly fabricate and share their stories while freely reflecting on them. As everyone differs in terms of life experiences, you can never tell the exact same story twice – it all depends on how one tells and perceives it (Heathfield, 2014).

There has been a recent resurgence and legitimate interest for story-based approaches to English Language Teaching (ELT), which has created a wider appreciation and a reemerging demand for storytelling in the classroom as a teaching strategy.

In order to comply with the changes brought along by the 21st century, education is getting more and more technology-oriented, with EdTech companies trying to find the right niche to reach both learners and teachers with solutions to improve the quality of learning. Nevertheless, we must bear in mind that in a classroom setting, technology means nothing without a teacher with a well-structured plan underpinned by pedagogical considerations in order to make learning as meaningful as possible (Lewis, 2017).

Here is a brief list of why digital educational technologies could become the new standard in education: well-tailored digital technologies (1) are interactive, creative, and authentic; (2) can deepen learning in a collaborative and motivational way; (3) provide quick access to the target language and support (digital) literacy; and (4) are more environmentally-friendly than paper-based resources (Lewis, 2017).

Educators, when planning to implement digital technologies, should consider the following questions (Strasser, 2018):

In summary, when implementing technologies, we need to be mindful of their purpose. Slowly transitioning back to this article’s primary focus, there has been a recent surge in digital storytelling tools ranging from an online version of the classic board-game Story Cubes to gamified library applications such as BOOKR Class, – both of which enable educators to enjoy the advantages of storytelling in the classroom.

Among the arsenal of digital storytelling tools available, BOOKR Class is one that truly stands out. The application’s methodology mainly draws on CLIL and storytelling with a communicative approach of language learning. Available on smartphones, tablets and desktops, the 3-in-1 platform provides a safe, ad-free, and easy-to-use gamified platform with 600+ e-books and 1200+ games and flashcards available for students by the end of the year. This platform is coupled with a teacher’s dashboard for real-time statistics and a desktop app for online or classroom teaching.

The content is organised into 6 different levels that correspond to the European Union’s CEFR scale (pre-A1-B2+). With the aim to help you find the appropriate reading level for students, BOOKR Class also uses Lexile placement tests.

The Teacher’s Dashboard allows teachers to recommend books to pupils, assign homework and examine data regarding student performance. Teachers can also browse the Library based on level, age group, grammar or vocabulary, and find complementary materials, such as activity tips, book previews, book statistics, etc.

Having conducted a preliminary study with teacher-trainees to gain an insight into their assumptions and attitudes towards EdTech, we collected valuable research data regarding edutainment and BOOKR Class as a digital tool for language learning.

In the table below, trainees’ responses to questions about the app presented according to four key aspects.

Almost every participant mentioned that learning via an app like BOOKR Class would be less tedious. The consensus was unanimous regarding the question whether the app would have a future in EdTech. As for methodology, they also emphasised the significance of having a Teacher’s Dashboard, which further facilitates individualised learning. As for the design, the friendly-looking illustrations and animations were chosen as the number one feature that also help children visualise and understand the stories.

When it came to user experience, it was made clear that our technologically-oriented children will find this application definitely useful, but it can also serve as an awareness-raising platform for them not to neglect reading as a skill. As for special educational needs, the application tries to find ways for dyslexic readers to make their experience with the application even smoother. For example, apart from being narrated, texts are broken down into shorter chunks for easier processing. On another note, even though the target group is made up of (very) young learners and primary-school pupils, older students may find joy and a relaxing time reading the stories in BOOKR Class.

Summarising the key takeaways of this article, it is clear that the importance of learning a second language is without a doubt. What is more, English has become a basic life-skill that is no longer an advantage but rather a must.

With reference to Lewis’ (2017) claims about digital tools (being interactive, creative and authentic, having the ability to induce deep learning while being highly collaborative and motivational, supporting (digital) literacy, and being environmentally-friendly), should you be considering to begin your EdTech journey today, look no further –  BOOKR Class has got you covered on all bases.