TIPP CITY — Tipp City Public Library Youth Services Librarian Heidi Martin has announced 128 new items were recently added to the children’s and teen collections at the library to help young people who have dyslexia or are struggling to read at grade level.
A $3,000 grant from the Tipp City Foundation made it possible for Martin to purchase large print books, Hi-Lo books, audiobooks by Playaway, and digital e-books from the Ohio Digital Library that will be of interest to readers in third to eighth grade.
“I was so thrilled to receive this grant, especially since our budget for buying materials was reduced during the COVID pandemic. This collection will be great for students that we serve who need extra help with reading,” Martin said.
Martin researched to find out what kind of materials are most helpful to readers diagnosed with dyslexia. She also consulted with Tipp City Exempted Village School Media Specialist Wendy Torrence and learned what types of materials the school district used to reach reluctant readers and those reading below their grade level.
‘The large print books for youth have subtle differences in font size and more white space on the page, making it easier for readers with dyslexia to follow the text and not skip words or lines when reading,” Martin said.
Teachers observed that below grade-level readers showed better retention and felt greater confidence in their reading abilities when using large print books. The same principle follows with digital e-books from Ohio Digital Library.
“When a reader downloads a book from the Ohio Digital Library using the Libby app, they can change the font style to dyslexic font and increase font size making it easier to read,” Martin said. “The Hi-Lo books are books that are of high interest to readers in third to eighth grade, but the reading levels of these books are from second to fifth grade. We want to grab these reluctant readers with eye-catching books, that will help them gain confidence in their reading skills so they’ll be more apt to read for fun this summer and practice their reading.”
The grant also helped the library expand their collection of Playaways, audiobooks that are loaded into a small 2-by-3-inch device that is battery-powered. The device is small enough to fit in your pocket, so a youngster can listen to a book while in the car on a trip or on a bike ride. Research shows listening to a book is just as beneficial as reading a book.
Parents who are concerned their child may have fallen behind or lost confidence in reading during the pandemic are encouraged to check out these new materials and pick up the handouts with tips on how to help your reluctant readers.
“The summer is a great time to read together as a family and model for your kids the joy of reading. Our summer library program begins on June 1, and children, teens, and adults can all earn rewards for reading over the summer.”
For more information on the summer library program, visit www.tippcitylibrary.org or call the library at (937) 667-3826.
