BUS ROUTES FOR FY25
Library Media
Sora
Leominster Public Schools is a subscribing member of the MLS Commonwealth eBook Collection. This robust collection gives our community access to over 50,000 eBooks and audiobooks shared with other schools and small libraries across the state. Sora is a powerful digital reading platform that is used to access the collection. Students are able to see and borrow titles in Sora based on their assigned school level. Sora has many built in supports and features, and the information below will help you get started using this amazing resource.
Students must be logged into their leominsterps account on a Chrome browser in order to access Clever.
Once logged in your leominsterps.org acct, please visit https://clever.com/in/leominster
Locate the Sora Icon 
Click on the Sora Icon
Note: To change the language of the tutorial, click the 3 dots on the bottom right and then the gear icon and select your preferred langauge.
Here's an interactive tutorial
** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **
Reading Suggestions
- Make reading routine, find a quiet comfortable spot. That is the ‘go-to’ spot.
- Before you start reading the book, ask simple questions about the cover and the story.
- “What do you think this book is about?”
- “What makes you say this is what the story might be about?”
- “What is this?”
- “Can you read the title of the book?”
- “Who or what do you think is on the cover”?
- “Who wrote this book?”
- If your children get stuck on a word do not help them straight away.
- Say the first sound in the first word - once they work it out get them to re-read the sentence; or
- If there is no individual sound in the first work, then tell them the whole word and see if they can now read the sentence; if not, use the “sound-out’ tip for each word.
- When your child is trying to sound out an unfamiliar word, give him/her/them time to do so. Remind the child to look closely at the first letter or letters of the word.
- When your child makes a mistake, gently point out the letters he or she overlooked or read incorrectly. Many beginning readers will guess wildly at a word based on its first letter.
- Always get them to re-read the sentence
- Encourage them to use their reading strategies. Otherwise, they will expect you to tell them words they get stuck on every time.
- e.g., Phonics – sounding out words.
- Let them hear you reading the story and encourage them to follow.
- Make some silly mistakes to see if they are reading with you. They will love correcting you.
- If their reading sounds choppy or not smooth…
- Use the “Echo” Reading Technique...
- When the child has read a sentence in a “choppy”, “unsmooth” manner. Encourage them by focusing on something that they have done correctly.
- Then ask them to listen to you read the sentence. (“Listen to my voice and try to sound like I do.”)
- You then ask them to re-read “Echoing” you. It is about the experienced reader “modelling” fluent reading for the child.
- You can do this line by line or a couple of sentences at a time.
- Good readers: (1) Read words correctly, and (2) Sound nice and smooth, like talking…”
- Use the “Echo” Reading Technique...
- Once the child has read nice and smoothly you then move on to asking a few questions about what they have read.
- Let your child choose their reading material. You may see them gravitate toward nonfiction, science fiction and fantasy, or humor. Whatever it is, be sure to provide ready access!
- Subscribe to magazines that will interest them. Ask your child to choose one or two titles and put the subscription in their name to make it extra-special when an issue arrives. You can also visit a local library and explore their magazine collection.
- Read the news together. Establish a routine for reviewing current events around the world. Ask your child how they feel about the headlines and encourage them to form opinions.
- Keep up with what they’re reading. If you can, read a few pages of their books yourself so you can discuss them together. If your child is a strong or advanced independent reader, this also allows you to judge material for age-appropriateness.
- Talk about what they’re reading. Asking your child what they like about their books compels them to make connections and think critically. Summarizing and sequencing events will challenge their reading comprehension (which is a significant component of standardized testing).
- If they’re struggling or bored with a book, let them put it down. Reading is meant to be fun, and the more kids enjoy their books, the more likely they are to keep reading. Achieving reading frequency takes practice, and that means trying different titles until that just-right book is found.
- Ensure they have a good reading space. Let them choose the nook, and make sure it's well-lit and inviting. If you find your child is enjoying their reading space past bedtime, be flexible. Avoid asking your child to stop reading.
- Play games that utilize reading. If you have a family game night, try incorporating word- and vocabulary-based games, like Scrabble or Boggle. Completing crosswords in the morning is another opportunity for learning new words and practicing spelling.
- Encourage your middle schooler to read to a younger sibling. Letting your older child take over the nightly reading ritual once a week will ensure they read something. They may find their younger sibling's enthusiasm for stories contagious.
- Visit the bookstore or library together. Make discovering new books a regular event where you get to share quality one-on-one time.
- Encourage journaling. Journaling is a skill-building activity that allows your child to record observations, ambitions, problems, and solutions. Writing about their books further allows them to explore their interests, not to mention refine their book-reviewing techniques for class and build their social-emotional skills.
- Explore books based on popular media. Your child may not know that the on-screen adventures of their favorite superhero continue in books. For example, check out The Bad Guys series and watch the movie! Literary extensions of multimedia franchises offer an entry point for reluctant readers drawn to movies and TV series.
- Provide access to audiobooks. Books on tape are an easy way to connect your child with the rhythms and pace of a story — and they’re surprisingly successful among this age group. Whether you’re heading on vacation or just back-and-forth to school, try listening to a book that appeals to everyone. Equip your child’s mobile device with an audiobook platform as well, so they can listen on their own time.
- Model reading. From birth, your child is modeling their behaviors after you. Your pre-teen will follow your reading habits (though they’ll never let you know it!). Let them see you reading, strike up a dialogue about what you’re reading, and share interesting passages with them.
- Allow and encourage kids to re-read their favorite books. Parents may be discouraged to see their child reading the same book over and over. In reality, they are reading for pleasure and likely picking up on new words and contexts with each read.
- Leave reading material in the car. Pack a bag with books, magazines — whatever your child likes to read — for quick grab-and-read opportunities. Parents have told Scholastic in interviews that their child’s favorite time to read is in the car on the way to sports practice.
- Start a book club. Choose a title the whole family can read together, or help your child organize a regular meetup with friends to discuss a selection in person, virtually, or via text message.
- Take reading outside. Enjoying books literally outside of the everyday routine shows kids books are there to be enjoyed and can provide an escape. They can listen to audiobooks while hiking, or find a peaceful park to read in.
- Try out multiple formats of a book. Many popular book series, like Wings of Fire, have been adapted as chapter books and graphic novels, and others have corresponding audiobooks and e-books. A book’s format can have a major effect on the overall reading experience: The illustrations and simple text of graphic novels, for example, are especially popular with reluctant readers who can comprehend context more quickly. Trying different formats also lets young readers experiment with different reading styles (e.g., digital vs. print), to determine what they’re most comfortable with.
- Meet an author. To bring life to the reading experience, help your child seek out local events with their favorite writers. If you can’t meet an author in person, check out their official website, listen to interviews they’ve done, or watch book trailers for their books. Meeting an author and hearing what inspires them can inspire readers to seek out related titles.
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