Heartland AEA11 recently announced the purchase of Tales 2 Go audiobooks for elementary, middle and junior high school students. Tales 2 Go is an award-winning audiobook service that streams thousands of titles from leading publishers and storytellers to desktop or laptop computers. You’ll find popular titles and some old favorites. All have professional narration. Titles range from two minutes to two+ hours. You can search by character, age, grade, level, story type, and more.
Go to www.mackin.com/via and log in with the online database username/password. Click Databases, click Tales 2 Go, click Read Now.
To obtain the schools user id and password, please contact your schools teacher librarian.
Audiobooks and the Common Core
Audiobooks have been used in classrooms for decades because listening builds critical listening, comprehension and fluency skills. Oral language precedes written language (i.e. developmentally), making listening an important component of language acquisition. In fact, there are reading methods such as The Daily 5 that include listening as a component of reading instruction. Also, the Common Core Standards spell out specific Listening and Speaking skills required of all primary grade students.
Tales 2 Go will be another effective resource to support literacy instruction. Some students may want to check out the book from the school or public library and follow along as they listen to the book. If you are looking for audiobooks that also include the text, don’t forget BookFLIX, TrueFLIX, and the audiobooks (cassette or CD) and accompanying books that are also available resources from Heartland AEA.
Desktop Instructions (pdf) for Tales 2 Go
Mobile Device Instructions (pdf) for Tales 2 Go
General information about Tales2Go (pdf)
West Des Moines Community Schools Technology 