Supporting Reluctant Readers
1. Accessit’s Visual Search is a fantastic way to make searching simpler for tangled readers. For instance, if they like dinosaur books, they can just click on a picture of a dinosaur, rather than typing the word.
Clicking on the picture of dinosaurs will take the patron to all the dinosaur books in your library because the picture is associated with certain subject headings or tags. Of course, these configurations are all completely customisable.
2. Intuitive searching
Don’t forget that Accessit accepts phonetic spelling and misspelt words. If your student types in ‘dinosar’, Accessit will offer a list of alternatives.
And remember, students don’t have to type the entire word! Truncated searching is one of Accessit’s most-loved features. Just type in ‘dino’ and you’ll still get results.
Can’t spell the Treaty of Versailles? Just type ‘treaty ver’.
Don’t want to type out ‘genetically modified organism’? Just type ‘gen mod o’ and you will find the results you are after.
3. E-resources can be especially beneficial for students with reading difficulties and ELL students, and Accessit makes it easy to display these alongside your print titles.
Our seamless integration with providers such as MackinVIA, Overdrive and Wheelers allows students to search, select, and borrow e-resources directly from Accessit’s Web App without having to go to a separate platform.
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- E-books can be ideal for hesitant readers since they can adjust the font size and utilise a dyslexic-friendly display.
- E-audiobooks are perfect for anyone who is developing their language skills so they can hear the words being pronounced and be more exposed to proper flow and fluency.
- You can also catalogue videos, which will then display in any search results too. Imagine your students with limited English watching a Crash Course video on the earth’s rotation around the sun, before tackling a non-fiction book on the subject.
- Visit any of these links to learn how to set up integrations with the eBook providers below:
4. For developing readers, it’s even more important to choose a book at the right level of difficulty. They need something that will challenge them just a bit – but not defeat them.
With Accessit, your catalogue records can include Lexile information along with reading levels via Accelerated Reader or Fountas & Pinnell. In fact, Accelerated Reader can be fully integrated, including information about quizzes, points, and interest level. Searching for the perfect book has never been easier!
5. Lastly, Accessit’s One Search introduces students to free and subscription database to take their research beyond the library walls.
Even if you work at a high school, you can add some extra One Search providers that cater to your learners with limited proficiency. If you subscribe to Britannica, World Book, or Gale, you may be able to access their versions aimed at younger students. There are also some great free providers you can add, such as DK Find Out (by Dorling Kindersley), National Geographic Kids, and Khan Academy. Your emerging readers deserve to have accessible choices on One Search for a more successful research experience.
Finally, don’t forget to include these tools in your end-of-year evaluation, to provide evidence of how your library supports vulnerable readers of all kinds.
