June Tech Tips: Bookshare

Hello Reader,

As the school year comes to a close and summer begins, many parents and educators start thinking about ways to support reading, learning, and confidence during the months ahead. Summer can be a wonderful opportunity for students to explore books at their own pace, strengthen literacy skills, and discover new interests without the pressure of daily school demands.

A Featured Resource: Bookshare

This month, I’m excited to share Bookshare, an incredible resource that provides accessible ebooks for individuals who struggle with reading.

Bookshare gives students access to thousands of digital books with audio support, highlighted text tracking, adjustable fonts, customizable background colors, braille compatibility, and other supportive reading tools. One of the most valuable aspects of Bookshare is that many students qualify for a free membership, including those with dyslexia, visual impairments, physical disabilities, and other learning differences that significantly impact reading.

Bookshare’s read-aloud feature displays and highlights text as it is spoken, helping students strengthen tracking, fluency, decoding, comprehension, and focus. Seeing and hearing words simultaneously can also support whole-word recognition, reinforce language processing, and reduce cognitive overload while reading.

This powerful platform includes:

• Audiobooks and read-aloud features
• Highlighted text tracking
• Adjustable text size, fonts, and colors
• Accessible textbooks and educational materials
• Support for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges

Why I Love Bookshare

• Supports More Independent Reading​
Students can access books more independently, build reading stamina, and experience greater success while reading.

• Reduces Reading Frustration​
Highlighted audio support can improve focus, fluency, comprehension, and working memory while making reading feel less overwhelming.

• Reduces Visual Fatigue​
Students can customize fonts, text size, spacing, and background colors to create a more comfortable reading experience. These features can be especially helpful for individuals who find traditional black text on a white background visually tiring or difficult to focus on for long periods of time.

• Makes Learning More Accessible​
Students can customize their reading experience to better match their learning and ways of processing.

• Encourages Confidence and Engagement​
When students can successfully access books and information, they often become more motivated, engaged, and connected to learning.

Looking for Additional Reading Resources for the Summer?

Explore my collection of multisensory reading resources, activities, and tools designed to help struggling readers build confidence and strengthen literacy skills.

​Good Sensory Learning Reading Resources​

I hope you enjoy exploring this wonderful resource and discovering new ways technology can support learners both in the classroom and at home this summer.

With gratitude,
​Dr. Erica Warren​

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