As a parent of a young child, you may feel thrilled when your child starts learning how to read. It’s a significant milestone that marks the beginning of a lifetime of learning, opening the doors to endless opportunities. However, the process of learning to read is not a straightforward one, and you might be wondering how you can encourage your child to read and help them develop their reading skills as best as possible.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
Make reading a part of your daily routine.
Set aside some time each day for reading. It could be before bedtime, during breakfast, or any other time that works for you and your child. Consistency is key to developing good reading habits.
It’s never too early to learn about the joy that Christmas brings, and burying your nose into a good book is a great place to start. These festive stories highlight the beauty of Christmas, ranging from festive traditions to fictional tales in both English and Maltese.
From young elementary readers to older, more confident ones – these oBooks are suitable for a wide range of readers.
Take note of the reading level beneath each story to find the right match for your level!
Christmas – Bullfrog Books
Which holidays do you celebrate with your family? These books tell you about holidays from different cultures. Have you read them all?
Level: Lexile 220L/ European Framework for Languages A1 (Elementary)
Il-Maġija tal-Milied – Qari għal Qalbi [Maltese – FREE]
Toninu u Ġakkinu marru jistaqsu lil Santa Klaws fuq is-sigriet tiegħu; kif jagħmel lin-nies ferħanin, iżda Santa Klaws iddeċieda li jidħaq ftit bihom qabel iweġibhom…
Kien lejlet il-Milied. Nora kienet qiegħda tistenna lill-maħbub żewġha Mario ġej lura mix-xogħol. Riedet tixtrilu rigal iżda ma kellhiex flus. X’waslet tagħmel sabiex tara lil żewġha kuntent? U x’sorpriża ssib tistennieha? Il-qalb kollox…
Open the doors to a new way of learning about science for kids…
For budding scientists who are fascinated by the world around them, or newcomers to the wonderful world of science – the Esploranauts Science Club for Kids will get young learners thinking about the way things work… from the chemicals in our atmosphere to the physics of engineering.
Launched in September 2022, the Esploranauts club will give its members access to a digital library of STEAM books to help further their learning. The books are available on Octavo – a Malta-based digital reading platform – and form part of the STEAM Readers collection created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.
The science club is designed for curious children and eager learners aged between 5 to 10 years. The collection of STEAM books includes 90 original texts, with 45 of those books targeted for children in Grades 1 – 3, and the other 45 books suitable for children in Grades 4 – 6.
Members of the club will receive an official Esploranauts t-shirt, quarterly magazine, an Esplora digital book and a free Esplora Child Ticket on their birthdays to enjoy a day at Esplora!
The STEAM digital books will be available all year long and can be accessed by creating a free account on Octavo.
The Membership fee for this science club, comprising all these benefits, is €15 per year.
As Malta’s Interactive Science Centre, Esplora is located at Villa Bighi and aims to provide an immersive experience for visitors to learn about science. The hands-on experiences and exhibitions are designed to spark interest among all visitors, encouraging an informal alternative approach to classroom-based science lessons!
Click on the button below to sign your child up to Esploranauts!
For many teachers and parents who were born before the internet, the concept of digital literacy as a subject may sound a little strange. Aren’t digital skills something that people learn naturally as they grow older? This may have been the case up until the Millennial generation who grew up alongside the internet, but as technology develops at a rapid pace, it becomes even more difficult to keep up with new skills.
Just as children can learn new languages much easier than adults, they can also absorb the language of the digital world with greater ease.
Explore countries, landscapes and cultures with these travel-themed oBooks
Travel books for children have the power to increase global awareness from a young age. Learning about the different countries and their unique cultures around the world can encourage a sense of curiosity among young readers, helping them expand their horizons and learn about the many wonders of the world.
With the summer months ahead of us, what better time to encourage children to read more? These 5 travel-themed oBooks will make the perfect summer read for elementary-level readers (CEFR: A2)
Whether you’re at home, in class, or on the go – having a good book close by is always a great idea. How do you think bookworms manage to read hundreds of books a year? Next time you’re twiddling your thumbs or scrolling through TikTok, dive into the Octavo app and add another oBook to your reading list.
Here’s how you can read your favourite oBooks – even without an internet connection – through Octavo on mobile!
If you’re looking for a way to get young readers excited about books, here’s your chance! The fun-packed Jump! collection has just been added to Octavo with over 145+ educational, levelled English oBooks waiting to be read.
This collection uses high-interest non-fiction topics to educate readers from grades PreK – 3. From beginner readers to newly-fluent ones, the collection covers a diverse range of subjects that young children will love to read!
Have fun reading with this latest collection for grades K-3!
How can parents and teachers make reading irresistible for young readers? As it gets harder and harder to maintain children’s attention, Bearport Publishing has cracked the code to help keep readers engaged! By combining excellent storytelling with eye-catching images, Bearport Publishing is dedicated to giving kids the kinds of books that they want to read. The award-winning children’s book publisher is now making a selection of 150+ oBooks available through Octavo!
Reading books online carries a wealth of benefits to the reader. Not only are digital books easily portable, but you can also hold thousands of books at once through the device in your pocket! Having access to a book wherever you are, gives you the opportunity to increase your reading time, while saving money and space too.
With Octavo, readers can access over 1000 digital books, which we call ‘oBooks’, in multiple languages including English and Maltese.
We all know that reading is one of the most rewarding exercises that children can engage in, but how can teachers make even the most stubborn readers find joy in their books?
It all begins in the classroom: If a student enjoys reading in class when it’s combined with a series of fun activities, it’s more likely that they will look forward to reading at home too! In this guide, we will be sharing 5 creative activities that teachers can use in the classroom to make reading more fun for their students using a digital reading platform, which will allow you to check that your students are actually reading!
