Features – Octavo Blog

21st November 202321st November 2023

What are Interactive oBooks?

Developing a love for reading is one of the most exciting parts of a child’s educational development, which opens them up to a new world of literary possibilities. From getting immersed in fantastic fictional stories to learning about the ways of the world with interesting non-fiction books, there are endless texts just waiting to be discovered.

With Octavo, the first digital reading platform with Maltese fonts, young readers can enjoy reading in a way that goes beyond the traditional format of text and images. Octavo’s interactive ‘oBooks’ make use of different elements to engage readers in a more dynamic and immersive reading experience. These interactive features can also help children to gain a deeper understanding of the text through educational exercises.

Through a diverse range of collections of educational oBooks, readers can experience a wide range of different interactive features while engaging with a story. These include:

Audio Content and Voice Self-recording:

Octavo uses audio to enhance the storytelling experience, giving readers the option to listen to different sections of their oBook being read out loud. This feature can also help readers to develop a better grasp of the pronunciation of different words. Readers can then record their own reading to practice the pronunciation themselves.

Quizzes and Assessments:

Through interactive questions and assessments embedded within the oBook, readers can test their own understanding of the content that they’re engaging with. This can also help teachers to understand their students’ progress, as results will show up on the individual’s reading profile which can be accessed by teachers assigned permission by their school.

Text Highlighting and Bookmarks:

While reading on Octavo, you can highlight text, add bookmarks or make annotations directly within the text.

Interactive digital books are particularly popular in educational materials, children’s books, and non-fiction genres where visual aids and engagement can enhance the learning experience. They leverage the capabilities of digital platforms to create a more dynamic and personalised reading journey for users.

Have you tried any of Octavo’s interactive features?

Head to Octavo to start reading!

27th June 202228th June 2022

5 oBooks to Explore the World for Elementary Readers

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)

24th May 20221st June 2022

Octavo for Mobile: Breaking Down Barriers to Reading!

Carry an oBook through the Octavo Mobile App

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!

5th January 202219th April 2022

How to View your Student’s Learning Portfolios on Octavo

Encouraging students to read more is an important task for every teacher. But how can you ensure your students are getting the most out of their reading? With Octavo’s Educate feature – designed specifically for teachers – all of this becomes much easier. At the click of a button, teachers can view all the classrooms they teach, all the students in each classroom and the individual portfolio of every student.

8th October 20218th October 2021

4 Spooky Books for Kids to Read this Halloween

Up until a few years ago, Halloween would come and go without a trace. But as October rolls around, the signs become clearer every year: pumpkins, witches’ hats and skeleton costumes seem to appear around every corner, and children’s schools may even join the fun by decorating classrooms with ghosts and spider webs.

There’s no doubt that children love Halloween, so we’ve put together a list of books to bring a little dose of spookiness and horror to their reading lists!

15th September 202127th December 2021

Dyslexia and the Reading Process

Octavo facilitates readers of all abilities

There’s never a reason for dyslexic students to be left behind in the classroom. Now more than ever before, through developments in the field of education and technology, teaching methods can be tailored to help individual students overcome the difficulties they face in school and at home.

Dyslexia is a common neurological condition, affecting approximately 15% of the global population. Stemming from the Greek words ‘dys’ (difficulty) and ‘lexis’ (language), people born with dyslexia often experience difficulty with word identification and reading.

But the problems associated with dyslexia are only noticeable once a child starts learning to read, with common symptoms including difficulties in recognizing words, poor spelling and weak phonemic recognition.

13th July 202123rd December 2021

Understanding Levelled Reading Systems with Octavo

With every skill you learn, having a system to follow can help you track your progress and measure your achievements.

And with reading, it’s no different!

Yet, have you ever considered how a levelled reading system can help children learn to read? By following one or more of the reading systems available on Octavo, readers can enhance their learning and easily look up texts through the digital library that are perfectly suited for their current reading level.

So, what are levelled reading systems and who should use them?

Levelled reading systems are guides that provide a clear understanding of the level of difficulty of the content contained within a book. While there are many different levelling systems in use around the world, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to choosing a system.

20th March 202030th March 2021

Bringing free content to Maltese students during the schools’ shut down period

The whole world is currently suffering an almost global shut down due the spread of the COVID-19. At Octavo, we want to add our two cents to ease the confinement time by providing content for free in Maltese.

30th January 201930th January 2019

Import ePub files as oBooks in Octavo

Nobody said it was going to be easy, still we accepted the challenge: creating a file-less content platform from the ground up. This implied that the content would also need to be inputted directly in the Octavo Panel. Until today.

23rd January 201923rd January 2019

iLearn single sign on integration

Octavo login screen including iLearn Malta button

Providing our users the smoothest of the on-boarding processes out there has always been a crucial aspect for us creating Octavo. We know, as much as you do, how complicated and long some sign up forms can be. And let’s not include the terms and conditions, privacy policy and many other time consuming tasks to this list.

As part of our collaboration with the Ministry for Education and Employment of Malta to provide students and teachers a platform where to find educational and reading content, Octavo is now compatible with the current account systems they use: iLearn.