Octavo Blog

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.

16th August 202119th April 2022

Create an oBook: A Guide to Digital Self-Publishing on Octavo

So you’ve decided you want to publish a book, but you’re not sure where to start? Octavo’s new editing system is here to help writers and publishers create, design, publish and distribute oBooks digitally, in just a few steps.

But first, what exactly is an oBook?

An oBook is a type of digital book that you can create, access and distribute through Octavo. The pages of an oBook are scrollable and can be navigated in the same way you would read a webpage. These digital books are streamed through the Octavo platform, but can also be downloaded to be read offline.

Who is Octavo’s self-publishing system suitable for?

If you’re looking to maintain control of your content from the start of the publishing process to the end, Octavo’s self-publishing system could be the ideal solution for you. Be it educational, informative, fictional, non-fiction or any other genre and format – you can set up your own digital oBook and get it ready for distribution through the Octavo marketplace.

No technical know-how is necessary. However, if you do get stuck, we’ve got a team of publishing and technology professionals who can lend a helping hand to get your content up and running in no time.

Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to create oBooks on Octavo and self-publish your work!

27th July 20213rd November 2021

Why are Non-Fiction Books so Important for Children?

Hands-on learning: Explore the digital non-fiction collections available on Octavo.

Great ideas are often sparked from ordinary moments, and creating an environment that stimulates learning among children can lead to wondrous discoveries.

The conversations we have, the media we consume and how we spend our free time can all help to shape how a child approaches learning. For example, by swapping the television time for non-fiction books, or using tablets and mobile devices to read instead of watching videos, children can expand their real-world knowledge and understand how the world works.

But there’s more to non-fiction than that.

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.

14th June 202124th January 2022

How to Teach Children to Love Fiction

Discover the Fiction Readers collection on Octavo

Works of fiction have always played an enormously important role for children. No matter their age, background or interests, developing a healthy imagination from our early years has proven to have many benefits, from encouraging children to dream big and aim high, to providing a healthy means of escape from daily stresses and pressures. Moreover, reading fiction has also been linked to boosting brain power, meaning that the more children read, the more stimulated their brains become.

5th May 202128th February 2022

A Beginner’s Guide to Learning Maltese

Learn Maltese for Foreigners with Octavo and Charles Daniel Saliba

Practise reading, listening and speaking with the Maltese for Foreigners collection on Octavo!

Apart from the sunny weather and blue seas, many expats are drawn to living, studying or working in Malta thanks to the widespread use of the English language on the island. Indeed, English is one of the island’s two official languages and, with so many international people moving to Malta, English is often the main language used in workplaces and extracurricular activities.

If you’ve lived in Malta long enough, however, you’ll soon realise that learning the Maltese language is an essential skill to have to blend in with the locals’ way of life. Learning a few phrases here and there will get you far on a welcoming island like Malta, and the history of the language is enough to pique many expats’ interest and encourage them to learn how to speak Maltese!

23rd April 202118th February 2022

Bringing Free Maltese Digital Books to Malta Libraries!

Octavo and Malta Libraries are offering free Maltese oBooks to all library card holders!

Octavo is proud to be collaborating with Malta Libraries to add Maltese-language digital books to their online catalogues for the very first time. Readers from Malta and Gozo will now gain access to hundreds of free books written by Maltese authors, which will be available to borrow and read in digital format from the 23rd of April onwards.

14th April 20213rd November 2021

Maltese Phonics Made Easy

Learn the sounds of the Maltese alphabet with Sensiela Fanali on Octavo

The early stages of language learning are an incredibly exciting time for children, parents and teachers alike. As a child’s vocabulary expands, so does their experience of the world as they develop a way to express their interests, pronounce the name of their favourite colours and animals, and turn their inner thoughts into words.

This is where phonics come in to play. As the building blocks of a language, a good understanding of alphabetic sounds provides fertile ground for language skills to flourish!

If you’re looking for a way to help children explore the relationship between Maltese letters and sounds, the Sensiela Fanali programme – available on Octavo and in print – is the solution. An essential addition to your teaching toolbox, this collection of books will be with your child every step of the way, establishing a solid basis for the fruitful development of Maltese reading skills!

30th March 20217th October 2021

How to Raise a Bookworm in the Digital Age

Read the Qari għal Qalbi levelled reading collection through Octavo!

In this day and age, many children and – let’s face it – parents, too, find reading to be more of a chore than a pleasure. But if you’re one of those parents who have fond childhood memories surrounding your favourite books and your weekly trips to the library, you would probably do anything to ensure your child can experience that same level of enjoyment through reading.

28th July 202023rd December 2021

Covering the Maltese history curriculum with oBooks

At Octavo, we believe teachers and students should be able to find the content that works for them. For both of them. Over the last months, the History Teachers’ Association Publication, included oBooks in the Octavo store which cover the Maltese history curriculum for both grades 7 (Investigating the History of Malta – Year 7) and 8 (Investigating the History of Malta – Year 8). These oBooks cover Maltese history from prehistory through to the Knights of Malta.