Library News 

The importance of reading for overall success

There is a strong link between reading and learning success. A strong focus on encouraging students to continue reading both at school and at home is encouraged. A recent finding indicates that audiobooks are just as beneficial to the development of reading and language as reading physical books and performed better than reading digital versions in terms of memory retention. Encouragement of reading is most successful when attention is placed on developing recreational reading habits and immersion in the world of story. The following article compares the benefits of listening to audiobooks and reading https://time.com/5388681/audiobooks-reading-books/

Students are encouraged to expand their learning by listening to podcasts as well as engaging in a variety of story formats. Stories are a great way to develop and expand vocabulary and understanding. This underpins learning across the curriculum.

eAudiobooks are now available via the school library

This term the library introduced eAudiobooks for students to access. This means students can now borrow an eAudiobook from anywhere on any device with their compass login details. The eAudiobook is a digital file that enables you to listen to someone reading the story aloud. You may want to borrow the physical book and follow along. This is a great strategy to improve reading or even just for the enjoyment of a story.

The best way to access the eAudiobooks is via the Wheelers ePlatform app on a mobile device. However, you can access the audiobooks via the library catalogue on a desktop computer too.

 

Get started by following the steps below to gain access to over 700 eAudiobooks.

iPhone and iPads

Step 1: Go to the Apple app store and download the free ePlatform app by Wheelers

Step 2: Open the app and search for Edgars Creek Secondary College and select.

Step 3: Sign in with your compass login details to access the library.

Step 4: Borrow the selected audiobook title and select play/pause to listen to the book.

Step 5: the audiobook will automatically save your place when you exit and resume when you come back. No need to log in each time.

Step 6: The audiobook will return automatically in two weeks.

Android

Step 1: Go to the Google play store and download the free ePlatform app by Wheelers.

Step 2 to 6: the same as for Apple devices.

You can access the full step-by-step guides via https://edgarscreeksc.eplatform.co/help/guides#iPhone%20steps

Student voice and choice

Results of the student choice in library curriculum led to the development of the Google Wizard unit with an emphasis on optimising research skills. Below is the graph representing how students voted.

The purpose of the unit is to develop the required skills to be able to locate relevant and reputable information efficiently. There are many tips and strategies that students can learn to become more effective in their information literacy skills. These skills will be useful throughout schooling and later in life too.

Why not try the following google cheat sheet to optimise your search results.

Students were presented with the opportunity to select books for the library as part of the Genre Tasting unit in term 3. These selections have been processed and provided to students as the first borrowers of the books they chose. Here is Liliana with her choice. I can’t wait to hear about the book when she finishes reading it.

Reviews

The surprising power of a good dumpling

Written by Wai Chim

Reviewed by Rakshita Chopra

The surprising power of a good dumpling is an amazing story of a troubled family that goes through things that are somewhat normal, except for the fact that Anna’s Mother has psychotic delusions. Anna (the main character) lives with little brother Michael, younger sister Lily , Ma and Baba who isn’t home most of the time. Ma is always in bed but when she get out her condition worsens and gets her into a psychiatric ward. As this happen the family open up and after all they realise they all can get through it. 

 

A series of unfortunate events – The Bad Beginning

Written by Lemony Snicket

Reviewed by Layne Dellevergini

The book that I read was A Series of Unfortunate Events. I think the age group that should read this book are 13 – 16 year olds. The best bit about this book is the author (Daniel Handler or Lemony Snicket as that is his stage name), he tells the reader (me) different definitions of words that I did not know and that he used in his book. The worst part about this book is that it always leaves cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. And what I would change about this book is its illustrations.

Happy Reading!

Mare Maticevski

Library Manager and Teacher Librarian