Tales2Go Audio Books Help Students Listen In on Learning

May 8, 2012 - PRLog -- Washington, DC, May 08—In a 21st century twist on a proven learning tool, Tales2Go is breathing new life into the audio book marketplace to help students get more excited about and skilled at reading. Tales2Go streams audio books and stories from leading publishers and storytellers to mobile devices in classrooms and beyond, giving educators and students instant and on-demand access to a large library of name-brand titles.

Current research stresses the importance of getting kids to read at or above level by third grade, yet only 34% of US students do so. From fourth grade on, students are expected to be reading proficiently in order to learn across a myriad of subjects. For readers at all levels, and particularly those who struggle with reading skills or visual learning, Tales2Go can help augment their education, making reading an enjoyable, life-long skill.

“While audio books have been used in classrooms for decades, they haven’t been packaged toward their greatest use in a mobile learning era, since iPad®, iPod® and iPhone® technology makes accessing and playing audio books so much easier and more cost-effective,” says Tales2Go CEO, William Weil. “With Tales2Go, educators gain access to nearly 2,000 stories on an all-you-can-eat basis, all at one low annual subscription price. A simple app interface that’s intuitive for kids makes exploring, playing and bookmarking titles a breeze.”

With an ever growing number of mobile devices in classrooms, Tales2Go is a timely tool and enterprise solution for educators, demonstrating the power and efficiency of cloud computing and helping schools better leverage their investment in iPads and iPods. Specifically, listening to audio books exposes kids to vocabulary, builds critical listening, fluency and comprehension skills and excites kids about literature. Many current subscribers use Tales2Go in concert with printed text, bringing oral and decoding skills together. In fact, recent studies suggest that student achievement increases measurably when a listening component is added to reading instruction.

“Since oral language precedes written language, kids learn by listening first; it’s how they start building their vocabulary, a large vocabulary being key to word comprehension while reading,” says Weil. “In fact, as reading becomes more complex and abstract in later grades, it’s just common sense to continue using students’ auditory strengths to apply meaning and context to the written word. Tales2Go offers a bridge to learning at all reading levels, not to mention sparking a student’s imagination and encouraging active listening skills.”

With stories ranging from classics like Little Women to modern-day favorites like Clifford and the Wimpy Kid series, Tales2Go offers something for everyone. Publishers include Scholastic, Weston Woods and Recorded Books, as well as storytellers like Bill Harley and Jim Weiss, and more titles are being added each month.

Tales2Go offers a free, 30-day trial as well as monthly and annual subscription plans, including bulk sales for schools. For more information, visit http://www.tales2go.com