To help celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Storyshares is thrilled to shine the spotlight on one of our talented authors, Yoko Fujimoto. Yoko’s book, “A Capsule of Stars” is scheduled for publication as part of the Storyshares Summer/Fall book release.

Decodable books have become a powerful tool for building strong reading skills for all types of learners. Up until recently, decodable texts have been used primarily in early elementary school, leaving behind the millions of older, striving readers in grades 3 and up. Additionally, most of the decodable texts that have been used in phonics instruction for older readers are written for first or second graders, and therefore feel babyish and irrelevant to middle and high schoolers. That’s where Storyshares comes in. We’ve harnessed the power of decodable texts and created a series of engaging, exciting decodable chapter books written specifically for readers in upper elementary, middle, high school, and beyond! Here's a guide to unlock the full potential of decodable books, whether you're a parent, teacher, or anyone looking to support a developing reader.

For years, educators have grappled with the challenge of supporting high school students who struggle with reading. These students have outgrown picture books, but are still developing the foundational skills needed to tackle complex texts. This skills gap can lead to frustration, disengagement, and even school dropout. But there's finally good news! The educational landscape is welcoming a revolutionary resource: decodable chapter books for high school readers, by Storyshares.

At Storyshares, we try to carve out new shelves for regional and classroom libraries. This series is designed to transport readers through multigenre illustrations, characters that want to change the world, and Science of Reading alignment that provides access and opportunities for literacy advancement.

There is a false binary too often created in teacher education programs and professional development settings. It is a hopeful false binary and goes like this: teachers in grades K-3 teach students to learn to read, while teachers of students in grades 4 and up teach students to read to learn. Continue reading for ways to support striving teenage readers with the science of reading, as well as specific Storyshares resources that align with these key strategies.

What does it mean to advocate for the needs of youth? For me, it means to offer my talents and passions to raise awareness about critical global issues and to support the advancement of children's rights. That is why Storyshares is a platform that is so close to my heart, and why I find so much enjoyment working with Storyshares!

Storyshares will be offering our entire eBook library collection at no cost to anyone who is interested from now until September 1, 2023!

Shira Engel is a former New Yorker who both attended and taught in New York City public schools. She now lives and teaches seventh and eighth grade Humanities in New Haven, Connecticut, and works as a Wilson tutor for students with dyslexia after school.

Emmily Magtalas Rhodes is a freelance writer of Filipino heritage currently living in an English spa town. She's fascinated by folk horror, witchcraft and magic. Her debut YA novel, What It Means to Be Malaya, was published in the Philippines in 2020.