Reading Is Critical To Life. Don’t Short-change Your Students.

Recent research from Oxford University* underlines the importance of literacy:

“… exposure to book language provides opportunities for learning words and syntactic constructions that are only rarely encountered in speech and that, in turn, this rich experience drives further developments in language and literacy. Moreover, we speculate that the range, variety, depth, and sophistication of book language provide key input that promotes children’s social and emotional development. Becoming literate changes things…

LightSail is an online e-book platform with unique features that allow schools to implement a successful Wide Reading program for all students.

LightSail guarantees that students are not just exposed to “book language,” but they learn from this exposure. 

*Kate Nation, Nicola J. Dawson, and Yaling Hsiao (2022). Book Language and Its Implications for Children’s Language, Literacy, and Development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(4), 375-380. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221103264

Reading isn’t just a skill; it’s a lifeline to knowledge, personal growth, and social understanding. In the words of Dr. Seuss, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Therefore, we must give our students the best literacy foundation possible, and keep them in this crucial aspect of education.

Recent research from Oxford University* adds weight to the importance of literacy.

“… exposure to book language provides opportunities for learning words and syntactic constructions that are only rarely encountered in speech and that, in turn, this rich experience drives further developments in language and literacy. Moreover, we speculate that book language’s range, variety, depth, and sophistication provide key input that promotes children’s social and emotional development. Becoming literate changes things…

The study underscores how exposure to book language provides unique learning opportunities. Words and syntactic structures rarely found in speech are abundant in books, providing a rich experience that drives advancements in language and literacy. The study also suggests that book language’s breadth, variety, and sophistication could significantly foster children’s social and emotional development. The key takeaway: Becoming literate changes things, opening up a world of knowledge and comprehension.

Enter LightSail, an online e-book platform with distinctive features designed to enable schools to implement a successful Wide Reading program accessible to all students. LightSail ensures that students are exposed to “book language” and learn and grow from this exposure.

The platform offers an expansive library and adaptive features that match students’ reading abilities to the difficulty of texts. Students’ progress is tracked, and their achievements are rewarded, instilling a sense of motivation and pride. And because LightSail is online, it takes books where the students already are: on screens.

LightSail goes beyond traditional reading methods to help students connect with words and stories; in the process, they connect with themselves and the world around them. Literacy is not merely about reading words off a page but about understanding, interpreting, and applying these words in real-world contexts.

Unlock the power of reading for your students with LightSail. Discover how LightSail can revolutionise your school’s Wide Reading program.

*Kate Nation, Nicola J. Dawson, and Yaling Hsiao (2022). “Book Language and Its Implications for Children’s Language, Literacy, and Development.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(4), 375-380. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221103264