5 Ways Simbi Can Help You Reach Your Curriculum Goals
Let’s face it — the majority of kids today would rather binge a television show than read a book. Due to apps like Netflix, Instagram, and TikTok, it has become increasingly difficult for teachers to compete for their students’ attention. So much so, 1 in 5 fourth graders are on track to be functionally illiterate in North America. This leads us all to a very important question: How do we motivate students to read more books more often?
Simbi was created to answer this question. Simbi is an online reading platform that uniquely motivates students to read by transforming the act of reading into the act of giving. Students understand that when they read-aloud, Simbi combines the power of their voice with the text on the page to create an engaging audio-visual book that will support thousands of other students on their journey to becoming reading leaders. That’s right — a student narration completed in Seattle could be read by a student in South Africa (and vice versa)! Every week, students receive an impact report telling them how many learners around the world read along to their narration, reinforcing their love for reading and helping others.
Reading is just one part of the Simbi equation — we designed the platform to help teachers across North America reach their curriculum objectives in multiple categories. Simbi was developed with the renowned BC curriculum in mind (ranked #3 in the world after Finland and Japan) in partnership with literacy expert Adrienne Gear and curriculum expert Jessie Claudio.
Here is a list of the 5 ways Simbi can help you reach your curriculum goals:
#1 — Communication
Learning to exchange ideas, collaborate with others, and effectively engage in digital media is an integral component of communication — especially as remote learning becomes the new “normal.”
Simbi’s unique online platform enables students to engage in a meaningful, interactive, digital media experience. Learners are connected with their classmates and teachers on Simbi and have the ability to communicate via the “TellMe” feature — an audio voice recorder. Moreover, the Global Library is home to thousands of books narrated by users around the world with different accents, providing an opportunity for students to connect with other readers locally and globally.
#2 — Thinking
This competency encompasses the knowledge, skills, and processes we associate with intellectual development including critical and creative thinking, metacognitive awareness, and the ability to transform content-related subjects into new understandings.
When students read on Simbi, they are prompted to think critically and metacognitively about how their reading skills can support others. This provides purpose and motivation, transforming the act of reading into the act of giving. Beyond the “Read for Good” component, students have access to books that will lead them to think critically about the world — particularly our STEAM-based selection and books on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (easily filterable on the Simbi library).
#3 — Personal and Social
These are the set of abilities that relate to a students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society.
Teachers can use Simbi as a tool to teach their students about communities around the world. Through our partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Simbi Foundation, 37,000 learners have access to solar-powered and research-driven education in refugee settlements in Uganda and remote schools in India. Students understand that when they read on Simbi, they are supporting these learners with their narrations. The global perspective and stewardship is the foundation of Simbi and provides all students an opportunity to give back at every grade level.
#4 — English Language Arts
From Kindergarten to Grade 7, Simbi can help teachers reach and measure their curriculum goals in English Language Arts with our Fluency Passages, Global Library, and TellMe offerings.
Benchmarking a student’s reading process to reach English Language Arts objectives can be a difficult task — Simbi makes it easier. Literacy expert and author of the Reading Power curriculum, Adrienne Gear, has written a set of three books per grade to help teachers gage if their students read fluently at grade level at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. Teachers can use these fluency passages to complete Reading Competency Assessments to track progress and share with parents.
Recognizing the structure and elements of a story, including the character, plot, setting, beginning, middle, and end are fundamental in English Language Arts. Through the diverse selection of books on Simbi, readers can explore poetry, fables, and traditional stories that have identifiable characters and plotlines. After reading stories, students are given the option to record their understanding of these elements using the “TellMe” feature to be shared with their teacher after finishing a reading assignment.
#5 — Social Studies
It is important that students explore people, places, and events in communities at a young age to broaden their perspectives — as they grow older, understanding global poverty and inequity issues is an essential step to becoming a world citizen.
Readers are encouraged to develop new perspectives when they read on Simbi about those less fortunate and take action by reading for good. The Simbi Global Library has a diverse selection of multicultural stories, that cover topics such as celebrations, food, clothing, and culture of different communities. Moreso, Simbi has a collection of books that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that students can read to learn more about inequities in the world around us.
For a more detailed breakdown — check out this Curriculum Connections PDF to learn more!
Beyond these core curriculum connections, Simbi can also help teachers meet goals for STEAM, French Language, English Language Learning, Aboriginal Education, and more.
There is no end to what your learners can discover with Simbi!
