Support Common Core Literacy with Electronic Resources

What’s the key to student success? Reading! The State Library electronic resources can help students become college and career ready and help teachers implement Common Core literacy standards by providing access to online encyclopedias, journals, ebooks and more.

For example, the Reading Standards for Informational Text emphasize the special skills needed when reading for factual information, whether for school or personal interest, in all formats. World Book Online offers help in this area by providing read aloud, videos, and article subheadings to help readers stay on track. Articles also give links to other articles or supplemental material if readers want more information.

SIRS Discoverer, SIRS Issues Researcher, and ProQuest provide informational articles about a broad variety of topics. Issues Researcher has read aloud and research tools to help students process what they read, especially “My Analysis” and “Note Organizer.” Special features in Discoverer and Issues Researcher include maps and interactive websites. ProQuest helps researchers narrow their topics by suggesting topics and giving limiters such as date and format.

Gale Virtual Reference Library provides access to selected multi-volume titles in many subject areas. Recently added titles that support Common Core reading and research are titles like the nine volume Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures, the four volume Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World and the five-volume Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes.

The South Dakota State Library’s e-resources, available at http://library.sd.gov, can help your students meet Common Core literacy standards and enhance learning for all ages. The State Library Electronic Resources Coordinators are available to provide training for teachers either in person or online. Contact the State Library at (800) 423-6665 or either of the electronic resources coordinators: Jane Healy at (605) 295-3174 or Julie Erickson or (605) 295-1994.