Ready, Set, Spark!

Spark Reading Newsletter | October 2024

Hello Spark teachers!

Welcome to the new school year and a new issue of the Spark Reading newsletter. This month, we introduce you to Spark's new pop-up tips and tours. They'll get you up and running with Spark in record time!
Special Education teacher Susan Michaud also shares how she uses Spark to support diverse learners in her virtual classroom. Plus, we show you how to find Mathology/Mathologie Little Books to help you blend literacy and math instruction. Let's get to it!

Learn To Use Spark Quickly With Tips and Tours

You juggle a lot every day, and to help, we've added pop-up tips and tours so you can learn what you need to know about Spark in minutes—not hours.

You'll see our new Getting Started tour. It’ll walk you through the essentials—setting up your class, adding a co-teacher, creating book collections, and more—so you can dive right in.

These tours are quick, visual, and simple, so you can feel confident using Spark with your students right away. Try it today!

Virtual Learning With Spark

Susan Michaud is a Special Education teacher in the learning center portion of Allandale Heights Public School (Simcoe District) JK-8 Virtual Learning Program.

Managing a virtual classroom with diverse academic abilities means traditional methods of simultaneous literacy instruction are challenging. But Susan says Spark Reading's digital library helps her accommodate students' varying reading levels and differentiate literacy lessons while still engaging students and supporting their unique learning paths.

Read Susan's success story to learn how she uses Spark to support diverse learning needs in a virtual classroom. 

Series Highlight: Mathology/Mathologie Little Books

Did you know Spark Reading includes a series of Mathology/Mathologie Little Books? These fun, engaging stories are perfect for blending literacy and math instruction in your classroom. Whether you're teaching in English or French, these books help students see how math works in real-life contexts—making abstract concepts easier to understand.

Why It Matters

Using these books, you can:

  • Integrate math into your literacy lessons effortlessly.
  • Show students how math is relevant to their everyday lives.
  • Engage both English and French learners with the same great content.

How To Find the Series

Type "Mathology" or "Mathologie" in the search bar to explore all the available titles. Pick the perfect story to enhance your next lesson!

Contest Alert!

Share Your Spark Stories (Or Questions) and Win!

Share a story or ask a question about using Spark in your classroom to win four bean bag chairs for your class. Use these comfy chairs to create cozy reading spaces in your classroom, motivate students to read, and encourage small group work.

Entering is easy. Just complete our super-short survey.

Watch for us to share your questions and ideas in future newsletters so others can learn from them.