FREE Tales2Go Subscription for Educational Programs

Here’s a great holiday gift from Tales2Go to cash-strapped schools & other educational programs. I suspect there are more than a few schools using iPod Touchs as hand-held computing devices, plus a few iPhone-toting teachers who will be convinced to put their phones to use in the classroom. Do you have any of the devices in your library? Worth an inquiry to see if your youth services department counts as an “Educational program” – I certainly hope so! Here are more details from Tales2Go’s press release:

"Tales2Go, an innovative, children’s audio book and story service/app, announced today a new initiative to give schools, day care centers and other educational programs free subscriptions to its award-winning service. Educators can now sign up for a free Tales2Go account up until January 15, 2011. Each subscription shall remain valid through June 30, 2011. Up to five Apple mobile devices (i.e. iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) can be used on each account, thus allowing for multiple classroom use. Limit one free subscription per school or educational program.

Tales2Go gives parents and educators instant, on-demand and unlimited access to over 1,300 audio titles from leading publishers and storytellers (such as Bill Harley, Diane Ferlatte, Odds Bodkin). The stories are very entertaining and popular with kids, ranging from fairytales to classics like Curious George Rides a Bike to popular series and characters like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The service is very easy to use and can be accessed on any Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, and played out on the device itself or via a docking station, capsule speaker, the AUX channel of a car stereo or individually with ear buds or headphones.

"We see this offer as win-win for both schools and parents: schools get a free subscription to a large library of audio titles from leading publishers and storytellers, and parents get greater exposure to the value of Tales2Go by its use in schools,” said William Weil, Co-Founder and CEO of Tales2Go. Many schools play audio books for their students as an important supplement to instructional activities; and more and more schools – and teachers themselves – have Apple mobile devices and the necessary wireless access to use them. The benefits of listening to audio stories include exposure to more advanced vocabulary and building critical listening and comprehension skills – for both beginning and developing readers.

To register a school or educational program, visit http://www.tales2go.com/schoolpromo"
(Monday Memo, December 20, 2010)