Books, videos, math games aim to boost student engagement
JibJab Bros. Studios launched an expansion of its StoryBots franchise with StoryBots Classroom, a free resource for educators that includes hundreds of videos, books and activities for use on interactive white boards, tablets and laptops in the classroom.
The product also includes the newly released StoryBots Math Skills, an extensive collection of kindergarten-level, standards-aligned math games and lessons.
Teachers can gain free access to the platform by applying for the StoryBots Educator Network at www.StoryBots.com/educate.
By pairing leading educators and learning experts with JibJab’s world-class team of artists and storytellers, StoryBots has captured the attention of today’s media-savvy students with fun, compelling content designed to support the development, practice and mastery of foundational skills. Today, over 9,000 teachers around the world are part of the StoryBots Educator Network.
“StoryBots is exactly what kindergarteners need! It is fun, engaging, uplifting, auditory, interactive and educational, all in one,” said Kelly Wade, kindergarten teacher at Collins Elementary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We use StoryBots daily in my classroom — from whole class warm-ups, to small group differentiated practice, to one-on-one remediation.”
Launched by JibJab Bros. Studios in 2012, StoryBots leverages JibJab’s Starring You personalization technology to allow kids to see themselves dancing and singing along onscreen next to their favorite StoryBots characters. Since its founding, StoryBots videos have amassed more than 300 million views online, while its eBooks have been read more than 8 million times.
“As new parents, my brother and I saw the opportunity to leverage technology and storytelling to accelerate learning and help kids get ahead,” said Gregg Spiridellis, StoryBots co-creator and CEO. “We’re thrilled to make the entire StoryBots library available to all young learners in classrooms for free.”
StoryBots Classroom offers an expansive new suite of classroom-ready activities and resources, including:
- Math Skills – Common Core-aligned kindergarten-level math games
- Learning Videos – a library of 110+ animated musical videos that explore a wide range of topics
- Starring You® and Learning Books – 90+ eBooks that help kids practice reading
- Starring You® Videos – offering fun, quick and personalized reward for the classroom and can be used for brain breaks
- Activity Sheets – 20 printable books and 350+ sheets for teachers to use in their classrooms
- Teacher Tools – including Class Roster, Lesson Planner, Group Builder — to help educators manage their classroom and create custom plans to best suit their students’ unique needs
For more information on the StoryBots Educator Network and accessing StoryBots Classroom for free, visit www.StoryBots.com/Educate.