It’s back to school for most Knox County kids. After the holidays and a few snow days, it may take a bit of time to get back in the swing of things. The Library can help students get started on the right foot. Online resources are available for everything from one-on-one tutoring to encyclopedias just for kids, and access to primary sources.
Here’s a list of a few tools to make the most of this semester:
- Tutor.com – Students can connect with live tutors online for help with more than 60 subjects at any grade level. The most popular subject? 8th grade math, with essay writing close behind. Test prep support for AP courses and college entrance exams is also in high demand. Professional tutors are available online 3–10 p.m. daily via computer or mobile device, and each account may use five sessions per week during fall and spring semesters. This service is also available in Spanish.
- Audiobooks, ebooks, and readalongs are great ways to help reluctant or struggling readers improve literacy skills. Being able to adjust the speed of narration or the size of the font can be very helpful in mastering reading skills. Tumblebooks and Overdrive Readalongs provide animation and sound on both storybooks and nonfiction for a more immersive experience. French and Spanish titles are also available.
- Historic newspapers, local documents and photographs, and maps make for excellent primary sources for research projects in many subject areas. The Calvin M. McClung Digital Collection has photographs that helped start the Great Smoky Mountains National Park movement; a scrapbook of one of the most active suffragists in our area, and George Barber’s sales catalogs for architectural plans for houses and cottages – just to name a few.
Mary Pom Claiborne is assistant director for marketing, communications and development for Knox County Public Library. She writes a Wednesday feature for KnoxTNToday.com.