Virtual Read Alouds During Covid-19

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There’s no doubt, as educators we are in the midst of unprecedented educational demands. While many of us have used online resources for teaching in the past, the shift that many of us are facing towards distance education have left many feeling overwhelmed. I’ll be honest – I share that sense of overwhelm with you.

One of my favorite things to do with my students is read aloud – and I am so thankful for our Class Dojo account where I can privately share read aloud videos with my students. There’s just something about a teacher reading to his/her students that creates such a connection.

Of course when we start videoing books, the copyright question arises of, “Do we have permission?”

I put out to my social media channels asking for publishers that had granted permission to read aloud to students via video during this pandemic, and the response was amazing! Not only have so many granted limited permission during this time, but so many of YOU asked me to share the list that I knew it was necessary to share them all in one place for ease of access. So here’s what I learned… Please keep in mind that as educators it is our responsibility to follow all guidelines for copyright and that many encourage private sharing of video read alouds (through apps such as Class Dojo, Seesaw, private Facebook pages, etc), require you to email details of your video read aloud, and list dates for when these videos should be removed from your platforms.

  • Scholastic is one publisher that is allowing for their books to be read aloud to students during this time. Click here to check out their website for all of the details.
    • At the beginning of your video, please state that you are presenting your reading “with permission from Scholastic.”
    • Our preference is that you post your reading through your school’s platform or another closed group or platform with limited access for your students. However, we recognize this may not be possible, in which case you may post it through a more publicly accessible platform, such as YouTube.
    • Since we view this as a way to compensate for the closure of schools, please delete your video or disable access by the end of this current school year, no later than June 30, 2020.
    • Please email tradepublicity@scholastic.com with your name, school, city and state, and the title and author/illustrator of the book you intend to read online. By posting a reading, you are agreeing to abide by the above terms.
    • Finally, we would love to follow along with your read-aloud, so please tag Scholastic’s social media handles in any posts affiliated with it!
      • Twitter: @Scholastic
      • Instagram: @ScholasticInc
      • Facebook: @Scholastic
      • YouTube: @Scholastic 
  • Chronicle Books is allowing video read alouds using the following guidelines. Please visit their announcement for full details.
    • In all video recordings (both live and prerecorded), please note that you are reading “with permission from Chronicle Books.“
    • Wherever possible, we ask that you provide viewers with links to a variety of booksellers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Chronicle Books
    • Last but not least, please tag other featured authors/illustrators (if applicable) and Chronicle Kids so that we can join the fun!
      • Instagram: @ChronicleKidsBooks
      • Twitter: @ChronicleKids
      • Facebook: @ChronicleKidsBooks
  • Mo Willems has granted permission through Wernick & Pratt Agency for video read alouds. Click here to check out guidelines from Wernick & Pratt. Mo Willems is also doing daily LUNCH DOODLES at 1:00 PM EST through The Kennedy Center. Click here to visit The Kennedy Center website.
    • A school-based intranet for students only, such as Google Classroom or another closed system, is the best way to share teacher read-aloud videos and other copyrighted content with your students.
    • A closed Facebook group or password-protected YouTube link to such videos, where the video is “unlisted” on YouTube and only available to those with the link, is the next best option.
    • If neither of these is available, and your best method of reaching students and families is Facebook Live or another publicly accessible method, we understand, but ask that you delete the videos as soon as possible.
  • Penguin Random House is another publisher allowing for virtual read alouds. Click here to check out further guidelines from Penguin Random House.
    • Story time or classroom read-aloud videos in which a Penguin Random House book is read aloud and the book is displayed (for picture books) may be created and posted to closed educational platforms such as Google Classroom, Schoology, Edmodo and Discovery Education, in order to replicate the read-aloud book experience that would otherwise be available to educators in the classroom.
    • If a Teacher or Educator plans to share a story time video by recording a video, uploading it to a YouTube channel, and posting a link to that YouTube video inside a closed educational platform, that YouTube video must be designated as “Unlisted” (not “Public”) when uploading. See screenshot for how to choose “Unlisted” while uploading on YouTube.
    • These story time and classroom read-aloud videos may be hosted on the educational platform and/or YouTube (as an “Unlisted” file) until the end of the current school year, after which we request that they be removed from the educational platform and/or from YouTube, unless this permission is extended for the next school semester.
  • Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is no exception to allowing virtual read alouds for students. Click here to check out the full set of guidelines from LBYR.
    • Please note at the onset of the video that you are reading with permission from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
    • Please only post your video through your school’s private platform or through another closed group or platform with limited access for only your students.
    • Please delete your video or disable access within 30 days.
    • Please send your name, school, city, and state, as well as the title and author/illustrator of the book(s)you intend to read online to childrenspublicity@hbgusa.com.
    • By posting a reading, you are agreeing to abide by the above terms.
    • These terms are in effect until April 30, 2020.
  • Candlewick Press is allowing books to be read aloud during this time as well. Click here to visit their statement on their Facebook page.
    • Librarians, teachers, parents, caregivers, and the clergy can, through virtual means, read any Candlewick Press title to their patrons, students, and children. However, these readings cannot be archived or saved.
    • Please post your videos only through your school or group’s private platform or within a closed group with access limited to your student/patron community.
    • ‍Teachers, librarians, and those who intend to make recordings, please email your name, city, state, the name of the private, secure platform you will use to share the reading, and the title and author/illustrator of the books you intend to read online to onlinereadings@candlewick.com. If you have already contacted Candlewick permissions or this email, we will respond promptly.
  • Simon & Schuster is allowing books to be read aloud during this time as well. Click here to visit their statement on their website
    • Simon & Schuster is pleased to provide resources and support as you navigate distance learning and bookselling in the weeks ahead. Please visit The Book Pantry website for reading group and teaching guides, author studies, and more at SimonandSchusterPublishing.com/TheBookPantry
    • In addition, we will permit you to livestream and post readings of Simon & Schuster books online for your students and customers, subject to the following. By posting a reading, you are agreeing to these terms:
      • At the beginning of your video, please state that you are reading the book “with permission from Simon & Schuster.”
      • We ask that you post your reading within the confines of your school, library, or store’s platform or another closed group with limited access for your students and customers. However, for Ready-to-Reads, picture books, and any other younger formats, if this is not possible, you may post it through a public platform, such as YouTube.
      • For these younger formats, it is fine to read the entire book. For chapter books and novels, the readings should be limited to a few chapters.
      • Since this is a way to deal with the current extraordinary situation, your video should be deleted or access disabled by no later than June 30, 2020.
      • If you are an educator or librarian, email us at Education.Library@SimonandSchuster.com with your name, school, city, and state, and the title and author/illustrator of the book you intend to read online and the date.
      • Finally, we would love to follow along with your read-aloud, so educators and librarians, please tag Simon & Schuster Education & Library’s social media in your posts!
  • HarperCollins is allowing books to be read aloud during this time as well. Click here to visit their statement on their website
    • If you are an educator or librarian who would like to read a HarperCollins book online: We are granting permission to educators and librarians to read HarperCollins titles online, on video, through June 30, 2020.
    • These virtual readings may be streamed live via digital platforms, or if recorded, posted to closed educational platforms. If a closed platform is unavailable, recorded videos of readings may be uploaded to YouTube as long as they are marked “Unlisted.” We ask that any educators or librarians performing or posting readings please do the following, as conditions of this grant of permission:
      • At the beginning of the reading, state it is “with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.”
      • Send their name, school or library, city and state, and the title and author/illustrator of the book they intend to read online to academic@harpercollins.com.
      • Tag @HarperCollins in social media posts connected with their reading.
      • Delete uploaded videos or, in the event the applicable platform does not permit deletion, disable access to uploaded videos, by the end of the local school year.
      • This permission grant is to best serve the community of readers out there who need us right now.
  • Albert Whitman & Co.
    • How to share Albert Whitman & Company books with students
    • Click here to read their statement in full
    • Right now, the way children read and learn might look a bit different. And teachers, librarians, Authors, Illustrators and parents are swiftly doing what they can to allow kids across the world to continue learning no matter where their classroom may be. At Albert Whitman, we want to help the way we know best: sharing books that matter with the world, because right now the world needs unity (and a good book) more than ever.
    • Here are our guidelines for reading Albert Whitman & Company books online during this time:
      • Please note at the beginning of your recording that you are reading with permission from Albert Whitman & Company. 
      • Please ensure your recording is available only on closed platforms (e.g., through a password-protected school platform or a private YouTube channel accessible only by students/educators and that the YouTube video must be designated as “Unlisted” (not “Public”) when uploading). For any exception to this please contact marketing@albertwhitman.comfor permission.
      • Viewers should not be charged any dollar value to watch/view the reading and all download abilities should be disabled for the video.
      • Please delete or disable access to your recording after June 30, 2020. 
      • We ask that all educators, librarians, authors, illustrators and booksellers please notify us via email (marketing@albertwhitman.com) when you post or stream a story time or read-aloud video or live event, providing us with your contact information and the book that is read.
      • By posting any recording, you agree to all terms outlined above. Albert Whitman & Company may adjust these terms in the future, as the situation evolves.

At the end of the day, I realize that we may not all have read aloud books at home, so here are a few options for sharing the joy of reading with students at home during this time.

WeAreTeachers has a great list of Children’s Authors that are doing online readings and activities with children during this time. Click here to check out the article from WeAreTeachers.

School Library Journal lists several publishing companies that are allowing for videos of read alouds during this time. Click here to check out the publisher list and guidelines from School Library Journal.

Happy reading!
Bryce

Note: Have publishers and/or authors to add to the list? Please send me an email at theteachingtexan@gmail.com

Distance learning and online education is a very real thing that so many teachers, students and parents are facing.  This post shares tips and guidelines from publishers for elementary school teachers who would like to share virtual read alouds with their kids while away from the classroom.

7 Comments

  1. how do you get permission or find out if they allow you to read a book live on teams or zoom etc.?

    1. Hi there! You’ll need to check each publisher individually to see about their conditions for sharing. Generally if you are reading it live with only your class you are likely covered. Most of these provisions apply to if you are recording a video of you reading to be shared at another time.

  2. There are many authors, Barnes and Nobles, and other you tubers that have read-aloud a published on YouTube. Are we allowed to put these on our website for our students to view?

    1. Hi Kristin!

      I would double check any guidelines provided with the videos. I would venture to think if the author or B&N have the video published that you are probably good to share it and give credit to the source. YouTube is full of videos that people have uploaded that do not have permission – most publishers during this time ask the videos to be shared privately – so I’d be careful with those. Hope this helps!

      Bryce

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