Every kindergarten teacher knows that the way to interest children in reading is to read to them -- that early and frequent exposure to literature is essential to the process of learning to read. Unfortunately, teachers and parents have limited time to read to their students and children. Could software help pick up the slack? Rona Roth, a kindergarten teacher with 30 years of experience, thought the answer was "yes", and with her brother, Carl, a former Sesame Street producer, they began to develop One More Story.
The premise was simple: Bring a library of literature into every classroom and home, and empower children to independently explore literature before they are fully effective readers. Software allowed us to customize the reading experience for different reading levels. Pre-readers could have stories read to them with words highlighted and synced to the narration. Early readers could read the books on their own and get audio help with any word they didn't understand.
Next, we wanted to see how teachers reacted to our concept, so Carl reached out to Robby Merkin, the former Music Director of Sesame Street, who composed the music and effects for our first book, Ezra Jack Keats' Whistle for Willie (and most of the books since). Carl, Rona and Robby then brought the sample book before a half dozen of the largest school districts in America. With enthusiastic responses from all the districts, we had the validation we needed and proceeded to develop the website.
One More Story launched in 2005 and has gone on to win numerous awards from respected organizations such as Parents' Choice, Teachers' Choice and School Library Journal. Media outlets such as The New York Times, People, and Entertainment Weekly have recommended it. We continue to work towards our mission of developing a love of reading in children while teaching them foundational literacy skills with new features that leverage the latest technologies and research as well as an ever-growing library.