Make your own audio books - Record Box App

This is just a quick post to share a really cool, useful iPad app that my literacy coach found for me last week.  It's called Record Box.You can use the app to create an audio book for struggling readers.  

It's super easy.  It allows you to record yourself (or a student) reading aloud a book (or chapters of a book). Then you easily email the recording to yourself so struggling readers can listen to the link from a classroom computer with headphones.  It's seriously so easy.  

Literally after you record, you press sync and then send off the email. When you open the email you see the recording as a link. Click on the link and the recording comes right up on your screen.

Our whole school is reading the same book for March is Reading Month.  The book is called Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea.  It's really funny so far and the kids are enjoying the story line, however there is a surprise twist that will catch you off guard. Plus it's told from the perspectives of several different students in a fifth grade class - so it hits that Common Core emphasis on point of view.

While the book is a just right book for most fourth/fifth grade readers (our building only houses fourth and fifth graders) my struggling readers are, well, struggling. I read the first chapter aloud with them, but that took away all my time to confer and meet with intervention groups.  

So, I looked for an audio version of the book. Listening to the book would enable them to still participate in the all school trivia questions and activities.  But the audio version isn't being released until April.

Literacy coach to the rescue!!!!!  She found the Record Box app and it has saved the day. We set up a schedule so that a different teacher records a chapter each night.  My struggling readers love guessing which teacher's (or principal's) voice is on the recording.  They have also been really engaged, and following along if able, with the recordings.  They want to be a part of what we call "One School, One Book."

Has anyone else tried this app before?  I would love to hear your thoughts or advice.

Thanks!

Enjoy :)