5 Things About Footsteps2Brilliance You're Probably Missing

Footsteps2Brilliance is already a user-friendly program, but there may be a few features you don't know about! Let the Osceola Reads team walk you through five things about Footsteps2Brilliance you're probably missing.

Book Buddies

Most stories on Footsteps2Brilliance have three sets of comprehension questions, called Book Buddies, that go along with the story, increasing in difficulty from level A through C. These Book Buddies are an added tool to test whether your child is understanding what they are reading. This feature can be accessed from the Book Home page of the story.Book Buddies can be used in many ways. You can ask the questions directly to your child or teach your child how to use Book Buddies on their own. Here are some things to point out to your child to help them use Book Buddies:

• Press the speaker button to have the question read to you.
• Press each answer to hear it read aloud.
• Find a hint at the bottom of the page. The hint will take you to the page in the book that has the answer.
• Press the speaker button on this page of the hint to listen to the story for a hint toward the correct answer.

Games

Yes, there are many games in the games section of Footsteps2Brilliance! But did you know that most stories also have games that are focused on the skill or words from that story? These games are found on the Book Home page of the story. Here you will find three games, each with a different level of difficulty. As your child works through the games, she will progress from the easier to more challenging levels.

Tutorial Videos

Footsteps2Brilliance currently offers three tutorial videos that can be accessed directly from the main screen after logging into Footsteps2Brilliance. Click on the Tutorial Videos link directly under the red, yellow, and blue library tabs. From here you will be taken to the Tutorial Videos page with access to videos on reading a book, playing Word Wall, and playing Book Buddies. These are videos you can watch on your own to assist your child or watch with your child to teach them how to use these components of the Footsteps2Brilliance program.

Reports

As a parent, it is nice to know how your child is spending their time on Footsteps2Brilliance and what they are gaining from the program. By accessing your child's report, you can do just that! View information on how long they spent on a particular book, how they scored on the Book Buddies, and what words they have been exposed to while reading on the app. Need help accessing your reports? Here's a quick run-through of how to get to view your child's data:

• From the main screen, choose the Parent Resources button at the bottom of the page.
• Select your child from the list.
• View different parts of their progress by clicking See Report at the top of each category.

Lesson Plans

We know, you're not a teacher, per se, but you are your child's first teacher! If you would like some help on diving even deeper into what Footsteps2Brilliance has to offer, take a look at their lesson plans for each story in the red-leveled library. The plans offer ideas on things to do before, during, and after reading, as well as different activities to do with each story. The possibilities are endless and there are even more resources available in addition to the lesson plans, such as the Story Writer?s Workshop, Recipes for Success, and even certificates for your child! Here's how to access the lesson plans:

• From the main screen, choose the Parent Resources button at the bottom of the page.
• Select Lesson Plans on the list to the left.
• Choose the library for the book you would like to focus on with your child.

The possibilities for using Footsteps2Brilliance are endless. This program has many features and continues to update their app to offer additional resources. As new features come available, we will do our best to keep you updated!Looking to have even more fun with your child using Footsteps2Brilliance? Take a look at these nine activities from the Osceola Reads team that you can use with your child after reading on Footsteps2Brilliance.