Top tips for using RNIB Bookshare with Dolphin Easy Reader - Support for schools and settings

Using RNIB Bookshare with Dolphin Easy Reader – advice for SENDCos

RNIB Bookshare

Before you start, you need to create an account with Bookshare. There needs to be a Primary Contact (usually the SENDCo),who is the person who signs up the organisation (school). From there,

1. Set up class teacher (sponsor) accounts.

Log in
Go to “My homepage”
Select “Sponsors” or “Manage your list of staff….”
Select “Add a sponsor”
Complete the details and “Save”
The new Sponsor will receive a welcome email with a link to set their password.

2. Add Members (print disabled children). Thiscan be done by the Primary Contact, or any Sponsor.

Log in
Go to “My homepage”
Go to “Members” or “Manage your list of learners”
Select “Add a member”

Required field examples:

First name: Mary
Last name: Learner1
Current grade: Year 5/KS2
Username: MaryLSS1
Password: MaryLearner1
Disability: check relevant box/es
Set download preferences

Field to ignore:

District
School
Complete the details and “Save”
Let your learner know their log in details. Also, send these details home if the pupil has a tablet/laptop there, so they can carry on reading at home

3. You will be prompted to either add the pupil to an existing reading list, or creat a new reading list for them. Check the box if you’re adding to a list, and then click “Assign”. The account is ready to use.

4. If you’re creating a new list, a search window will pop up for you to start finding the book(s) you need. Save the book you want, and then you will be prompted to name a reading list (e.g. Oxford Reading Tree Stage 3). To enable the pupil to read the book, check either the second or third options (i.e, not Private, as this only enables you to see it).

5. To add more books, go to “My Reading List” (menu on left hand side of My Home Page)

6. Search for books that are suitable for the reader (this may have been done by reading blurb on school library books to your pupil, and creating a list of books that interests them). Tick the box alongside the book and either “Add to Reading List”, or “Create New Reading List” when prompted.

Dolphin EasyReader

Download Dolphin EasyReader onto a tablet. Create a free account with Dolphin from within the app. You will need an email address password for the person who will use the tablet – usually a pupil, but if ther pupil doesn’t have one you can use your own.

Now select “RNIB Bookshare” from the list of libraries and log in using the pupil’s RNIB Bookshare username and password. From the example above it will be MaryLSS1. You can now search for the title you need or find it if it’s in “Reading List” or “History”.

EasyReader will automatically select the file format for the title you select, and will open the file in EasyReader’s accessible E-reader. You can personalise it to each pupil’s font/colour/size reading preferences.

To make navigation easier for the pupil, open “Manage Libraries” by touching the green cross.Turn off all options other than “RNIB Bookshare”.

The above guide has used some information on the RNIB Bookshare’s website Help pages. You can access more information using the following link www.bookshare.org

You can also contact your advisory teacher for help and advice.

Using RNIB Bookshare with Dolphin Easy Reader advice for Class Teachers

Using RNIB Bookshare with Dolphin EasyReader – Class Teachers

This guide is for a class teacher, assuming that the SENDCo has set up an account with RNIB Bookshare, with the class teacher listed as a ‘Sponsor’, and that the Sponsor has received a verification email from the RNIB. It also assumes that the Dolphin EasyReader app has been downloaded on a tablet to be used by the pupil.

On Laptop

Log in to RNIB Bookshare
Open “My Reading Lists”’ (left hand menu), and select the one you want (eg you may have one for ORT books, or subject specific)
Click “add books”
Search for the book you want to make available
Select it, then “save and close” or “save and add more”
Click download, then select which “member” you want to allocate the book to, and which format you want (if that comes up as an option)
Click “prepare book”, and then “confirm”

On Tablet

Open Dolphin EasyReader app
To find newly assigned books open RNIB Bookshare (NB, NOT Bookshare)
Open “My Reading Lists” and select the one it has been assigned to
Find the book listed and click download
Open the book

To switch between books on the app

Touch the “bookshelf” icon (top left)
Open “My Books” to find books you’ve already opened, then they will open at your last page. (It may be that with books downloaded in the EPUB format that the pupil will need to touch the point at which they are leaving the book, then the Bookmark icon (on top toolbar) to ensure the book reopens at the same point.)
If you are looking for a newly assigned book, from the bookshelf go to RNIB Bookshare to find it in a reading list

Troubleshooting

If you can’t find a new book or “Reading List”, close the app down and reopen. You won’t need to log in again (unless you have logged out!)

Using RNIB Bookshare with Dolphin Easy Reader advice for Parents

Using RNIB Bookshare with Dolphin EasyReader – Parents

This guide is for parents to support their child’s access on a home device, assuming that the SENDCo has set up an account with RNIB Bookshare, with the class teacher listed as a ‘Sponsor’, and the pupil listed as ‘Member’. It also assumes that the Dolphin EasyReader app has been downloaded on a tablet to be used by the pupil.