Enriched language development in your classrooms

At ILT Education, we understand the importance of language development in preschools, childcare centers, kindergartens and early elementary levels. This is why we have partnered with our leading literature expert, Dr. Ann M. Neely, to ensure that the books offered in Polylino can all be used to support the learning foundations of young children.

Research shows that a child’s exposure to literature in their early ages is an important foundation for their reading ability when starting school. By exposing children to literature, vocabulary increases dramatically, which is fundamental to reading comprehension. There is a strong correlation between the number of books read aloud to children, and a child’s reading ability, and schools can compensate when there is a lack of exposure of literature in the home environment.

Our digital book solution for early childhood education, Polylino, originated in Sweden and is used in more than 80% of Sweden’s preschools. The service is constantly expanding into new markets and are available in North America and across Europe.

This is how Polylino supports your classroom:

Strengthens Passion for Reading– Polylino provides children with a way to engage with books and develop a life-long love of reading. Our books are exciting, relevant, and offer a variety of topics that aligns with every child’s interests and imagination.
Supports Emergent Literacy– We have a large virtual library of books, allowing more children to read and actively engage with stories, non-fiction, and picture books. Our books are enriching and can widen vocabulary and encourage reading comprehension. Our service is to be used in addition to traditional books as a way to increase the selection of titles which children can access.
Offers Culturally Diverse Books– Our library of books engages with a wide range of topics and themes, thereby allowing the children to broaden their horizons and awareness of the world around them. Educators can use our books to discuss cultural differences, major life changes, non-fiction, and other special topics and stories.
Encourages Personal, Social and Emotional Development– Many of our books allow children to explore emotions and social circumstances. Our selected books give children a deeper understanding of the realities of childhood as well as the world around them. The books offered provides children the chance to explore new emotions and knowledge that would help in them grow and develop.
Supports the Learning Foundations and Curriculum– Our books are meant to be used in classrooms, where conversations can be had about the stories and facts read. Pre-reading the books, educators can define new vocabulary and open-ended questions that can be explored, encouraging new ideas and developing language skills with the students.

Meet Dr. Ann M. Neely, our children’s literature expert

Dr. Ann M. Neely has spent 35 years of her 40-year career at Vanderbilt University. She came to Peabody College’s Department of Teaching and Learning in 1985 as director of Elementary/Early Childhood Student Teaching and to teach courses in education. Although Neely held a variety of administrative roles for the college and university, she always taught at least one class in children’s literature and became known nationally as an expert in the field. She created courses in children’s literature that included experiential learning through travel (Harry Potter/ trip to London, E.B. White/trip to Maine). She also created classes that focused on the literature of social transformation that included travel to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. A second version of this class included an opportunity for students to work with local Nepali refugee families. These examples illustrate why Neely is regarded as a creative teacher who was always looking for meaningful experiences for her students.

Neely has worked with non-profit organizations focusing on the education of preschoolers. She chaired a task force that developed the Westminster School for Young Children and served on the Board of the Martha O’Bryan Center which included a preschool.

Neely joined the Polylino team to create this Educator Guide in 2021. Her research into using picture books with young children and her work with preschool teachers has informed her development of this guide.

Enriched language development in your classrooms

This is how Polylino supports your classroom:

Meet Dr. Ann M. Neely, our children’s literature expert

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