about-us-titleFounded in February 2015, You Tell Me Stories 501(C)3 has partnered with the out-patient pediatric clinics at NY Cornell and Columbia Presbyterian Hospitals, and Ronald McDonald House in New York City. To date, over 600,000 free picture books apps have been downloaded.

In the media, President Lynn Rubin and Educational Advisory Board Chair Dr. Lydia H. Soifer appeared on Marlo Thomas’ internet TV program “Monday’s with Marlo” streaming on AOL and Huffington Post, as well as partnered with Autism Speaks in a social media campaign to promote tips for parents on the HOW to read aloud.

The Foundation creates picture books to address three crucial areas for the development of language and literacy: thinking skills (essential for learning both in school and in life), vocabulary development (essential for academic success), and an emotional connection (as parent and child cuddle together for a fun, interactive, and enriching experience.

To realize the full potential of children’s literature, adults must accept two complementary guiding principles: that the purpose of picture books is to engage children with literature, and that the picture book is a major resource for children’s acquisition of literacy. Reading a picture book aloud prompts conversations about what’s happening in the story, what the characters are feeling, meanings of words, and how what’s happening might relate to the child. See, think, wonder – make connections between familiar and relevant events in their lives.

YTMS’s mission is to improve access, content and quality of engagement. Teachers are “taught” how to read aloud with expression and interactivity – when most adults read to a pre- schooler, they read and the child listens. HOW you read to a child is more important than how often! You Tell Me Stories make it easy and fun for parents – no matter their job, educational level, or uency in English – to unlock the learning in a picture book!

You Tell Me Stories picture book apps work in several ways –

  • Listen with WordWinks® feature – models interactive reading utilizing different voices for different characters. WordWinks® are designed by language and literacy experts to provide encouraging, thought provoking open-ended questions and comments de- signed to stimulate – not test!

  • The Read with WordWinks® feature – gives parents the exact script to practice this research based reading technique.

  • The Retell, Record & Share feature – supports story mapping and sequencing skills, and provides the children with opportunities to use new vocabulary introduced in the story, identify important details, build memory and develop strong oral language skills. In addition, retelling gives the parents a measure of their child’s listening comprehension. The share feature encourages pride of accomplishment and family engagement.

    You TELL Me Stories, Inc.
    420 East 72nd Street
    Suite 10B
    New YorkNY  10021