Guidance for Live Storytelling/Read Alouds

Students and educators are at the heart of Pearson’s mission to help people make progress in their lives through learning. With that, Pearson feels a heightened responsibility to meet the educational needs of students and teachers while helping them stay safe during this global public health emergency.

Among the many disruptions unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic is the unprecedented impact on public and private schools, universities and other institutions around the world. As many of you know and are experiencing, the number of school closures rises daily, necessitating a quick transition to online and virtual modes of teaching. This means that Pearson will have to meet the needs of learners, in ways that differ from the in-classroom experience (and use of Pearson materials and textbooks) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To address those situations where the educator is displaying and/or reading aloud the Pearson book, but unable to do so in the classroom, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pearson is supporting the same learner experience – but in a “virtual classroom” setting.

Submit your “Alternative Learning Experience Request” to Pearson by completing the request form located at Pearson Global Permission Granting.

Include in the “Additional Comments” field that your request is being made due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In situations where the educator does not have access to a Pearson platform, the live storytelling sessions may be created and posted on closed educational platforms (for example, Google Classroom, a current Pearson platform partner). Also, unlisted/private YouTube (only viewable by the educator(s) and the learner(s) for the Pearson storytelling/Read Aloud referred to in the request form).

It is important to follow these guidelines:

  • Use of the video is allowed only for the educational purpose (live story telling session) as described in the request form
  • Use of the video is temporary - only during the time required due to the COVID-19 pandemic; The video must be removed once the in-classroom experience is resumed.
  • The educator(s) must provide attribution at the beginning of the video that the video contains proprietary content to Pearson and/or contributing third parties and must not be used for any commercial purpose.
  • Include a reference to the author and the title of the book at the beginning of the video.
  • The educator(s) must provide Pearson, a link to the location of the video, if offered via YouTube unlisted, private access). No other YouTube access is permitted.
  • The video must not be used for any commercial purpose
  • The video must not be re-posted, or otherwise made available/accessible
  • Access/use of the video is limited/restricted to only the educator(s) and learner(s) for the education purpose referenced in the request form.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for the many of you who have reached out, please accept our support and sincere gesture of goodwill during these challenging times. To read more about what Pearson is doing to provide support please visit pearson.com.