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"phonemic awareness" phonics literacy reading heggerty "phonological awareness"

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Heggerty Phonemic Awareness is a well-organized 35-week curriculum of daily phonemic awareness lesson plans. Developed on a systematic scope and sequence of ...

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HeidiSongs music makes learning easy and fun! Learn letters, numbers, shapes, and spell sight words by listening to music and moving with the motions! Sing-Along and LEARN to these fun and engaging videos to make spelling, math, reading, and phonics easy and fun for kids of all ages and learning types!

Our updated look, featuring colorful and engaging animations, as well as a young, diverse cast of performers is sure to not only capture and engage students of all levels of learning, but to ensure retention - from TK to second grade and beyond!

At HeidiSongs.com, we've developed content that covers almost every subject you could think of: letters and sounds, numbers, colors, shapes, spelling (sight words), basic and intermediate math concepts, phonics, sound-blending, word families, grammar, punctuation, classroom management, nursery rhymes, language arts, times tables and skip counting, and that's just the beginning!!

About the HeidiSongs method: Research shows that in order to get the best learning outcome possible, children need to actively and simultaneously use as many of their senses as they can when they learn and practice. For example, if your child is learning a new word, the child should see it, say it, hear it, and do it - all at the same time. HeidiSongs products do just that in a fun and motivational way!

Explore more and check out our DVDs, CDs, worksheets, supplemental materials and tips on how to maximize your classroom's learning!!

Get streaming access to over 500 Music Videos, targeting students from Preschool to 2nd Grade! Get your FREE 30 day UScreen trial now at:
https://heidisongs.uscreen.io

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education "kids music" "kids songs" "music for kids" "childrens songs" "music for children" "school songs" "preschool songs" "songs for preschool" kindergarten "first grade" "musical learning" "music and learning" "music learn" "songs that teach" "help kids learn" "sing along songs" "sing along song" "educators music" numbers "shapes math for kids" "math 4 kids" "math songs" "learn numbers" "high frequency words" "spelling words" "sight words" "site words" "dolch words"

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Learning can be Fun! Using the proven HeidiSongs method, even preschool age children can easily learn to identify numbers, shapes, and spell words just by li...

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PBS Learning Media: Phonological Awareness 

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PBS Learning Media: Phonological Awareness 

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Phonological Awareness | PBS LearningMedia

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Find lessons on Phonological Awareness for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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Reading Rockets: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

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Reading Rockets: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

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Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of words. The levels of phonological awareness are, from simplest to most complex: syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. We know that a student's skill in phonological awareness is a good predictor of later reading success or difficulty. Find out what parents and teachers can do to help children develop this critical literacy skill.

Refresh your classroom instruction! Try the Phonological and Phonemic Awareness module in our free, self-paced online course, Reading 101: A Guide to Teaching Reading and Writing.

Featured partner: National Association for the Education of Young Children

Watch a reading expert work one-on-one with K-3 students, helping them master basic reading skills.

Find out about the early building blocks of learning to read and the importance of reading aloud.

Professional Development Webcasts

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Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of words. The levels of phonological awareness are, from simplest to most complex: syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

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Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel (YouTube)

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Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel (YouTube)

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Phonemic Awareness)

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Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Phonemic Awareness)

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Our library provides teachers with effective, research-based classroom strategies to help build and strengthen literacy skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

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Video included

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Blachman, B. A., Ball, E. W., Black, R., & Tangel, D. M. (2000). Road to the code: A phonological awareness program for young children. Baltimore: Brookes.

Clay, M. (1993). Reading Recovery: A Guidebook for Teachers in Training. NH: Heinemann.

Elkonin, D. (1971). "Development of Speech". In A.V. Zaporozhets and D. B. Elkonin (Eds.). The Psychology of Preschool Children. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T. Press.

Ellis, E. (1997). How Now Brown Cow: Phoneme Awareness Activities.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction (NIH Publication No. 00-4769). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

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Elkonin boxes build phonological awareness skills by segmenting words into individual sounds, or phonemes. To use Elkonin boxes, a child listens to a word and moves a token into a box for each sound or phoneme. In some cases different colored tokens may be used for consonants and vowels or just for each phoneme in the word.

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What the experts say about phonemic awareness:

Without phoneme awareness, students may be mystified by the print system and how it represents the spoken word.
~ Louis Cook Moats & Carol Tolman

No matter the level of phonemic awareness, to make use of it he or she [the student] must learn to visually identify the individual letters.
~ Marilyn Jager Adams

Explicit instruction in sound identification, matching, segmentation, and blending, when linked appropriately to sound-symbol association, reduces the risk of reading failure and accelerates early reading and spelling acquisition for all children.
~ Learning First Alliance

Read more about phonemic awareness!

Test your Understanding of Phonemic Awareness

Test 1

Test 2

OVERVIEW of phonemic awareness

Phonemic awareness is an oral language ability that students demonstrate when they can play with the sounds in words. For example, they can change a sound in word to make a new word, blend sounds together to make a word, or break words into individual sounds. Phonemic awareness helps students read by sounding out and blending letter sounds together, and to spell by breaking apart the sounds in a word.

TEACHING phonemic awareness

Teachers can use a number of brief and engaging activities such as songs and games to facilitate students' phonemic awareness. Teachers can model key skills and provide opportunities for review. They can start with simple phonological awareness activities, including rhyming words, and move toward those that involve the identification and/or manipulation of the sounds in words.

ASSESSING phonemic awareness

Teachers can assess phonemic awareness in many ways. They can observe how their students respond to various phonemic awareness tasks and complete informal assessments of important phonemic awareness skills such as blending and segmenting. Gathering this information can aid in lesson planning and the identification of students at risk for reading difficulties.

Featured Videos

Push That Sound: Foundations for Phonemic Awareness

Pound and Sound: Helping Students Hear and Blend Phonemes

Phonemic Awareness Read Aloud: Using Stories to Develop Phonemic Awareness Skills

All Phonemic Awareness Recipes

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Without phoneme awareness, students may be mystified by the print system and how it represents the spoken word. ~ Louis Cook Moats & Carol Tolman No matter the level of phonemic awareness, to make use of it he or she [the student] must learn to visually identify the individual letters.

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Phonemic Awareness: Developing Sound Sense

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Phonemic Awareness: Developing Sound Sense

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Phonological/Phonemic Awareness: The Foundation For Literacy | Sight Words: Teach Your Child to Read

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Learn about phonological/phonemic awareness and phonemes and why they are so important for learning to read. More Phonemic awareness is the ability to think about, analyze, and manipulate the sound structure of individual words. This pre-reading skill, also called phonemic awareness, will make phonics that much easier for your child.

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https://drive.google.com/open?id=12e0L6Lhlk2t1NaWof9CODeqUip_4k5rV

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The Teaching Channel: CVC Phonemic Awareness

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The Teaching Channel: CVC Phonemic Awareness

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ELA.RF.K.2c

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

RF: Reading Standards: Foundational Skills (K-5)

K: Kindergarten

2c:
Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds
(phonemes).

a. Recognize and produce rhyming words.

b. Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

c. Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.

d. Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes)
in three-phoneme (consonent-vowel-consonent, or CVC) words.* (This does
not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)

e. Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable
words to make new words.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. Notice the progression from whole group, to guided practice and then individual assessment. How does acting out words help with both vocabulary development and engagement?

2. How does this lesson balance between sounding out words and blending?

School Details

Fairmont Private Schools - Anaheim Hills Campus
5300 E La Palma Ave.
Anaheim Hills CA 92807

Data Provided By:

Teachers

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Kindergarten teacher Heather Lopez works with her students on consonant-vowel-consonant (C-V-C) single-syllable words as they learn to read. Some students need to sound out some of the words while others are already able to blend the onset with the rime. Ms. Lopez holds up a word for the students to read and then act out.

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PBS Learning Media: Phonics & Word Recognition

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PBS Learning Media: Phonics & Word Recognition

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Phonics and Word Recognition | PBS LearningMedia

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Find lessons on Phonics and Word Recognition for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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Phonics is the understanding that there is a predictable relationship between the sounds of spoken language, and the letters and spellings that represent those sounds in written language. Successful decoding occurs when a student uses his or her knowledge of letter-sound relationships to accurately read a word.

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Learn more about the English spelling system, how spelling supports reading, why children with dyslexia and dysgraphia struggle, which words should be taught, and word study instruction that works. Refresh your spelling and word study instruction! Try the Spelling module in our free, self-paced online course, Reading 101: A Guide to Teaching Reading and Writing.

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Free registration; many resources.

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Lalilo by Renaissance | Practice and instruction on Foundational Literacy skills

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Sign up and invite parents remotely for home access to phonics and reading lessons.

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Jack Hartman Kids Music Channel (YouTube)

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Jack Hartman Kids Music Channel (YouTube)

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Phonics)

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Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Phonics)

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Our library provides teachers with effective, research-based classroom strategies to help build and strengthen literacy skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

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How to teach complex sounds: Ruth Miskin demonstrates

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Read Write Inc. Phonics: Ruth Miskin on how to teach blending to children

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Benchmark Advance Kinesthetic Alphabet with Sound Effects for Kindergarten

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What the experts say about letter-sounds & phonics:

By understanding the link between speech sounds in spoken words and alphabet letters and letter combinations in written words, children learn to read and spell.

The goal of phonics instruction is to help children learn and use the alphabetic principle - the understanding that there are systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds. Knowing these relationships will help children recognize familiar words accurately and automatically, and decode new words.
Put Reading First

By the age of six, most children already have about 6,000 words in their listening and speaking vocabularies. With phonics they learn to read and write these and more words at a faster rate than they would without phonics.
Jeanne Chall

Go to Reading Rockets and learn more about letter-sounds & phonics!

Test your Understanding of Phonics

Practical resources for teaching letter-sounds & phonics

OVERVIEW of letter-sound knowledge & phonics

Learning how to read in English is like cracking a secret code. Students must learn which letters or letter combinations stand for the 40 or so sounds of spoken English. Once they understand the code, students are able to use their knowledge to read and spell new words. Teaching the connection between letters and the sounds they represent is an important part of early literacy instruction.

TEACHING letter-sound knowledge & phonics

Phonics refers to instruction in letter-sound associations. It is helpful to teach phonics explicitly and systematically. Begin with a set of letters, such as s, a, t, p, that can be combined to create two or three letter words so that students can immediately start reading and spelling words. Have students practice reading using books that contain familiar letter-sounds and words that can be easily sounded out.

ASSESSING letter-sound knowledge & phonics

Teachers can informally assess students' knowledge of letter names and sounds. They can observe students' ability to use letter-sound knowledge to sound out words when reading and represent sounds in words when spelling. It is very helpful to look at young students' inventive spelling because it provides a window into students' understanding of the relations between letters and sounds.

Featured Videos

Drive Through Blending: Practicing Early Decoding Skills in First Grade

Making Word Families: Developing Letter-Sound Associations

Alphabet In My Mouth!: Reviewing Alphabet Letter-Sounds with a Fun Song

All Letter-Sounds & Phonics Recipes

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BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Letter-Sounds Phonics :: Balanced Literacy Diet

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By understanding the link between speech sounds in spoken words and alphabet letters and letter combinations in written words, children learn to read and spell. The goal of phonics instruction is to help children learn and use the alphabetic principle - the understanding that there are systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds.

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What the experts say about spelling & word study:

When our spelling is perfect it's invisible. But when it's flawed it prompts strong negative associations.

An environment of frequent purposeful writing provides numerous opportunities for teachers to help students discover more about spelling words.
J. Richard Gentry

Learning to spell is not a matter of memorizing words, but a developmental process that culminates in a much greater understanding of English spelling than simple relationships between speech sounds and their graphic representations.
Charles Read

Read more about spelling & word study!

OVERVIEW of spelling & word study

Spelling and word knowledge are building blocks for effective written communication. To ensure that students go beyond simply memorizing word spellings, teachers can build students' knowledge of English spelling patterns and spelling strategies. Doing so will allow children to spell many more words than memorization alone. Model and provide practice on using new words in sentences.

TEACHING spelling & word study

Teachers can help students become proficient spellers by teaching word analysis and spelling strategies systematically. This includes teaching spelling patterns and spelling strategies like identifying prefixes and suffixes. Games can be used to support students in memorizing the spelling of common, irregular words like "the," "of," and "I."

ASSESSING spelling & word study

One of the best ways to assess students' spelling skills is to observe their writing. Teachers can observe whether students represent all of the sounds in a word, spell high frequency words correctly, and display familiarity with the spelling patterns and word families taught in class. It is important to have reasonable expectations based on the student's grade and individual ability.

Featured Videos

Interactive Word Wall: Spelling High Frequency Words in First and Second Grade (Virtual Tour)

Wheel of Fortune: Discovering New Word Wall Words

Blooming Prefixes and Suffixes: Developing Word Knowledge by Looking at Word Parts

All Spelling & Word Study Recipes

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BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Spelling Word Study :: Balanced Literacy Diet

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When our spelling is perfect it's invisible. But when it's flawed it prompts strong negative associations. An environment of frequent purposeful writing provides numerous opportunities for teachers to help students discover more about spelling words. J.

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Find lessons on Fluency for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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Reading Rockets: Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Fluency)

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Reading Rockets: Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Fluency)

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Our library provides teachers with effective, research-based classroom strategies to help build and strengthen literacy skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

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What the experts say about reading fluency & expression:

If text is read in a laborious and inefficient manner, it will be difficult for the child to remember what has been read and to relate the ideas expressed in the text to his or her background knowledge.

By reading aloud with expression, teachers model for students meaningful, fluent reading.
Timothy Rasinski

A beginning reader must link letters to sounds, pay attention to spelling patterns, and figure out how these patterns work. The process is slow and analytical at the beginning.
J. Richard Gentry

Read more about reading fluency & expression!

What Works in Fluency Instruction

Fluency: Instructional Guidelines and Student Activities

OVERVIEW of reading fluency & expression

Fluent readers recognize words quickly and read with good pacing and expression. They do not have to concentrate on figuring out each word, and can focus their attention on what the text means. Fluent readers tend to have better comprehension. The more fluency students develop, the better their comprehension will be. Although with practice word reading can become automatic, comprehension does not.

TEACHING reading fluency & expression

It is important for students to have many opportunities to read aloud to adults and peers. Activities that encourage students to re-read texts, like reader's theater build reading fluency. One of the goals is for students' oral reading to sound natural, like they are talking. The texts that students use to practice should be in their "comfort zone" - not too easy, and not too difficult.

ASSESSING reading fluency & expression

Teachers can assess reading fluency by listening to students read brief grade level passages. As you listen to students read consider the following: Does the student's reading sound natural and smooth with pauses in the right places (as if he or she is talking)? Does the student make frequent errors? Does the student read slowly, word by word? Track student progress throughout the year.

Featured Videos

Fluency Phones: Amplifying Students' Voices in Oral Reading (Virtual Tour)

Reader's Theater: Building Fluency in Third Grade

Chants, Poems and Reader's Theater: Building Fluency in the Upper Grades (Virtual Tour)

All Reading Fluency & Expression Recipes

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BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Reading Fluency Expression :: Balanced Literacy Diet

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If text is read in a laborious and inefficient manner, it will be difficult for the child to remember what has been read and to relate the ideas expressed in the text to his or her background knowledge. By reading aloud with expression, teachers model for students meaningful, fluent reading.

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Fry Sight Words List | Sight Words: Teach Your Child to Read

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Search YouTUBE for many more sight word videos from Jan Richardson and Jack Hartmann

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Jan Richardson Sight Words | Level A | Like | Jack Hartmann

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout, and . I'm happy that you found your way here!

This is a library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to make sure that reading & learning can happen anywhere this spring. Some of you may be out of school as communities try to prevent the spread of a virus known as COVID-19. Here's a great page from NPR that explains what that's all about, in a kid-friendly comic. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds shares "How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town," a PSA for kids, on the StorySeeds podcast here. And this excellent & important post from author Laurie Halse Anderson does a great job explaining why we're seeing closings (and why that's important) for older readers.

Below, you'll find a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. If you'd prefer to browse learning-at-home resources by age group, my daughter Ella has put together the pages below, with even more resources, organized by grade level. (Thanks, Ella!)

Resources for grades PreK-2 (ages 3-7)
Resources for grades 3-5 (ages 8-10)
Resources for grades 6-8 (ages 11-13)
Resources for grades 9-12 (ages 14+)

Many teachers & librarians have also reached out to ask about permission to read books aloud to your students via closed platforms like Google Classroom, Zoom, and unlisted YouTube links. Individual publishers have been sharing their own guidelines for online read-alouds, and you'll find a round-up of those here.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE NEXT PRESIDENT: THE UNEXPECTED BEGINNINGS AND UNWRITTEN FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PRESIDENTS, illustrated by Adam Rex. Writing challenge: After the read-aloud, write your own presidential platform. What changes would you make to your country if you were in charge?

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of OVER AND UNDER THE POND, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal (shared with permission from Chronicle Books). After the read-aloud, look out your window - or step outside if you can - and see what hidden nature you notice!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE BRILLIANT DEEP: REBUILDING THE WORLD'S CORAL REEFS illustrated by Matt Forsythe. After the read-aloud, check out the Coral Restoration Foundation website. Learn more about the threats coral reefs are facing from NASA's Climate Kids page, and check out this page about how kids can help our oceans. Challenge: Make a poster or drawing to teach people about how we can all help coral and other sea creatures!

OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST, Kate's book with illustrator Christopher Silas Neal doesn't come out until August, but we got special permission to share an early read-aloud! After the story, check out this page with more information on the wildlife of Costa Rica, where Kate did most of the research for this book. Writing challenge: Write a short article to teach people about your favorite rainforest animal!

Tracey Baptiste, the author of The Jumbies series, shares a mini-lesson on comparative mythology. She talks through how creatures from different mythologies have traits in common and encourages kids to find those similarities in the mythologies they come across. She's also sharing some reading resources such as D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, The Element Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures, and her own Jumbies Field Guide available at her website.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares a read-aloud excerpt of her chapter book JASMINE TOGUCHI FLAMINGO KEEPER, along with a writing prompt (and a peek at a real daruma doll)!

Author Leah Henderson shares a first chapter read-aloud of her middle grade novel THE MAGIC IN CHANGING YOUR STARS. Writing Challenge: Find out who Ailey Benjamin Lane is named after. (Hint: His first name comes from an African-American dancer & choreographer with the initials A.A. His middle name comes from an African-American farmer & naturalist who searches out the stars and who created an almanac in 1792. This person's initials are B.B.) Who could they be?

Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner shares tips and techniques to help you draw ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor winning book The Night Diary, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, and The Phoebe G. Green series offers a diary writing prompt to help you get to know your characters and create an inspired story!

Author Jason Reynolds shares a read-aloud from his MG novel, GHOST. In this chapter, the main character talks about world records, so after the read-aloud, check out this page from the Guiness Book of World Records, with some records you can try to break at home!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from TRACKING PYTHONS: THE QUEST TO CATCH AN INVASIVE PREDATOR AND SAVE AN ECOSYSTEM. After the read-aloud, you can learn more about invasive species from National Geographic and the National Wildlife Foundation. Also check out this article from New York State Conservationist Kids!

Kate also shared this article about the python scientists, with photos and infographics.

Author & illustrator Grace Lin teaches viewers how to draw a Chinese Dragon and shares some tidbits about Chinese culture! You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Carole Lindstrom shares a read-aloud of WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS.

Author Jo Knowles reads from the first chapter of her MG novel WHERE THE HEART IS and offers students a fun writing exercise! For more about Jo and her books, or for teachers/book group guides that go along with her books, visit her website.

Kelley McMorris, who illustrates the RANGER IN TIME chapter book series, shares a video about how she illustrates a book cover. After you watch, try using Kelley's process to design a new cover for one of your favorite books!

Author and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi shares a read-aloud of her picture book WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, gives a drawing demo and challenges young readers to create their own imaginative squirrels, and shares a crowd-sourced "Where Are My Books?" music video. You can find lots of free, print-ready activities and other fun bonus info at https://www.debbieohi.com/wamb

Author Erin Entrada Kelly gives a peek into the notebooks for several of her novels, including HELLO, UNIVERSE. Writing challenge: What's in your notebook? Take a little time to write in it today, inspired by Erin's ideas!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of STRANDED. Writing challenge: Choose a wilderness setting of your own - the Arctic, the desert, the rainforest - and imagine you're stranded there. How will you survive? Write an imaginary journal documenting your adventure. Check out these wilderness survival skills from Outdoor Life for ideas!

Author Nikki Grimes shares poetry selections from WORDS WITH WINGS. Writing challenge: Try writing your own poem today, in the style of one of Nikki's read-alouds! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Ann Braden shares a read-aloud excerpt from THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS. Note: the octopus is a pretty amazing creature, so after the read-aloud, read up on them at this page from National Geographic Kids!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. After the read-aloud, read more about helpful insects here and check out these garden activities from KidsGarden!

Author Sarah Albee shares a STEM mystery, "Did the Doctor Do It?" as part of her series exploring the science and intrigue of poison throughout history. Check out more of Sarah's Poison videos here.

Middle grade and Young adult author, Paula Chase offers a mini-writing exercise to help students build stories around their unique traits.

Author Nancy Castaldo reads some of BACK FROM THE BRINK with tips how we can all use our voices through our writing to make a difference. Here's the link to the reader's guide for more activities.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares an early read-aloud excerpt of her upcoming MG novel KEEP IT TOGETHER KEIKO CARTER, along with a writing prompt!

Author & illustrator Grace Lin shares the first story from her early reader, "Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from RANGER IN TIME: RESCUE ON THE OREGON TRAIL. Writing challenge: Choose your favorite event in history and imagine how a search and rescue dog might be able to help out. Then so some research about your historical event, and write your own story about Ranger's adventures there!

Christina Soontornvat shares how she came up with the idea for her new middle grade fantasy novel, A WISH IN THE DARK. Writing challenge: Use Christina's model to brainstorm your own list of ideas for stories that might be inspired by a classic tale! And check out more videos from Christina here!

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her forthcoming middle grade novel-in-verse, BEN BEE AND THE TEACHER GRIEFER.

Author Mae Respicio reads a few pages from her upcoming middle grade novel, Any Day With You, and shares a quick, fun writing prompt. Writing challenge: Imagine you've been planning a beach day with your best friends. You're so excited to go but when you get there... everything goes wrong and not the way you expected it to! Describe what happens.

Author Elly Swartz shares tips on how to use the emotion in your life to create authentic characters! Writing challenge: Take a few minutes to journal about a day when you felt an especially strong emotion - joy or fear or excitement! How might you use those emotions in a fictional story?

Author Lisa Yee drinks water, reads the first chapter of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and fumbles when she comes across a couple of lines in Latin. Writing challenge: Try rewriting a scene from this chapter from the point of view of another character!

Award-Winning author Michelle Cusolito shares a writing mini-lesson to help writers add more sensory details to their writing. You can find more resources related to Michelle's book FLYING DEEP: CLIMB INSIDE DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE ALVIN here.

Author-illustrator Lita Judge shares a video about how a sketching trip inspired one of her picture books! After you watch, take your own mini-sketching trip. Go to your kitchen or your bedroom, your porch or your backyard, and sketch what you see. Observe closely!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from CHIRP, a mystery for kids that's set on a cricket farm! After the read aloud, you can learn more about entomophagy (eating insects as food!) from CBS Kids, and check out a real cricket farm's website!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a video mini-lesson on how to create a good beginning for a story!

And another video writing workshop from Chris, called Four Elements of Character. (This is an 8-minute video where you pause & write sometimes, so the full activity will take about half an hour. Recommended for writers ages 10 and up.)

Author Aisha Saeed shares a read-aloud of her picture book, BILAL COOKS DAAL, along with a related activity!

Author Emily Jenkins shares a read-aloud of A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG.

Author Lisa Schroeder shares a read-aloud excerpt from her MG novel MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS, along with a writing exercise!

Author Janet Fox shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of her MG novel THE ARTIFACT HUNTERS. Writing challenge: Try writing a short scene of your own in which something unexpected happens!

Author & illustrator Jess Keating shares some thoughts on where ideas for stories come from! (This is part of a series Jess shares on writing & you can find more on her YouTube channel.)

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE, co-written with James Paterson.

Poet Charles Waters shares poetry from DICTIONARY FOR A BETTER WORLD (by Charles Waters and Irene Latham)

Author Abby Cooper reads the first chapter of her middle grade novel, FRIEND OR FICTION.

Author Lynn Plourde shares some tips on starting an observation notebook!

Author-illustrator James Burks shares a video lesson on how to draw Squirrel from his graphic novel series, Bird and Squirrel!

Author Kristen Larson shares an engineering design activity based on her book WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane.

Author Liz Garton Scanlon shares a video lesson on writing am ETHEREE - a ten line poem in which each line is one syllable longer than the last.

Author-illustrator Karen Romano Young shares a video doodling tutorial. You can also check out Karen's #AntarcticLog comics, a weekly series of comics about Antarctica - as well as the Arctic and anyplace where climate change is being studied.

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her novel-in-verse, HOUSE ARREST. Mini-lesson: listen for as many poetic devices as you can find (metaphor, simile, assonance, hyperbole, etc.)

Author Jennifer Roy shares a video read-aloud from her historical novel YELLOW STAR, along with a writing prompt about looking for symbols of hope in tough times, recommended for ages 10 and up.

Author Laurel Snyder shares some thoughts on fiction and making up stories, along with a read-aloud of CHARLIE AND MOUSE OUTDOORS.

Author Caroline Starr Rose reads her picture book, A RACE AROUND THE WORLD: THE TRUE STORY OF NELLIE BLY AND ELIZABETH BISLAND. When you've finished listening, visit the article, How to Pack Like Pioneering Journalist Nellie Bly, Who Circumnavigated the Globe in 1889 with Just a Small Duffle Bag, to see what Nellie brought on her journey. Challenge: Plan your own trip around the world. What would you like to see? Where would you like to visit? Mark these places on a map.

Author Corinne Demas shares a read-aloud of THE DISAPPEARING ISLAND.

Author Lauren Tarshis shares a read-aloud of the first two chapters of I SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC. After the read-aloud, check out this link to read about Robert Ballard, the oceanographer whose team discovered the wreck of the Titanic more than seventy years after it sank.

Author & poet Nikki Grimes shares poems about one of her favorite cakes, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, along with five steps to creating your very own poem about your favorite food! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Sarah Aronson shares a read-aloud of JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG. And here's a FlipGrip page where kids can share their projects and ask questions.

Author Chelsea Clinton shares an excerpt from her book START NOW: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Author Bruce Hale shares a read aloud of BIG BAD BABY.

Writing Challenge: Write about the same experience in multiple ways (letters, poems, illustrations, and screenplay).

Bonus challenge: Write positive affirmations for your family members.

Author Sayantani DasGupta shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of THE SERPENT'S SECRET.

Author Deborah Underwood reads INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA (illustrated by Meg Hunt) and gives kids a mini-lesson on how to write their own fractured fairy tales.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT and answers questions from kids in a "Family Book Club" video recorded earlier this year (thanks to Read-Aloud Revival for making this recording publicly available for learning at home this spring!)

Author-illustrator Brian Biggs shares a read-aloud of his EVERYTHING GOES board books.

Author Jessica Young shares a read-aloud of HAGGIS AND TANK (illustrated by James Burks) with a mini-lesson on sound words.

Author-illustrator Brandon Reese shares a read-aloud of his picture book CAVE DADA. And here's a link to download a coloring page, too!

Here's a fun challenge from author Laurel Snyder ... She's written a brand new book, but doesn't have any pictures for it. Will you help? She'll read you the story of The Beastly Collective, and you'll draw your favorite animals, while she teaches you some brand new words!

Author Christine Evans shares a read-aloud of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, illustrated by Yasmin Imamura.

Author and illustrator Grace Lin shares a chapter from her book, The Year of the Dog. You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Grace Lin teaches families how to draw a dog from the number 5 (just like in The Year of the Dog!)

Amy Guglielmo, co-author of POCKET FULL OF COLORS shares a read-aloud of her picture book biography of Disney artist Mary Blair. Art challenge: Collect a rainbow of colorful objects inside or outside as a fun follow up activity. Take part in the "Rainbow Hunt," and draw a picture of a rainbow to post in your window for neighbors to see on their daily walks.

Author Kerry O'Malley Cerra demonstrates an easy tool students can use to summarize. This tip can also be used for writers as chapter checks!

Japanese American author, Kathleen Burkinshaw reads a chapter from her MG historical fiction, The Last Cherry Blossom based on events in her mom's life as a 12 yr old in Hiroshima during WWII. Also learn a little about her mom's favorite Japanese folk tale. You can find a Discussion Guide on her website www.kathleenburkinshaw.co

Newbery Award winning author Meg Medina shares a writing lesson on Creating Tension.

Kerry Madden shares a read-aloud of ERNESTINE'S MILKY WAY.

Author Buffy Silverman shares On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring and a little science show-and-tell.

Author Diane Zahler shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of The Marvelwood Magicians and a writing prompt.

Abigail Rayner shares a read-aloud of The Backup Bunny.

Michelle Cusolito reads aloud her book Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN (illustrated by Nicole Wong) while Jeff Angeley of Southcoast Lessons provides live musical accompaniment. You can find more resources related to Flying Deep here.

Author Meg Fleming shares a read-aloud of her picture book, Sometimes Rain.

S.K. Ali, co-author of THE PROUDEST BLUE, shares directions for making a paper boat.

The niece and nephew of Cedella Marley read her book, Get Up, Stand Up, a picture book adaptation of one of Bob Marley's beloved songs that has a timely message for children: To counter injustice, lift others up with kindness and courage.

Author Lisa Yee talks about Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and reads passages from the book. Writing prompt for today: Do you think boys and girls can be friends?

Would you rather be an #astronaut or #aquanaut? Perhaps you need more info to decide. Check out Jen Swanson's video below. Then make your choice and draw a picture of your suit!

Author Jo Watson Hackl Shows How to Take Your Reading to the Next Level by Exploring the Natural World of Your Characters.

Author Heather L. Montgomery reads-aloud chapters from SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL.

Author Heather Shumaker offers a weekly author chat called Fiction Friday. She shares tips and ideas for writing fiction, reads a short excerpt from her middle grade novel The Griffins of Castle Cary, adds in a mini writing lesson, a few corny jokes, and encouragement to young writers and readers.

Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about finding writing inspiration from your own family history (video is in English and then in Spanish).

Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of HOW TO READ A STORY, illustrated by Mark Siegel & shared with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Kimberly Derting shares a read-aloud of CECE LOVES SCIENCE with permission from HarperCollins.

Author & science teacher Anne Ruppert shares a try-it-at-home fingerprinting activity from SOLVE THIS: FORENSICS (by Kate Messner & Anne Ruppert, published by National Geographic)

Author Jacqueline West shares a read-aloud from The Shadows, volume one of her bestselling MG fantasy/mystery series The Books of Elsewhere, along with a writing activity for you (and possibly your pet!) that will help you think about character and dialogue. For more info and other videos, visit her website! www.jacquelinewest.com.

Author Carter Higgins shares a read-aloud of BIKES FOR SALE with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Deborah Underwood reads FINDING KINDNESS, illustrated by Irene Chan (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2019).

Author Melanie Crowder reads a chapter from her middle grade novel, Three Pennies, and shares a quick and easy craft to go with it. Writing Challenge: Think of one of your favorite books-does an animal make an appearance in the story? In Three Pennies, the author writes several chapters from the point of view of an owl (named Owl). Try to add a chapter to that favorite book you've got in mind, writing from the point of view of an animal in that story.

Author Cynthia Levinson reads The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Kids for permission.

Loree Griffin Burns, author of books like Citizen Scientists and the upcoming picture book You're Invited to a Moth Ball, shares her favorite book of all time: The Flora and Fauna of Hosmer Street. It's not a book she wrote, but rather one she made with her three kids. For one year, Loree, Sam, Ben, and Cat committed themselves to getting to know their animal neighbors; what they found surprised them. In this video, Loree show listeners a few of their best finds (garter snake! walking stick! a skeleton!), what they learned (the more you look, the more you see!) and, of course, how to start creating The Flora and Fauna of Your Place.

Many people have heard of the secret network that helped many enslaved blacks escape to freedom in the North called the Underground Railroad. But how many of you have heard about the Overground Railroad? Author Lesa Cline-Ransome reads from her book, The Overground Railroad, illustrated by her husband, James Ransome.

Author Kathleen Blasi reads HOSEA PLAYS ON, which depicts a day in the life of street musician Hosea Taylor, who made his community better, with his open-hearted giving. After the read-aloud, you can take a look at the newspaper article that inspired Kathleen to learn more about Hosea Taylor and served as the research springboard for HOSEA PLAYS ON.

Author Laya Steinberg reads her picture book THE BEST SUKKOT PUMPKIN EVER and shares a seed planting activity.

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of GHOST BOYS.

Roy Freeman shares a read-aloud of CORDUROY, written and illustrated by his father, Don Freeman.

Author Nancy Tupper Ling shares a read-aloud, along with a lesson on how to make a list poem about your favorite place in the world.

Author Sarah Scheerger reads her picture book, Mitzvah Pizza, and shares a story about the real-life pay-it-forward pizza place that inspired the story. Classroom activities for the story are found here.

Writing Lessons! Many families are using this time at home to work on writing projects that range from stories and poems to special interest research reports and even novels. Here are some craft lessons from authors to help with ideas & strategies!
Author Meg Medina shares a video lesson on creating tension. Author Jennifer Torres shares a mini-workshop on setting with a video and pages to download. Here's a lesson from author Paula Chase on writing dual points of view. Author Josephine Cameron shares creative writing tips about how choosing the perfect setting can help you shape the character, plot, and relationships in your story.
Additional Resources:

Want to see even more author & illustrator videos? Check out the Authors Everywhere YouTube channel, created by Susan Tan!

Check out STEM Tuesday from The Mixed of Files of MG Authors blog for weekly book lists, interviews, and activities.

Want to try writing some poetry today? Joyce Sidman shares an amazing collection of ideas to get you started.

Here's another poetry lesson from Kathryn Apel - writing a didactic cinquain!

If you're stuck at home, it's a great time to start a writer's notebook! Author & Poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has a whole collection of posts from different writers, called "Sharing Our Notebooks." Check it out -so many ideas here!

Author Madelyn Rosenberg shares a collection of writing prompts here.

Here's a collection of video mini-lessons from nonfiction author Melissa Stewart - great for teaching informational writing, including research, text features, text structure, rich language, voice, and revision.

Author & poet Laura Shovan shares a collection of poetry mini-lessons on her website!

The folks at Middle Grade at Heart share a list of MG novels with discussions questions & related activities here.

Author Victoria Coe has a playlist of writing lessons for kids with 25 lessons.

Author Sarah Darer Littman offers short readings and writing prompts on her website.

On the Kids Ask Authors podcast, you can hear author/illustrator Grace Lin and a guest author answer a kid question! Kids can submit their own book reviews, poems or jokes! https://www.kidsaskauthors.com Subscribe to the podcast here: http://ow.ly/8OPg30qr7WD

Erica S. Perl (@ericaperl) is doing a weekly Instagram live author event called "Winging It with Erica S. Perl" featuring read-alouds, writing prompts, and occasional shakings of a tail feather. Tune in every Tuesday at 2 pm EST and wish her good cluck!

The KidLit TV team, a group of diverse children's book authors and illustrators, has created a virtual library of FREE read aloud, drawing & writing tutorials, podcasts, art activities + reading resources for kids. https://kidlit.tv

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author & illustrator, shares daily drawing lessons on his YouTube channel.

Author Kathryn Hulick invites you to investigate a ghost story as a scientist, based on her book STRANGE BUT TRUE.

New Books to Check Out!

In case you're missing your weekly trip to the library or bookstore, we also want to let you know about some new books out this spring!

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Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President ; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics ; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout , and .

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Vocabulary refers to the words children must know to communicate effectively. In school terms, it can be described as oral vocabulary or reading vocabulary. Find out more about effective vocabulary instruction, the relationship between vocabulary and comprehension, and practical ways that parents ca…

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Reading Rockets: Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Vocabulary)

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Reading Rockets: Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Vocabulary)

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Our library provides teachers with effective, research-based classroom strategies to help build and strengthen literacy skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

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BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Vocabulary :: Balanced Literacy Diet

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Students need to develop both their speaking and listening vocabulary. The first refers to those words a student can use when speaking and the latter refers to the spoken words that a student can understand. Each type of vocabulary supports literacy development, as well as learning in other subject areas.

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Words and More (WestED - 12.12.2019).pdf

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Vocabulary Development During Read Alouds: Primary Practices

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Reading aloud is a common practice in primary classrooms and is viewed as an important vehicle for vocabulary development. Read alouds are complex instructional interactions in which teachers choose texts, identify words for instruction, and select the appropriate strategies to facilitate word learn…

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Teaching vocabulary to English language learners (ELLs) is an important part of students' language development, but making the most of vocabulary instruction requires careful planning. Which words will be most useful in a new lesson and other settings? What kinds of practice can educators offer so that students master the meanings of new words rather than simply memorizing them? This resource section provides numerous research-based ideas from veteran educators as well as vocabulary resources for the classroom.

Featured Articles

Blog Posts

Related Video

Books and Booklists

Research and Reports

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Teaching vocabulary to English language learners (ELLs) is an important part of students' language development, but making the most of vocabulary instruction requires careful planning. Which words will be most useful in a new lesson and other settings? What kinds of practice can educators offer so that students master the meanings of new words rather than simply memorizing them?

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Free registration; many resources.

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Lalilo by Renaissance | Practice and instruction on Foundational Literacy skills

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Sign up and invite parents remotely for home access to phonics and reading lessons.

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Reading Rockets: Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Comprehension)

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Reading Rockets: Reading Rockets: Classroom Strategies (Scroll to Comprehension)

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Our library provides teachers with effective, research-based classroom strategies to help build and strengthen literacy skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

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BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Reading Comprehension Strategies :: Balanced Literacy Diet

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Highlight the need for students to be actively engaged in the reading process. Teachers can explain key strategies and model the types of actions students can take before, during, and after reading. Students will likely need ongoing feedback to facilitate their proficiency at using comprehension strategies.

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Learn how brain scientists are working to solve the puzzle of why some children struggle to read and others don't.

Learn more about effective classroom strategies to help kids understand - and care about - what they read.

Professional Development Webcasts

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One reading researcher describes reading comprehension as the "essence of reading." Find out more about how to improve reading comprehension for all students - from young preschoolers to students who are struggling and children with learning disabilities. Refresh your reading comprehension instruction!

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Learn how brain scientists are working to solve the puzzle of why some children struggle to read and others don't.

Learn more about effective classroom strategies to help kids understand - and care about - what they read.

Professional Development Webcasts

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One reading researcher describes reading comprehension as the "essence of reading." Find out more about how to improve reading comprehension for all students - from young preschoolers to students who are struggling and children with learning disabilities. Refresh your reading comprehension instruction!

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*Effective reading instruction involves a combination of powerful instructional settings. This post is the next in our "What is...?" series, where we define each instructional context that makes up a coherent literacy system.

What is interactive read-aloud?

Interactive read-aloud is a whole-group instructional context in which you read aloud a selected text to the whole class, occasionally and selectively pausing for conversation. Students think about, talk about, and respond to the text as a whole group or in pairs, triads, or quads. Both reader and listeners actively process the language, ideas, and meaning of the text.

Why is interactive read-aloud important?

As an instructional context, interactive read-aloud:

Allows readers to experience rich, interesting texts that are age- and grade-appropriate, regardless of their independent or instructional reading level

Provides a context for learning how to talk about texts with others

Builds a community of learners with shared literary knowledge

Expands knowledge, language, and vocabulary

Builds a foundation of mentor texts for reading and writing mini lessons.

"Interactive read-aloud is the foundation of a community that shares literary understandings through thinking and talking together." - Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell

What does interactive read-aloud look like?

Be sure all students are comfortably seated in the whole-group area and can easily see and hear the text being read aloud. Sit at the front while students are clustered facing you. Alternatively, have students sit on chairs in a horseshoe shape. Allow space for students to turn and talk to each other.
Structure of an interactive read-aloud lesson:

1. Introduce the text - Engage student interest and activate thinking.

2. Read the text - Stop a few times to invite thinking and a brief conversation. Students may turn and talk in pairs or threes, etc.

3. Discuss the text -Invite students to talk about the book. As students reflect on the meaning of the whole text, guide them toward some of the key understandings and main messages of the text.

4. Revisit the text (optional) - You may want to revisit the book (on the same day or on subsequent days) to reread it, or parts of it, so that students can notice more about how it is crafted and build a deeper meaning.

5. Respond to the text (optional) - Engage students in additional experiences to enhance their appreciation and interpretation of the text, e.g., writing about reading, art, drama, and inquiry-based projects.

Interactive read-aloud is the foundation for instruction in your classroom. It provides rich opportunities for every student to expand background knowledge, experience age-appropriate and grade-appropriate text, and learn a variety of ways to think deeply and use academic language to talk about an engaging text.

To learn more about the Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ Interactive Read-Aloud Collection, click the link below.
~The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Team Check out the entire "What is?" blog series:

What is Interactive Read-Aloud?
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Effective reading instruction involves a combination of powerful instructional settings. This post is the next in our "What is...?" series, where we define each instructional context that makes up a coherent literacy system. What is interactive read-aloud? Interactive read-aloud is a whole-group instructional context in which you read aloud a selected text to the whole class, occasionally and selectively pausing for conversation.

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Thought starters

1. How does each part of this lesson support students' reading comprehension?

2. What are the benefits of making read alouds interactive?

3. How does this lesson teach concepts of print?

Teachers

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Sandra Davis engages her students in an interactive read aloud of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. Ask Sandra reads the book, she asks students comprehension questions and explains new vocabulary. After reading, students engage in a dramatic reenactment of the story.

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Jan Richardson: Comprehension Skill Cards

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Jan Richardson: Comprehension Skill Cards

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout, and . I'm happy that you found your way here!

This is a library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to make sure that reading & learning can happen anywhere this spring. Some of you may be out of school as communities try to prevent the spread of a virus known as COVID-19. Here's a great page from NPR that explains what that's all about, in a kid-friendly comic. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds shares "How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town," a PSA for kids, on the StorySeeds podcast here. And this excellent & important post from author Laurie Halse Anderson does a great job explaining why we're seeing closings (and why that's important) for older readers.

Below, you'll find a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. If you'd prefer to browse learning-at-home resources by age group, my daughter Ella has put together the pages below, with even more resources, organized by grade level. (Thanks, Ella!)

Resources for grades PreK-2 (ages 3-7)
Resources for grades 3-5 (ages 8-10)
Resources for grades 6-8 (ages 11-13)
Resources for grades 9-12 (ages 14+)

Many teachers & librarians have also reached out to ask about permission to read books aloud to your students via closed platforms like Google Classroom, Zoom, and unlisted YouTube links. Individual publishers have been sharing their own guidelines for online read-alouds, and you'll find a round-up of those here.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE NEXT PRESIDENT: THE UNEXPECTED BEGINNINGS AND UNWRITTEN FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PRESIDENTS, illustrated by Adam Rex. Writing challenge: After the read-aloud, write your own presidential platform. What changes would you make to your country if you were in charge?

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of OVER AND UNDER THE POND, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal (shared with permission from Chronicle Books). After the read-aloud, look out your window - or step outside if you can - and see what hidden nature you notice!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE BRILLIANT DEEP: REBUILDING THE WORLD'S CORAL REEFS illustrated by Matt Forsythe. After the read-aloud, check out the Coral Restoration Foundation website. Learn more about the threats coral reefs are facing from NASA's Climate Kids page, and check out this page about how kids can help our oceans. Challenge: Make a poster or drawing to teach people about how we can all help coral and other sea creatures!

OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST, Kate's book with illustrator Christopher Silas Neal doesn't come out until August, but we got special permission to share an early read-aloud! After the story, check out this page with more information on the wildlife of Costa Rica, where Kate did most of the research for this book. Writing challenge: Write a short article to teach people about your favorite rainforest animal!

Tracey Baptiste, the author of The Jumbies series, shares a mini-lesson on comparative mythology. She talks through how creatures from different mythologies have traits in common and encourages kids to find those similarities in the mythologies they come across. She's also sharing some reading resources such as D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, The Element Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures, and her own Jumbies Field Guide available at her website.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares a read-aloud excerpt of her chapter book JASMINE TOGUCHI FLAMINGO KEEPER, along with a writing prompt (and a peek at a real daruma doll)!

Author Leah Henderson shares a first chapter read-aloud of her middle grade novel THE MAGIC IN CHANGING YOUR STARS. Writing Challenge: Find out who Ailey Benjamin Lane is named after. (Hint: His first name comes from an African-American dancer & choreographer with the initials A.A. His middle name comes from an African-American farmer & naturalist who searches out the stars and who created an almanac in 1792. This person's initials are B.B.) Who could they be?

Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner shares tips and techniques to help you draw ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor winning book The Night Diary, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, and The Phoebe G. Green series offers a diary writing prompt to help you get to know your characters and create an inspired story!

Author Jason Reynolds shares a read-aloud from his MG novel, GHOST. In this chapter, the main character talks about world records, so after the read-aloud, check out this page from the Guiness Book of World Records, with some records you can try to break at home!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from TRACKING PYTHONS: THE QUEST TO CATCH AN INVASIVE PREDATOR AND SAVE AN ECOSYSTEM. After the read-aloud, you can learn more about invasive species from National Geographic and the National Wildlife Foundation. Also check out this article from New York State Conservationist Kids!

Kate also shared this article about the python scientists, with photos and infographics.

Author & illustrator Grace Lin teaches viewers how to draw a Chinese Dragon and shares some tidbits about Chinese culture! You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Carole Lindstrom shares a read-aloud of WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS.

Author Jo Knowles reads from the first chapter of her MG novel WHERE THE HEART IS and offers students a fun writing exercise! For more about Jo and her books, or for teachers/book group guides that go along with her books, visit her website.

Kelley McMorris, who illustrates the RANGER IN TIME chapter book series, shares a video about how she illustrates a book cover. After you watch, try using Kelley's process to design a new cover for one of your favorite books!

Author and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi shares a read-aloud of her picture book WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, gives a drawing demo and challenges young readers to create their own imaginative squirrels, and shares a crowd-sourced "Where Are My Books?" music video. You can find lots of free, print-ready activities and other fun bonus info at https://www.debbieohi.com/wamb

Author Erin Entrada Kelly gives a peek into the notebooks for several of her novels, including HELLO, UNIVERSE. Writing challenge: What's in your notebook? Take a little time to write in it today, inspired by Erin's ideas!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of STRANDED. Writing challenge: Choose a wilderness setting of your own - the Arctic, the desert, the rainforest - and imagine you're stranded there. How will you survive? Write an imaginary journal documenting your adventure. Check out these wilderness survival skills from Outdoor Life for ideas!

Author Nikki Grimes shares poetry selections from WORDS WITH WINGS. Writing challenge: Try writing your own poem today, in the style of one of Nikki's read-alouds! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Ann Braden shares a read-aloud excerpt from THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS. Note: the octopus is a pretty amazing creature, so after the read-aloud, read up on them at this page from National Geographic Kids!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. After the read-aloud, read more about helpful insects here and check out these garden activities from KidsGarden!

Author Sarah Albee shares a STEM mystery, "Did the Doctor Do It?" as part of her series exploring the science and intrigue of poison throughout history. Check out more of Sarah's Poison videos here.

Middle grade and Young adult author, Paula Chase offers a mini-writing exercise to help students build stories around their unique traits.

Author Nancy Castaldo reads some of BACK FROM THE BRINK with tips how we can all use our voices through our writing to make a difference. Here's the link to the reader's guide for more activities.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares an early read-aloud excerpt of her upcoming MG novel KEEP IT TOGETHER KEIKO CARTER, along with a writing prompt!

Author & illustrator Grace Lin shares the first story from her early reader, "Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from RANGER IN TIME: RESCUE ON THE OREGON TRAIL. Writing challenge: Choose your favorite event in history and imagine how a search and rescue dog might be able to help out. Then so some research about your historical event, and write your own story about Ranger's adventures there!

Christina Soontornvat shares how she came up with the idea for her new middle grade fantasy novel, A WISH IN THE DARK. Writing challenge: Use Christina's model to brainstorm your own list of ideas for stories that might be inspired by a classic tale! And check out more videos from Christina here!

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her forthcoming middle grade novel-in-verse, BEN BEE AND THE TEACHER GRIEFER.

Author Mae Respicio reads a few pages from her upcoming middle grade novel, Any Day With You, and shares a quick, fun writing prompt. Writing challenge: Imagine you've been planning a beach day with your best friends. You're so excited to go but when you get there... everything goes wrong and not the way you expected it to! Describe what happens.

Author Elly Swartz shares tips on how to use the emotion in your life to create authentic characters! Writing challenge: Take a few minutes to journal about a day when you felt an especially strong emotion - joy or fear or excitement! How might you use those emotions in a fictional story?

Author Lisa Yee drinks water, reads the first chapter of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and fumbles when she comes across a couple of lines in Latin. Writing challenge: Try rewriting a scene from this chapter from the point of view of another character!

Award-Winning author Michelle Cusolito shares a writing mini-lesson to help writers add more sensory details to their writing. You can find more resources related to Michelle's book FLYING DEEP: CLIMB INSIDE DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE ALVIN here.

Author-illustrator Lita Judge shares a video about how a sketching trip inspired one of her picture books! After you watch, take your own mini-sketching trip. Go to your kitchen or your bedroom, your porch or your backyard, and sketch what you see. Observe closely!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from CHIRP, a mystery for kids that's set on a cricket farm! After the read aloud, you can learn more about entomophagy (eating insects as food!) from CBS Kids, and check out a real cricket farm's website!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a video mini-lesson on how to create a good beginning for a story!

And another video writing workshop from Chris, called Four Elements of Character. (This is an 8-minute video where you pause & write sometimes, so the full activity will take about half an hour. Recommended for writers ages 10 and up.)

Author Aisha Saeed shares a read-aloud of her picture book, BILAL COOKS DAAL, along with a related activity!

Author Emily Jenkins shares a read-aloud of A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG.

Author Lisa Schroeder shares a read-aloud excerpt from her MG novel MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS, along with a writing exercise!

Author Janet Fox shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of her MG novel THE ARTIFACT HUNTERS. Writing challenge: Try writing a short scene of your own in which something unexpected happens!

Author & illustrator Jess Keating shares some thoughts on where ideas for stories come from! (This is part of a series Jess shares on writing & you can find more on her YouTube channel.)

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE, co-written with James Paterson.

Poet Charles Waters shares poetry from DICTIONARY FOR A BETTER WORLD (by Charles Waters and Irene Latham)

Author Abby Cooper reads the first chapter of her middle grade novel, FRIEND OR FICTION.

Author Lynn Plourde shares some tips on starting an observation notebook!

Author-illustrator James Burks shares a video lesson on how to draw Squirrel from his graphic novel series, Bird and Squirrel!

Author Kristen Larson shares an engineering design activity based on her book WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane.

Author Liz Garton Scanlon shares a video lesson on writing am ETHEREE - a ten line poem in which each line is one syllable longer than the last.

Author-illustrator Karen Romano Young shares a video doodling tutorial. You can also check out Karen's #AntarcticLog comics, a weekly series of comics about Antarctica - as well as the Arctic and anyplace where climate change is being studied.

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her novel-in-verse, HOUSE ARREST. Mini-lesson: listen for as many poetic devices as you can find (metaphor, simile, assonance, hyperbole, etc.)

Author Jennifer Roy shares a video read-aloud from her historical novel YELLOW STAR, along with a writing prompt about looking for symbols of hope in tough times, recommended for ages 10 and up.

Author Laurel Snyder shares some thoughts on fiction and making up stories, along with a read-aloud of CHARLIE AND MOUSE OUTDOORS.

Author Caroline Starr Rose reads her picture book, A RACE AROUND THE WORLD: THE TRUE STORY OF NELLIE BLY AND ELIZABETH BISLAND. When you've finished listening, visit the article, How to Pack Like Pioneering Journalist Nellie Bly, Who Circumnavigated the Globe in 1889 with Just a Small Duffle Bag, to see what Nellie brought on her journey. Challenge: Plan your own trip around the world. What would you like to see? Where would you like to visit? Mark these places on a map.

Author Corinne Demas shares a read-aloud of THE DISAPPEARING ISLAND.

Author Lauren Tarshis shares a read-aloud of the first two chapters of I SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC. After the read-aloud, check out this link to read about Robert Ballard, the oceanographer whose team discovered the wreck of the Titanic more than seventy years after it sank.

Author & poet Nikki Grimes shares poems about one of her favorite cakes, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, along with five steps to creating your very own poem about your favorite food! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Sarah Aronson shares a read-aloud of JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG. And here's a FlipGrip page where kids can share their projects and ask questions.

Author Chelsea Clinton shares an excerpt from her book START NOW: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Author Bruce Hale shares a read aloud of BIG BAD BABY.

Writing Challenge: Write about the same experience in multiple ways (letters, poems, illustrations, and screenplay).

Bonus challenge: Write positive affirmations for your family members.

Author Sayantani DasGupta shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of THE SERPENT'S SECRET.

Author Deborah Underwood reads INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA (illustrated by Meg Hunt) and gives kids a mini-lesson on how to write their own fractured fairy tales.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT and answers questions from kids in a "Family Book Club" video recorded earlier this year (thanks to Read-Aloud Revival for making this recording publicly available for learning at home this spring!)

Author-illustrator Brian Biggs shares a read-aloud of his EVERYTHING GOES board books.

Author Jessica Young shares a read-aloud of HAGGIS AND TANK (illustrated by James Burks) with a mini-lesson on sound words.

Author-illustrator Brandon Reese shares a read-aloud of his picture book CAVE DADA. And here's a link to download a coloring page, too!

Here's a fun challenge from author Laurel Snyder ... She's written a brand new book, but doesn't have any pictures for it. Will you help? She'll read you the story of The Beastly Collective, and you'll draw your favorite animals, while she teaches you some brand new words!

Author Christine Evans shares a read-aloud of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, illustrated by Yasmin Imamura.

Author and illustrator Grace Lin shares a chapter from her book, The Year of the Dog. You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Grace Lin teaches families how to draw a dog from the number 5 (just like in The Year of the Dog!)

Amy Guglielmo, co-author of POCKET FULL OF COLORS shares a read-aloud of her picture book biography of Disney artist Mary Blair. Art challenge: Collect a rainbow of colorful objects inside or outside as a fun follow up activity. Take part in the "Rainbow Hunt," and draw a picture of a rainbow to post in your window for neighbors to see on their daily walks.

Author Kerry O'Malley Cerra demonstrates an easy tool students can use to summarize. This tip can also be used for writers as chapter checks!

Japanese American author, Kathleen Burkinshaw reads a chapter from her MG historical fiction, The Last Cherry Blossom based on events in her mom's life as a 12 yr old in Hiroshima during WWII. Also learn a little about her mom's favorite Japanese folk tale. You can find a Discussion Guide on her website www.kathleenburkinshaw.co

Newbery Award winning author Meg Medina shares a writing lesson on Creating Tension.

Kerry Madden shares a read-aloud of ERNESTINE'S MILKY WAY.

Author Buffy Silverman shares On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring and a little science show-and-tell.

Author Diane Zahler shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of The Marvelwood Magicians and a writing prompt.

Abigail Rayner shares a read-aloud of The Backup Bunny.

Michelle Cusolito reads aloud her book Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN (illustrated by Nicole Wong) while Jeff Angeley of Southcoast Lessons provides live musical accompaniment. You can find more resources related to Flying Deep here.

Author Meg Fleming shares a read-aloud of her picture book, Sometimes Rain.

S.K. Ali, co-author of THE PROUDEST BLUE, shares directions for making a paper boat.

The niece and nephew of Cedella Marley read her book, Get Up, Stand Up, a picture book adaptation of one of Bob Marley's beloved songs that has a timely message for children: To counter injustice, lift others up with kindness and courage.

Author Lisa Yee talks about Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and reads passages from the book. Writing prompt for today: Do you think boys and girls can be friends?

Would you rather be an #astronaut or #aquanaut? Perhaps you need more info to decide. Check out Jen Swanson's video below. Then make your choice and draw a picture of your suit!

Author Jo Watson Hackl Shows How to Take Your Reading to the Next Level by Exploring the Natural World of Your Characters.

Author Heather L. Montgomery reads-aloud chapters from SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL.

Author Heather Shumaker offers a weekly author chat called Fiction Friday. She shares tips and ideas for writing fiction, reads a short excerpt from her middle grade novel The Griffins of Castle Cary, adds in a mini writing lesson, a few corny jokes, and encouragement to young writers and readers.

Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about finding writing inspiration from your own family history (video is in English and then in Spanish).

Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of HOW TO READ A STORY, illustrated by Mark Siegel & shared with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Kimberly Derting shares a read-aloud of CECE LOVES SCIENCE with permission from HarperCollins.

Author & science teacher Anne Ruppert shares a try-it-at-home fingerprinting activity from SOLVE THIS: FORENSICS (by Kate Messner & Anne Ruppert, published by National Geographic)

Author Jacqueline West shares a read-aloud from The Shadows, volume one of her bestselling MG fantasy/mystery series The Books of Elsewhere, along with a writing activity for you (and possibly your pet!) that will help you think about character and dialogue. For more info and other videos, visit her website! www.jacquelinewest.com.

Author Carter Higgins shares a read-aloud of BIKES FOR SALE with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Deborah Underwood reads FINDING KINDNESS, illustrated by Irene Chan (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2019).

Author Melanie Crowder reads a chapter from her middle grade novel, Three Pennies, and shares a quick and easy craft to go with it. Writing Challenge: Think of one of your favorite books-does an animal make an appearance in the story? In Three Pennies, the author writes several chapters from the point of view of an owl (named Owl). Try to add a chapter to that favorite book you've got in mind, writing from the point of view of an animal in that story.

Author Cynthia Levinson reads The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Kids for permission.

Loree Griffin Burns, author of books like Citizen Scientists and the upcoming picture book You're Invited to a Moth Ball, shares her favorite book of all time: The Flora and Fauna of Hosmer Street. It's not a book she wrote, but rather one she made with her three kids. For one year, Loree, Sam, Ben, and Cat committed themselves to getting to know their animal neighbors; what they found surprised them. In this video, Loree show listeners a few of their best finds (garter snake! walking stick! a skeleton!), what they learned (the more you look, the more you see!) and, of course, how to start creating The Flora and Fauna of Your Place.

Many people have heard of the secret network that helped many enslaved blacks escape to freedom in the North called the Underground Railroad. But how many of you have heard about the Overground Railroad? Author Lesa Cline-Ransome reads from her book, The Overground Railroad, illustrated by her husband, James Ransome.

Author Kathleen Blasi reads HOSEA PLAYS ON, which depicts a day in the life of street musician Hosea Taylor, who made his community better, with his open-hearted giving. After the read-aloud, you can take a look at the newspaper article that inspired Kathleen to learn more about Hosea Taylor and served as the research springboard for HOSEA PLAYS ON.

Author Laya Steinberg reads her picture book THE BEST SUKKOT PUMPKIN EVER and shares a seed planting activity.

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of GHOST BOYS.

Roy Freeman shares a read-aloud of CORDUROY, written and illustrated by his father, Don Freeman.

Author Nancy Tupper Ling shares a read-aloud, along with a lesson on how to make a list poem about your favorite place in the world.

Author Sarah Scheerger reads her picture book, Mitzvah Pizza, and shares a story about the real-life pay-it-forward pizza place that inspired the story. Classroom activities for the story are found here.

Writing Lessons! Many families are using this time at home to work on writing projects that range from stories and poems to special interest research reports and even novels. Here are some craft lessons from authors to help with ideas & strategies!
Author Meg Medina shares a video lesson on creating tension. Author Jennifer Torres shares a mini-workshop on setting with a video and pages to download. Here's a lesson from author Paula Chase on writing dual points of view. Author Josephine Cameron shares creative writing tips about how choosing the perfect setting can help you shape the character, plot, and relationships in your story.
Additional Resources:

Want to see even more author & illustrator videos? Check out the Authors Everywhere YouTube channel, created by Susan Tan!

Check out STEM Tuesday from The Mixed of Files of MG Authors blog for weekly book lists, interviews, and activities.

Want to try writing some poetry today? Joyce Sidman shares an amazing collection of ideas to get you started.

Here's another poetry lesson from Kathryn Apel - writing a didactic cinquain!

If you're stuck at home, it's a great time to start a writer's notebook! Author & Poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has a whole collection of posts from different writers, called "Sharing Our Notebooks." Check it out -so many ideas here!

Author Madelyn Rosenberg shares a collection of writing prompts here.

Here's a collection of video mini-lessons from nonfiction author Melissa Stewart - great for teaching informational writing, including research, text features, text structure, rich language, voice, and revision.

Author & poet Laura Shovan shares a collection of poetry mini-lessons on her website!

The folks at Middle Grade at Heart share a list of MG novels with discussions questions & related activities here.

Author Victoria Coe has a playlist of writing lessons for kids with 25 lessons.

Author Sarah Darer Littman offers short readings and writing prompts on her website.

On the Kids Ask Authors podcast, you can hear author/illustrator Grace Lin and a guest author answer a kid question! Kids can submit their own book reviews, poems or jokes! https://www.kidsaskauthors.com Subscribe to the podcast here: http://ow.ly/8OPg30qr7WD

Erica S. Perl (@ericaperl) is doing a weekly Instagram live author event called "Winging It with Erica S. Perl" featuring read-alouds, writing prompts, and occasional shakings of a tail feather. Tune in every Tuesday at 2 pm EST and wish her good cluck!

The KidLit TV team, a group of diverse children's book authors and illustrators, has created a virtual library of FREE read aloud, drawing & writing tutorials, podcasts, art activities + reading resources for kids. https://kidlit.tv

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author & illustrator, shares daily drawing lessons on his YouTube channel.

Author Kathryn Hulick invites you to investigate a ghost story as a scientist, based on her book STRANGE BUT TRUE.

New Books to Check Out!

In case you're missing your weekly trip to the library or bookstore, we also want to let you know about some new books out this spring!

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Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President ; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics ; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout , and .

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What many do not realize is these exciting integrations have already been used for decades through Be GLAD® strategies. A Certified Be GLAD Teacher is on the path to transform their lessons into high level STEM lessons by implementing metacognition, collaboration, problem solving, and creativity as the main emphasis of learning.

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A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

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Kids who hear more words spoken at home learn more words and enter school with better vocabularies. This larger vocabulary pays off exponentially as a child progresses through school. It's never too soon to start talking to a baby - describing out loud everything that's going on around you.

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What the experts say about oral language:

The purpose of learning to read and write is to enable communication from a distance, but the language that facilitates reading begins as face-to-face communication.
~ Rollanda E. O'Connor

A learner's first language is the foundation for second language learning, an important tool for learning, and an important component of personal and cultural identity.
~ Elizabeth Coelho

English language learners may not have sufficient English to readily express complex ideas, so teachers must respond in ways that facilitate ELLs' efforts to share their thinking and contribute their voices to classroom communication.
~ Kathleen Mohr & Eric Mohr

Read more about oral language!

OVERVIEW of oral language

Knowing a language means following the rules of pronunciation and grammar and understanding the meaning of words and phrases in different contexts. Students must have this knowledge to be successful readers and writers, especially in the later grades. English language learners require time and support to develop the English-language abilities that are important for literacy.

TEACHING oral language

Teachers can support oral language development by reading aloud daily and creating situations, including storytelling, that give students a purpose for using precise and more complex language. For ELLs, teach the basic words and sentences needed to communicate, and use visual supports, songs, role-play, and games. Allow students to read and write in their home language when possible.

ASSESSING oral language

Observe and listen to your students. Do they demonstrate understanding? Do they express themselves using appropriate pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary? Can they communicate ideas effectively? Look at students' writing. Is there evidence that they distinguish between informal and formal language use? For all students, but for ELL students in particular, frame assessment in terms of progress over time.

Featured Videos

Theme-Based Pretend Play: Building Oral Language and More (Little Gardeners)

Mystery Bag: Developing Oral Language Skills in Pre-Kindergarten

Inspiring Charms: Scaffolding Oral Expression and Narrative Writing

All Oral Language & ELL Recipes

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The purpose of learning to read and write is to enable communication from a distance, but the language that facilitates reading begins as face-to-face communication. ~ Rollanda E. O'Connor A learner's first language is the foundation for second language learning, an important tool for learning, and an important component of personal and cultural identity.

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This section provides specific ideas and strategies to support ELLs' language and literacy development, such as tips for planning lessons and the use of language objectives, as well as broader approaches such as using informal assessment and differentiation for varying language levels.

What You'll Find in This Section

Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs). They will be useful for a wide range of audiences, including new and veteran teachers of ELLs, paraprofessionals, tutors, and administrators at the school and district level.
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

Each student comes to school not only with unique academic needs but also with unique background experiences, culture, language, personality, interests, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teachers recognize that all of these factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust, or differentiate, their instruction to meet students' needs.

Here are some strategies for differentiating instruction for your English language learners, as well as ideas for taking students' level of English language proficiency into account when planning instruction.

Need some help finding ways to help your English language learners? Read these inspirational stories about English language learners, teachers and paraprofessionals who have overcome obstacles standing to achieve success.

What's even better than a bright idea? A bright idea that works! Educators from across the country have discovered excellent ways to tackle some common classroom stumbling blocks. Below are their step-by-step suggestions on how to handle issues like the fourth-grade slump or the development of critical thinking skills.

Project-based learning (PBL) offers many benefits to English language learners (ELLs), including hands-on activities, peer interaction, rich language use, and a chance to explore personal interests.

ELLs may need some additional support or guidance in order to make the most of PBL, and the following resources share ideas on how to make it a successful experience for all students.

Designing instruction based on student strengths (what the student can do) provides an important foundation for success and offers opportunities to build upon those strengths in order to address areas where the student is struggling. Learn more about this approach from the following resources and videos.

Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs). They will be useful for a wide range of audiences, including new and veteran teachers of ELLs, paraprofessionals, tutors, and administrators at the school and district level.
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

Each student comes to school not only with unique academic needs but also with unique background experiences, culture, language, personality, interests, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teachers recognize that all of these factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust, or differentiate, their instruction to meet students' needs.

Here are some strategies for differentiating instruction for your English language learners, as well as ideas for taking students' level of English language proficiency into account when planning instruction.

Need some help finding ways to help your English language learners? Read these inspirational stories about English language learners, teachers and paraprofessionals who have overcome obstacles standing to achieve success.

What's even better than a bright idea? A bright idea that works! Educators from across the country have discovered excellent ways to tackle some common classroom stumbling blocks. Below are their step-by-step suggestions on how to handle issues like the fourth-grade slump or the development of critical thinking skills.

Project-based learning (PBL) offers many benefits to English language learners (ELLs), including hands-on activities, peer interaction, rich language use, and a chance to explore personal interests.

ELLs may need some additional support or guidance in order to make the most of PBL, and the following resources share ideas on how to make it a successful experience for all students.

Designing instruction based on student strengths (what the student can do) provides an important foundation for success and offers opportunities to build upon those strengths in order to address areas where the student is struggling. Learn more about this approach from the following resources and videos.

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This section provides specific ideas and strategies to support ELLs' language and literacy development, such as tips for planning lessons and the use of language objectives, as well as broader approaches such as using informal assessment and differentiation for varying language levels. Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs).

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All students should have access to the instruction, materials, and practice opportunities necessary for them to flourish as readers. For most students, coherent, structured reading foundational skills instruction is critical to unlock the code of written language. Below are planning resources to support the components of reading foundational skills instruction.

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The Melissa Institute
Literacy Website

The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and prevention of violence through education, community service, research support and consultation.

Did you know that 85% of youth in trouble with the law have reading difficulties?

The Institute's mission is to prevent violence and promote safer communities through education and application of research-based knowledge.

What is the connection between violence prevention and a literacy website?

Evidence shows that students who do not learn to read on level by 3rd grade are much more likely to develop low self-esteem, drop out of school, and engage in antisocial and aggressive behavior. To help prevent this spiral of failure The Melissa Institute has introduced The Balanced Literacy Diet website to support educators in developing effective and engaging literacy programs across the elementary grades.

The good news is that literacy failure is preventable!

With the support of The Melissa Institute this website was developed by university-based literacy experts and school-based practitioners - literacy specialists, classroom teachers as well as district and school administrators. The Balanced Literacy Diet framework is designed to provide a comprehensive multifaceted internet resource to support the development of research-informed reading and writing instruction in schools. It is a free website for use by educators everywhere.

Thank you...

We want to thank all of the generous contributors who have made the development of this website possible.

We also want to express a particular debt of gratitude to the many educators who have opened their hearts to this project and shared their time and expertise so that others can benefit from their wisdom.

We hope to continue to add to the website, so if you find it a useful resource we hope you will support us in our efforts to make it even better.

Donations to the Melissa Institute via credit card are possible through our Secure Server.

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BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Balanced Literacy Diet

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The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and prevention of violence through education, community service, research support and consultation. The Institute's mission is to prevent violence and promote safer communities through education and application of research-based knowledge.

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🕹️CUE Rockstar MBCUE Session 1: Emoji Writing
Session 2: Building Seesaw Activities Listen and Respond
Session 3: Fast and Curious

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I have been in education for over 15 years working with grades TK-2. I am now a literacy consultant focusing on balanced literacy, providing demonstration le...

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The quick shift to remote learning has fostered an abundance of resources for educators, parents and caregivers to lean on. These resources are helpful, but the volume alone can be overwhelming. Below is a resource roundup to help you navigate the options and find what you need, when you need it. It is important that we continue to engage children in daily opportunities that foster curiosity, creativity, movement and literacy learning. We suggest that you bookmark this blog as we will be adding links as they are available.

RESOURCE ROUNDUP
VIRTUAL READ-ALOUDS:
Listen in as authors and celebrities read aloud popular trade books.
DIGITAL LIBRARIES/AUDIOBOOKS:
Supplement and enrich children's at-home digital libraries with thousands of digital books.
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS, MUSEUM TOURS and WEBCAMS:
Send children around the state, country, and world with these digital experiences.
CREATIVITY, STEAM and MOVEMENT:
Stay active, create a doodle, play, imagine, build, experiment, and create with these resources.
COMMUNITY BUILDING: VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISITS: SPECIAL EDUCATION: OTHER CURATED REMOTE LEARNING RESOURCES:
CONNECT WITH US
NEW Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Blog Feature: Daily Remote Learning Tips
In light of teachers everywhere needing to initiate remote learning, we are providing daily tips for teachers and parents/caregivers. Check the fountasandpinnell.com homepage for a new tip daily, and view all the tips here.

Learn Along with other Heinemann Authors: A collection of links to online resources for educators and caregivers to support distance and virtual learning.

Thank you for your continued dedication to teaching and learning. We invite you to join the conversation and stay connected on the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Learning Group on Facebook.
~The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Team
...
Disclaimer: Sites included in this Resource Roundup are recommendations only - inclusion in this link pack is not an endorsement of the content or organization.

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A Remote Learning Link Pack from Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™

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The quick shift to remote learning has fostered an abundance of resources for educators, parents and caregivers to lean on. These resources are helpful, but the volume alone can be overwhelming. Below is a resource roundup to help you navigate the options and find what you need, when you need it.

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Esta es un sitio para que los estudiantes y los padres trabajen juntos para asegurar que el aprendizaje esté sucediendo en casa. Todo en esta sitio es gratis. Comparta, mezcle y reutilice los materiales según sea necesario, pero asegúrese de citar su fuente.

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Free 14-Day Trial

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Reading A-Z: The online reading program with downloadable books to print and assemble | Reading A-Z

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Award-winning reading solution with thousands of leveled readers, lesson plans, worksheets and assessments to teach guided reading, reading proficiency and comprehension to K-5 students

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Our themed reading adventure packs encourage hands-on fun, creativity, and learning centered around paired fiction and nonfiction books.

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en la semana correspondiente para acce sar los planes de estudios para los estudiantes sus Maestras de Oak Avenue Elementary School: Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Chavez, Ms. Mata, y Ms. Macias extranamos mucho!

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Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

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Wide Open School's mission lives on at Common Sense With schools back in person, we have closed this dedicated distance-learning site designed to guide families and educators through the sudden shift to remote learning. Discover More Great Resources for Families & Educators

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Resources for building and assessing student fluency to improve reading comprehension

This seven-step protocol outlines how to perform small group interventions for middle school and high school students reading below gra...

Grades 6-12

The activities in this weekly reading routine are designed to support growth in all three areas of reading fluency (accuracy, rate, and...

Grades K-12

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Resources for building and assessing student fluency to improve reading comprehension This seven-step protocol outlines how to perform small group interventions for middle school and high school students reading below gra... Grades 6-12 The activities in this weekly reading routine are designed to support growth in all three areas of reading fluency (accuracy, rate, and...

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Free printable mini books. Hundreds to pick from or make your own!

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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Sobrato Early Academic Language Model (SEAL)

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Sobrato Early Academic Language Model (SEAL)

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Scroll to SEAL ELD Videos

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Piloted within the Sobrato Family Foundation, the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) model works across multiple levels--- policy, research and practice-...

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Tulare County Office of Education

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Developing Language at Home rev 3.23.20.pdf

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Recently, I was sitting down At first, I thought the problem was 1-1 voice/print matching. But I sensed it was something more. We had been battling this for several weeks, and my prompts didn't seem to be working. with my Grade 1 Spanish intervention group, about to read Me Gusta el Futbol . We began the book orientation, and afterward, the first reading begins. What I observe of each reader is surprising; they were having the words run into one another. What was I missing? I went to my guidebook, Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals (Clay, 2015), in search of answers. This passage jumped out at me: " Make sure the child can hear a distinction or difference between two sounds or two words before you try to teach him to see the difference. Don't assume he can hear it. Start with large units, not the smallest ones, then separate some words out of phrases (heard or seen) or separate sounds or letters out of words " (Clay, 2016, p. 36)
Was it possible that my students were unable to see word boundaries because they did not hear them in their oral language? It was a theory worth exploring.
Clay's advice that we " Start with large units, not the smallest ones, then separate some words from phrases (heard or seen) or separate sounds or letters out of words " (p. 36), reminded me of a document I had come upon early on in my teaching career: A graphic organizer created by Emerald Dechant (1993). This graphic organizer identifies nine skills of phonological awareness and organizes them into three levels.

Because of the strong research-based correlation between phonemic awareness and literacy acquisition, early literacy instruction often focuses on phonemic awareness: a sub-skill of phonological awareness in which readers can distinguish each sound or phoneme in a word.

In the following paragraphs, I will share some of the things we did to develop word awareness and syllable awareness. Additionally, I will discuss the other essential sub-skills in phonological awareness: rhyming, initial consonant, alliteration, onset-rime, phonemic segmenting, blending, and manipulation.
Level 1: Building Awareness

One way to achieve word awareness is to have students tap the blank page in their writing journals for each word when planning their story. This helps them to distinguish words from other phonological units, such as syllables, and to anticipate the spacing of words on the written page. When the child taps the page three times for the word "perro," we say "Júntalo. Perro es una palabra. Un toque en la página." (Dog, together now, dog is one word. Tap the page).

Syllable awareness can be developed nicely during writing activities when we ask children to clap the syllables of words they want to write. The more claps, the longer the word! El día de mascotas is great title for this excercise because it features many words with multiple syllables: perros, gatos and veterinario. You can say to students, "todo eso se junta sin espacios. VE-TER-I-NA-RI-O." (All of this goes together with no spaces. Veterinarian.)

Level 2: Furthering Awareness

There is no shortage of activities for helping children begin to understand the concept of first letter sound and that many words begin with the same beginning sound. One of my favorites is Brinca para la P (Jump Up for P). Sing or recite a popular tongue twister or text that features a particular sound. Every time the child hears the 'P' sound, for example, he jumps. Another favorite are sound boxes, where a small boxes, such as a shoebox, that contain many objects that start with the 'P' sound.

After having the student read the rhyming sequence in Tierra (pictured), have them use rhyming words from the text to fill in the blanks in this phrase.

Zapato - rato - Las dos acaban con _____ (ato).

Mesa - limpieza - Las dos acaban con ____ (esa).

Level 3: Phonemic Awareness
In Level 3, we involve children in segmenting, blending, and manipulating the individual sounds of words, a subcategory of phonological awareness called phonemic awareness

You can have students practice putting sounds together by having them sing a song; it can be as easy as putting words together to the tune of "If You're Happy And You Know It," see an example of this below.

Two months later, my students are making good progress. Our work with phonological awareness is paying off. While they have periodic lapses in one to one correspondence related to multisyllabic words, they are now able to monitor with the knowledge that " Es una palabra larga con cuatro partes que van todas juntas " (This is a long word with four parts that all go together).

There is some question as to whether phonemic awareness is necessary for a highly syllabic language such as Spanish, and more research is needed (Denton, et al. 2000 ) Even so, much research points to a strong correlation between phonological awareness and reading acquisition in Spanish. My personal experience corroborates this as I have seen clear benefits of using phonological awareness training for Spanish speaking readers first-hand.

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Carla has been a teacher and staff developer in the field of bilingual education for 30 years. She has taught Kindergarten, Grade 1 and 2 in Wisconsin through the Milwaukee Public Schools Spanish Immersion and Dual-language Immersion programs. During this time she also worked at a national consultant for The Wright Group/McGraw Hill providing PD throughout the United States on balanced literacy in monolingual and bilingual programs. It was here that she first met Mrs. Wishy Washy, The Meanies, Dan the Flying Man, The Hungry Giant and the whole collection of Joy Cowley's fascinating characters! Currently, Carla is the Reading Recovery - Descubriendo La Lectura Teacher Leader in Waukesha Wisconsin.

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Developing Phonological Awareness in Emergent Spanish Readers (K-1)

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By Carla Bauer-Gonzalez, Reading Recovery Teacher, Guest Blogger Recently, I was sitting down with my Grade 1 Spanish intervention group, about to read Me Gusta el Futbol. We began the book orientation, and afterward, the first reading begins. What I observe of each reader is surprising; they were having the words run into one another.

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As a literacy interventionist, the phrase "sound it out" is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Although it is often used with good intentions from well-meaning teachers or parents trying to support their early readers, it implies several things about reading that are not true: that how a word looks is the only (or most important) source of information to use when reading, and that solving words using visual information is as easy as making a sound for each letter. In this post, I'll teach how to support young readers as they try to make sense of the visual code.

Since reading is a message-getting, problem-solving activity (Clay 2016, 5), a child learning to read learns to use many sources.

They keep meaning at the forefront by looking at the pictures, thinking about their personal experiences, and activating their background knowledge around a topic or theme.

They use their understanding of our language, anticipating what types of words could come next, and thinking of how stories work.

Finally, they look to the print on the page and try to determine unknown words. This can be an overwhelming task for a young reader as they start to become aware of the nuances in the English language.

4 Strategies for Improving How Readers Scaffold Visual Information: Here are some ways you can teach readers to scaffold visual information that will help them notice and use patterns in words.

1. Working with CVC Words

For help with the sound of a regular CVC word ( like sun or had), encourage the child to say it slowly and think about what would make sense. Here is an example from my own experience working with a student named Sam. When Sam came to the word ' had', he predicted the word ' laid', but then noticed it didn't look right. He reread the sentence and stopped at the word ' had.' I prompted him to reread, think what else might make sense, and say the tricky word slowly. He then articulated the h, then the a, and was able to quickly say ' had.' Rereading and saying the word slowly helped him integrate the visual information with meaning.

Do NOT allow the child to say it letter by letter in a choppy fashion; it should be smooth and not splitting every sound.

Teach them to keep one sound going with their mouth until they switch to the next sound.

They need to be blending those sounds together with their voice in a smooth way to help the ear.

Hearing each sound in a short, staccato blip makes it nearly impossible for the young ear to blend into a word.

2. Reading Compound Words
For a compound word or a word with two known parts ( into, cannot, looking), ask the child to look for a part they know; once they locate it, have them say the first part, then the next part. If they do not notice it is two known words, use your finger to mask the end and reveal the first known part to the child, and then slide your finger over to reveal the second known part.

3. Teaching Words with Vowel Pairs

For a word with a vowel pair unknown to the child, or an irregular spelling pattern ( in words like tough, bear, or bought), you will need to provide the child with the information since it's unknown. Say, "Find the part that says _____and use it to help yourself." For example, if the child came to the word bought, you would expect them to at least articulate the b. When they stop, you would say, "Find the part that says ought (use the sound, not the letters) and use it to help yourself." The child is then responsible for looking for that part and blending it back with the t to solve the word.
4. Working with Other Complex Words
For a word that has a part from another known word ( such as silly, which has the -ill part known from the word will), encourage the child to look for a part they know. Once they find it, prompt them to use that part to help solve the word. If they can't locate the part, but you know they already know the helper word ( like will), you can prompt, "Find the part you know from will and use it to help yourself."

You will notice that all of these strategies still require the child to be doing some work: noticing, locating, articulating, blending, and checking on their attempt. Scaffold as needed until the child develops more of an awareness of patterns and parts in our orthography. Would a child know how to read a word like "bought" if you didn't supply them with the unknown bit? They would never expect that combination of letters to make those sounds, making it impossible to "sound out."

Research by Elizabeth Kaye (2006) demonstrated that proficient readers use many different ways of taking words apart and do not limit themselves to one way of solving words. They do not sound out words letter by letter but instead, look for useful parts or chunks. With scaffolds like those above, your little readers will learn to become flexible with how they solve words instead of relying only on the "sound it out" strategy. That flexibility will help them become efficient readers, being able to take words apart in a continuous text quickly.

Beth has been teaching for seventeen years. She has taught kindergarten, third , and fourth grades in Wisconsin. For the last six years, she has been a literacy interventionist and Reading Recovery teacher and loves spending her days helping her students develop and share her love of reading.

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As a literacy interventionist, the phrase "sound it out" is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Although it is often used with good intentions from well-meaning teachers or parents trying to support their early readers, it implies several things about reading that are not true: that how a word looks is the only (or most important) source of information to use when reading, and that solving words using visual information is as easy as making a sound for each letter.

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Hameray Publishing helps teachers foster a love of reading with leveled books and big books in English and Spanish for guided reading and shared reading.

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From 2004 to 2010, a team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently. Students can complete the activities in small groups, pairs, or individually.

Accompanying these Student Center Activities is a Teacher Resource Guide that offers important insights on differentiated instruction and how to use the Student Center materials.

Component

Name of the reading component: Phonological Awareness (PA), Phonics (P), Fluency (F), Vocabulary (V), or Comprehension (C). Each component is color coded: PA is purple, P is orange, F is red, V is green, C is blue.

Subcomponent

Name of the reading subcomponent, which is a subskill of the component.

Activity Name

Activity Number

The letters correspond with the reading component (PA, P, F, V, or C). The numbers are listed in ascending order within each component. The activities are sequenced from simple to more complex within each component and subcomponent.

Student Icon

The suggested number of students for the activity. One student icon indicates that students may work independently or with a small group. Two student icons indicate that the activity requires students to work in pairs. Two student icons with a plus sign indicate that the activity requires two or more students.

Objective

States the goal of the activity, which is aligned with the subcomponent.

Materials

Materials are located on the pages that follow the Activity Plan. Most materials are non-consumable to be prepared and used repeatedly (e.g., word cards can be laminated). Some materials are consumable and will need to be duplicated for each student doing the activity. Other materials, such as counters, are commonly found in most classrooms.

Activity Statement

One sentence explanation of the purpose of the activity and what students do to complete the activity.

Activity Steps

The first step describes how to setup the center. The second step begins with: The student, Students, Working in pairs, or Taking turns depending on the number of students needed to complete the activity. The second step also starts the series of steps to complete the activity. The next steps explain what the student does to complete the activity. The last step lists one of three accountability methods: Self-check, Peer evaluation, or Teacher evaluation.

Example

A visual of the activity and key materials.

Extensions and Adaptations

Suggestions that extend or provide an adaptation for additional practice on the skill addressed in the activity. Materials for the extensions and adaptations are included after the pages that align to the Activity Plan.

Users may use the FCRR Student Center Activities resources as long as modifications are not made, the resources will only be used for non-profit educational purposes, and the copyright belong jointly to the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Center for Reading Research. These resources may not be used for any commercial purposes. These resources on our site may be linked to but not reposted, reproduced, modified, or copied to other sites. For questions about the use of these resources, please contact The Florida Center for Reading Research at fcrr@fcrr.org.

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From 2004 to 2010, a team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently.