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The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems. Featuring Peter Sokolowski

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The Smithsonian's National Zoo is committed to supporting teachers, students and families around the globe as they face unprecedented new learning challenges. We are actively developing new materials to help learners of all ages respond to this challenging period, so check back frequently.

Below, you will find resources to engage learners in grades pre-K to 12 with science, the natural world, wildlife and conservation.

Follow That Bird

A middle school science and technology curriculum unit that teaches core science concepts through student exploration of bird tracking tools, the data Smithsonian scientists collect with these tools, and how this information is used to support wildlife conservation.

Target age: Lessons meet Next Generation Science Standards for middle school.

Bridging the Americas

This cross-cultural environmental education program connects elementary students from North America and Latin America through the shared observation and enjoyment of local birds. To access online teacher resources, use password bta4teachers.

Target age: Open to grade 2, 3 and 4 classrooms in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

Wildlife Career Videos

"Other Duties As Assigned: the Secret World of Zoo Jobs" is a series of four playful videos that show you what it really means when you say "I want to work at a zoo." In each video a different staff member takes you behind the scenes of his or her job and answers questions from curious students.

Target age: Early middle school; can be enjoyed by any grade.

Online Zoo Highlights Tour

We look forward to welcoming you back to the Zoo in person soon, but until then, take a virtual visit to the Smithsonian's National Zoo with our online tour that offers interactive features to help you learn more about the incredible animals in our care.

Target age: All grades. Available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese.

ZooCrew Family Guide

This educational activity booklet will engage children and adults together in learning about the different animals at the Smithsonian's National Zoo with games, activities, animal facts and stories about Zoo scientists at work!

Target age: Pre-K to grade 6. Also available in Spanish.

eMammal

Lesson plans for middle school and high school educators and games and activities for animal lovers of all ages, using camera trap images of wildlife across the globe!

Target age: Middle and high school; some games and activities appropriate for younger grades.

Bird Migration Game

Help Wanda the Wood Thrush travel from her winter home in Costa Rica to her summer home in Maryland.

Target age: Grades K-5
Play the Migration Game
Bird Nest Identification

Can you name the nester? Use the research hints to analyze nest photos and discover which bird built the pictured nest.

Target age: Middle and high school

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Educational Activities You Can Do at Home

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The Smithsonian's National Zoo is committed to supporting teachers, students and families around the globe as they face unprecedented new learning challenges. We are actively developing new materials to help learners of all ages respond to this challenging period, so check back frequently.

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Communication in Babies and Toddlers: Milestones, Delays, and Screening

By: First Words Project, Florida State University

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Communication in Babies and Toddlers: Milestones, Delays, and Screening

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Did you know that a baby's brain is developing the most rapidly during the first two years of life? These early years offer a critical window of opportunity, like no other time, to launch language early and get a jump start on school success. Learn the milestones that develop from 1-24 months.

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FREE during the COVID-19 national emergency

Learning Ovations is responding to the national crisis created by COVID-19 and a specific request from the U.S. Department of Education and Institute of Education Sciences by introducing the LEARNING OVATIONS Home Literacy Coach (appropriate for all students grades K to 3).

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What It Does

Our research shows that every child needs different amounts of different types of literacy instruction when learning to read. Home Literacy Coach balances the amount and type of instruction to ensure a customized plan for each child.

Home Literacy Coach breaks down literacy activities into four areas.

Adult and Child: Phonics, Spelling and Fluency

These activities help students decode letters and sounds into speech to "crack the code" of reading.

Activities include: Teaching students the recommended activities, identifying sounds and letters, sounding out words, and spelling.

Independent Practice: Phonics, Spelling and Fluency

Student should spend time practicing these skills independently.

Activities include: Completing the recommended activities after adult instruction, matching letters and sounds, playing word games or practicing spelling.

Adult and Child: Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Writing

These activities help students understand the content of what is being read and build their language, vocabulary, writing and comprehension skills.

Activities include: Teaching students the recommended activities, reading to students, discussing the meaning of new words and summarizing books they read.

Independent Practice: Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Writing

Student should spend time practicing these skills independently.

Activities include: Completing the recommended activities after adult instruction, reading books either aloud or on their own, illustrating stories they've read, writing, or summarizing stories.

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Our research shows that every child needs different amounts of different types of literacy instruction when learning to read. Home Literacy Coach balances the amount and type of instruction to ensure a customized plan for each child. Home Literacy Coach breaks down literacy activities into four areas.

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Voice Dream Reader lets you listen to PDFs, Web pages, and books using text-to-speech. Featured by Apple as Best New App and App of the Day in 81 countries. Download now to start your free trial today!

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On-Demand Webinars

During this unprecedented time, Really Great Reading increased our remote webinar schedule and have now made them available on-demand. We are offering webinars on Continuing Phonics Suite Instruction and Assessing students in Distance Learning Environments, Erasing the Misery of Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words, Bringing the Science of Reading to Life in the Classroom, Grouping Matrix Advanced Exploration, as well as advanced Implementation trainings on Countdown, Blast, HD Word and Boost/Blitz. Please spread the word and feel free to register for any and all of our FREE webinars.

Distance Learning

Diagnose & Group Students

Why use the Diagnostic Decoding Surveys?

In just 5-7 minutes, answer these key questions: Which students are struggling with decoding? What types of words are they struggling with? What is the source of the underlying confusion?

Kindergarten Foundational Skills Surveys & the Grouping Matrix - a detailed look at how to assess Kindergarteners, group them based on their pre-decoding/decoding skills, and measure their progress.

1st Grade Foundational Skills Surveys & the Grouping Matrix - a detailed look at how to assess 1st Grade students, group them based on their decoding skills, and measure their progress during this critical year.

2nd-12th Diagnostic Decoding Surveys & the Grouping Matrix - a detailed look at how to assess 2-12th grade students, group them based on their decoding skills, and measure their progress as they progress through the grade(s).

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During this unprecedented time, Really Great Reading increased our remote webinar schedule and have now made them available on-demand. We are offering webinars on Continuing Phonics Suite Instruction and Assessing students in Distance Learning Environments, Erasing the Misery of Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words, Bringing the Science of Reading to Life in the Classroom, Grouping Matrix Advanced Exploration, as well as advanced Implementation trainings on Countdown, Blast, HD Word and Boost/Blitz.

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Partnering to Reach Every Learner

Together with the International Dyslexia Association Ontario Branch (IDA Ontario), we're providing opportunities to learn about ways to empower inclusive and accessible learning environments that inspire confidence and encourage independence for all learners. Explore our Discovering Dyslexia series of webinars, resources and events focused on supporting students with Dyslexia and other learning differences.

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The future is boundless | Microsoft Education

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Together with the International Dyslexia Association Ontario Branch (IDA Ontario) , we're providing opportunities to learn about ways to empower inclusive and accessible learning environments that inspire confidence and encourage independence for all learners. Explore our Discovering Dyslexia series of webinars, resources and events focused on supporting students with Dyslexia and other learning differences.

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*Learn how to get your free lessons at the bottom of this article.

GoPeer's Collaborative Virtual Classroom

GoPeer.org pairs vetted college students who attend top-tier universities with students between the ages of 5-18 for 1-to-1 tutoring lessons.

Not only can a near-peer mentor provide personalized, up-to-date academic guidance, but also he or she can do so with the empathy that only someone who has recently been in the student's shoes can provide.

What truly sets GoPeer apart is our instructors. We're extremely selective - we hire fewer than 5% of applicants, and our tutors come from top-tier colleges & universities. We believe that GoPeer's instructors are the best in their field and provide mentorship that other tutors don't offer.

You can view the qualifications & experience of available GoPeer Tutors at GoPeer.org.
Whether a student needs help with homework, studying for an exam, SAT/ACT test prep, or simply wants to learn something new - the way GoPeer Tutors teach helps students build confidence, master concepts, and apply their learnings for long-term success.
GoPeer's Innovative Approach to Tutoring

At GoPeer, we know that no two students learn the same way! Some students are visual learners who process information with help from images and spatial relations. Other students may prefer to talk through concepts to understand them. No matter how they prefer to learn, we believe that every student deserves 1-on-1 personalized instruction tailored to their needs.

This belief is a GoPeer cornerstone and a North Star that guides the development of our teaching methods and technology.

Growth mindset

GoPeer Tutors use encouraging language to promote Growth Mindset, a concept pioneered by Stanford professor and leading motivation researcher Carol Dweck, PhD. Growth Mindset is the idea that we grow and better ourselves by learning from mistakes because a positive and supportive learning environment helps students do their best.

Socratic method

GoPeer Tutors ask guiding questions so that students take a more active role in reaching solutions. There's a misconception that strong teaching is someone explaining something at you. We believe a collaborative approach rooted in Socratic inquiry is crucial for that long-term understanding.

Learning, not cheating
Of course, these are just a few of the ways in which supports personalized, one-on-one learning.
GoPeer Tutors do not just give away answers. Instead, tutors utilize the Socratic Method and encouraging language to help students learn concepts so that they can confidently apply them long-term - on homework, tests, and in their future classes.
We often speak with families who are skeptical about online tutoring, but once they try it, the students typically love it and see great results.
Over the last three years, we have met and spoken with thousands of tutors and students to carefully refine our virtual classroom. From the insights learned, we have created the most versatile digital classroom that makes online tutoring personalized, effective, and collaborative.

With GoPeer, an online tutor offers the same face-to-face personalized tutoring experience as an in-person tutor but uses our state-of-the-art live learning platform to meet with you over the Internet.

You might not know the specifics of exactly what happens during a private online tutoring lesson, so we wanted to describe our classes to make sure you understand what your student will experience!

During the Lesson
Students and tutors communicate through GoPeer's secure online classroom, using tools like real-time face-to-face video conferencing, photo/document sharing, and a virtual whiteboard/notepad to collaborate or edit essays.
GoPeer's proprietary live learning platform features a secured online classroom, face-to-face video conferencing, virtual whiteboards and saved lessons for easy review and reference.

In the online classroom, both the student and tutor can take control of the learning environment or annotate the screen - this means that the tutor can type out examples, help the student navigate to a particular tool or highlight where in the workspace the student should look for errors - all without switching seats. With GoPeer, students can move at their own pace with the personalized attention of their instructor.

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Students From Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley Give Free Tutoring To K-12 Students

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GoPeer.org pairs vetted college students who attend top-tier universities with students between the ages of 5-18 for 1-to-1 tutoring lessons. Not only can a near-peer mentor provide personalized...

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Decoding Dyslexia Rhode Island - Assistive Technology

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Teachers, it will be very important to make a virtual experience inclusive to diverse learners and families who do not speak English as their primary language. The tools below can help you translate your communication and remove language barriers to meet the unique needs in your classroom.

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Mathshare is a free, open source, and accessible education tool that helps students show and organize their math work.

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books and workbooks grammar and writing workshops | trainings teaching aids classroom sets games gift certificates proceeds to charity multisensory learning beginning reading morphology free downloads o-g multisensory bundles sight words online learning student kit ecommerce

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Kendore Learning Store : Free Downloads - Books and Workbooks Grammar and Writing Workshops | Trainings Teaching Aids Classroom Sets Games Gift Certificates Proceeds to Charity Multisensory Learning Beginning Reading Morphology Free Downloads O-G Multisensory Bundles Sight Words Online Learning Student Kit ecommerce, open source, shop, online shopping, store

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Depth of Oral Language

This chart can be used to demonstrate the idea of words with similar meanings but different intensities. Students can sort these words for "problem" into three piles: big problems, little problems, medium problems.
Open/Download Depth of Oral Language Chart (PDF)

Diamante and Cinquain: Two Poetry Forms for Teaching

Games

Grammar

Identify parts of speech from a picture.

Handwriting

These stroke descriptions aid in the formation of cursive letters.
Lower Case Cursive Trace and Copy Pages
Cursive Stroke Descriptions
Handwriting: Letters Grouped by Approach Strokes

Hints from Hailey

"Hints from Hailey" is a series of videos that dives in to each component of Neuhaus Reading Readiness (RR), Accurate and Automatic Reading (AAR), and Oral Language and Listening Comprehension (OLLC). These short video clips are intended for teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators who have already been trained by Neuhaus instructors and are seeking to improve their knowledge and use of Neuhaus curriculum so that students will become successful readers.
How to use Hints from Hailey Start the Year Off Right! Accurate and Automatic Reading Videos Oral Language and Listening Comprehension Videos
Scientific Spelling Videos

Instructional Charts - small

These small versions of the classroom charts are sized for use with small groups of students. All of the files below are sized for 8.5 in. by 11 in. cardstock. The Neuhaus instruction these are used for include: Accurate and Automatic Reading, Basic Language Skills, Language Enrichment, Multisensory Reading and Spelling, Reading Readiness, Scientific Spelling, Structured Handwriting, and Written Composition.

The Layers of English

This display is a visual for teaching the history of English and the languages that contributed to English as it is today.

Mastery Checks - Accurate and Automatic Reading

Mastery Checks - Basic Language Skills

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check II

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check III

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check IV

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check V

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check VI

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check VII

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check VIII

Basic Language Skills Mastery Check IX

Mastery Checks - Language and Literacy for Young Learners

Mastery Checks - Language Enrichment

Language Enrichment Mastery Check II

Language Enrichment Mastery Check III

Language Enrichment Mastery Check IV

Language Enrichment Mastery Check V

Language Enrichment Mastery Check VI

Language Enrichment Mastery Check VII

Language Enrichment Mastery Check VIII

Language Enrichment Mastery Check IX

Mastery Checks - Reading Readiness

Naming Screening and Benchmarks

Question Starters for Deeper Thinking

These are examples of question starters that encourage students to delve more deeply into what they have read and make deeper connections. These question starters were compiled by Elizabeth Sledge, and based on research by Benjamin Bloom and Robert J. Marzano.
Open/Download pdf copy of Question Starters

Rapid Recognition Chart Generator

Enter a list of six words, letters, sounds, or Final Stable Syllables, and generate 5 Rapid Recognition charts to use with your students. To use the Rapid Recognition Chart as an assessment, time the number of student readings of the chart within one minute.
Open/Download Rapid Recognition Chart Generator (Requires Microsoft Excel)
Save a copy: right click on the link and select save as...

RTI Powerpoint Slides for Presentations

This presentation on the history and purpose of Response to Intervention are for use by teachers and administrators for professional development, courtesy of Mary E. Dahlgren, Ph. D.

RTI pdf's for Teachers and Administrators

Practical and "do-able" strategies for meaningful screening, meticulous progress monitoring, and rich resources for effective intervention were taken from the workshop, Really Terrific Information on Response to Intervention, Mary E. Dahlgren, Ph. D., at Neuhaus Education Center, July 7-8, 2010.

Scaffold Cards for Independent Reading

After students have developed good metacognitive thinking skills for reading, question generation guided by these cards and careful teacher modeling can aid independent reading in both narrative and expository text.

Scaffolding Cards for Narrative Text

Scaffolding Cards for Expository Text

Silly Cats are O.K.

Silly Cats are O.K. is a mnemonic for the elements of a story. Use this fun form to help your students summarize any narrative.

Spelling Word Analysis Chart

Word Analysis Chart for analyzing spelling words for regularity, irregularity or those that follow spelling rules

Spelling Inventories

Use these inventories to analyze the spelling needs of students.

Spelling Inventory Class Rosters

Use these rosters to record your class spelling data.

Stories for Making Inferences

Story Map

The Story Map offers another method for summarizing narratives.

Story Retelling Pictures

Story Retelling Rubric

Rubric for evaluating story retelling

Syllable Division Steps

Use these steps to guide syllable division and help students read longer words with ease.

Text Complexity

Use this guide to evaluate text complexity of both literary and infomrational text so that you can scaffold student understanding of complex text.

Word Bingo

Enter a list of 24 words and generate 22 unique bingo cards and a scrambled list of your words. Great for word origin and parts of speech practice. Word Bingo is an activity in Multisensory Grammar.
Open/Download Word Bingo Card Generator (Requires Microsoft Excel)

Word Profiles

Word profiles including syllables, phonemes, letters, graphemes, syllable types, origin, derivatives and figurative language can be used with the passages from Practices for Developing Accuracy and Fluency or as a guide for general vocabulary building.

Word profile form for in depth study of words and keeping your own personal dictionary

Words for Webs

This is a list of suggested semantic webs, multiple meaning webs, and derivative webs to be used in conjunction with stories in Practices for Developing Accuracy and Fluency. Print the Word Web Wizard , and use it with web forms from Developing Metacognitive Skills.

Word Webs and Charts

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This chart can be used to demonstrate the idea of words with similar meanings but different intensities. Students can sort these words for "problem" into three piles: big problems, little problems, medium problems. Open/Download Depth of Oral Language Chart (PDF) Identify parts of speech from a picture.

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MindPlay is your learning partner making online reading and math accessible for learning for ages K-12. Our adaptive technology helps students advance quickly

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What It Does

Our research shows that every child needs different amounts of different types of literacy instruction when learning to read. Home Literacy Coach balances the amount and type of instruction to ensure a customized plan for each child.

Home Literacy Coach breaks down literacy activities into four areas.

Adult and Child Phonics, Spelling and Fluency

These activities help students decode letters and sounds into speech to "crack the code" of reading.

Activities include: Teaching students the recommended activities, identifying sounds and letters, sounding out words, and spelling.

Independent Practice: Phonics, Spelling and Fluency

Student should spend time practicing these skills independently.

Activities include: Completing the recommended activities after adult instruction, matching letters and sounds, playing word games or practicing spelling.

Adult and Child Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Writing

These activities help students understand the content of what is being read and build their language, vocabulary, writing and comprehension skills.

Activites include: Teaching students the recommended activities, reading to students, discussing the meaning of new words and summarizing books they read.

Independent Practice: Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Writing

Student should spend time practicing these skills independently.

Activities include: Completing the recommended activities after adult instruction, reading books either aloud or on their own, illustrating stories they've read, writing, or summarizing stories.

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Our research shows that every child needs different amounts of different types of literacy instruction when learning to read. Home Literacy Coach balances the amount and type of instruction to ensure a customized plan for each child. Home Literacy Coach breaks down literacy activities into four areas.

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ReadWorks.org | Solving the Reading Comprehension Crisis

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Susanne Nobles, Ph.D, ReadWorks' Director of Teaching & Learning and remote learning expert will host a free webinar to share effective and research-based strategies along with completely free resources that may help in these challenging times.

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Susanne Nobles, Ph.D, ReadWorks' Director of Teaching & Learning and remote learning expert will host a free webinar to share effective and research-based strategies along with completely free resources that may help in these challenging times.

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Whizzimo.com | Orton-Gillingham | Phonics | Digital Teaching Platform

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Although I was familiar with Orton Gillingham as a phonics-based program, I had no idea how it worked or how helpful it would be, not only for struggling readers, but also as a means to teach general education students. The process is simple and fun to learn and David Katz is a wonderful teacher. I took a bright, six year old child who could only read the letters I and M and the number 5 to knowing each letter, its sounds and reading simple 3 letter words in just a few months. Her self-esteem, which had suffered, has sky-rocketed! To this end I am ever grateful I took this course. It will save many childrens' lives who would otherwise drown in a sea of letters. David Katz is the most dedicated educator I have ever met.

- Christine Cuthbertson, M.Ed., LDT-C

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Although I was familiar with Orton Gillingham as a phonics-based program, I had no idea how it worked or how helpful it would be, not only for struggling readers, but also as a means to teach general education students. The process is simple and fun to learn and David Katz is a wonderful teacher.

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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.

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In this 2-hour webinar you will be introduced to the signs and symptoms of dyslexia and learn about many popular myths. We will cover the scientific research and discuss the remediations supported by research. We will also discuss current accommodations available to children and adults with dyslexia.
More Info / Sign Up

This 90 minute webinar is now available for free! In conjunction with Learning Ally we are pleased to offer this webinar to help you learn the basics of Special Ed Law at it relates to dyslexia. This webinar will give you an overview of: Individuals with Disabilities and Education Act (IDEA), IEPs, 504′s, appropriate accommodations, letter writing, receiving appropriate services and interventions, dispute process and resolution - as they all relate to a student with dyslexia.
Watch Webinar

In this two hour webinar you will be introduced to the signs and symptoms of dyslexia and learn about many popular myths. You will be introduced to different approaches to help students with dyslexia improve their reading and spelling. We will also discuss current accommodations available to children and adults with dyslexia.
More Info / Sign Up

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In this 2-hour webinar you will be introduced to the signs and symptoms of dyslexia and learn about many popular myths. We will cover the scientific research and discuss the remediations supported by research. We will also discuss current accommodations available to children and adults with dyslexia.

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Lesson Plans

Activating Background Knowledge Elementary and Middle School Example Lesson Plans

These plans use a famous speech (middle school) and a children's book on frogs (elementary school) as texts and t-chart graphic and semantic web graphic organizers to teach background knowledge. Related blog post.

Sentence Expanding Elementary and Middle School Example Lesson Plans

These plans provide guided and independent practice on adding details to expand simple sentences. Each plan contains a notes page, a words and phrases bank, and a practice sheet. Related blog post.

Teacher Methods

Revised Bloom's Taxonomy Anchor Chart

This anchor chart ( Vanderbilt University Teaching Center, 2016) illustrates and describes the levels of the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (Anderson & Kratwohl, 2010). Both students and teachers can use this resource.

Sample Plan for Timed Writing Sessions

This plan introduces picture-word prompts for practicing writing fluency and modeling how to use them for one-on-one and small-group instruction. Also includes providing students with feedback and progress monitoring. Related blog post.

Example Fidelity Rubric

An example of a fidelity rubric that addresses both structural and procedural fidelity at the global and lesson-specific levels. Note that this example rubric is not intended to be used as an actual fidelity rubric because it does not correspond with a specific intervention.

Problem-Solution Text Map Rubric

Spell the Word

This handout for practicing reading and spelling words with consonant digraphs contains pictures and partially spelled words that contain either the ch or sh digraph. Students will fill in the blank with the correct digraph to complete the spelling for the word that names what is shown in the picture above it.

Consonant Digraph Cards

Cards that can be printed and used as part of a lesson teaching students to read, say, and spell words that have consonant digraphs. These cards feature the consonant digraphs ch and sh.

Reading Graphic Organizers

Word Box Template

A graphic organizer designed to help students determine which letters represent the sounds heard in a given word. A graphic representing the word is provided with blank spaces for each sound to be filled in. Both a three-space and six-space word box are included.
Word Box Template
Bookmarks and Book Inserts

English Language Facilitation Guides

Parent-Teacher Communication

Collaborator Contribution

Family Letters for Schools

The Iowa Department of Education provides letter templates and other documents to assist with implementation of the state's early literacy laws. The letters are intended to assist schools in communicating with families about universal screening assessments and results.

The documents begin on Page 28 of the "Early Literacy Technical Assistance Appendices."

White Papers From Collaborators

Collaborator Contribution

How to Make Handwriting Part of Early Literacy Instruction

By Shawn Datchuk, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Iowa College of Education

This white paper explains how handwriting assessments can be used to analyze a student's handwriting and then offers instructional techniques to improve the handwriting of elementary-aged students.

Collaborator Contribution

Strong Girls Read Strong Books

By Renita Schmidt, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, University of Iowa College of Education
Amanda Haertling Thein, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, University of Iowa College of Education

The authors explain how they go about selecting texts for their afterschool reading club that helps girls grow into strong women through reading books featuring strong female protagonists. They also highlight key practices they have found useful in reading and responding to those texts.

Collaborator Contribution

The Power of Interactive Read Alouds

By Gwen Marra, Ed.D.

Through read alouds that utilize dialogic reading, children can develop their use of new vocabulary in a meaningful way, make connections between new and previously-learned information, and learn literary elements like character, point of view, and plot.

Pronunciation Guides for Letter Sounds

Collaborator Contribution

Letter Sounds Video

Collaborator Contribution

Vowel Sounds Video

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Activating Background Knowledge Elementary and Middle School Example Lesson Plans These plans use a famous speech (middle school) and a children's book on frogs (elementary school) as texts and t-chart graphic and semantic web graphic organizers to teach background knowledge. Related blog post.

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We offer short research briefs and presentations that are free access for educators and literacy leaders to use to stay on the cutting edge of research and improve outcomes for all learners.

Research Briefs

Need to Read: Overcoming Summer Reading Loss | Spring 2017

Multiple and Mobile Literacies for Immigrant Youth | Fall 2016

Research to Policy Brief: Full Day Kindergarten | Fall 2015

Youth of Color and Being Known: Teaching and Learning in Racially Diverse Classrooms | Fall 2015

Literacy Instruction in Full-Day Kindergarten | Fall 2014

Making Sense of Dyslexia | Spring 2014

Learning on the Blue Line: Crossing Borders of Race, Class and Social Relations | Spring 2014

Presentations

Summer Literacy Workshop 2019
Working with Evidence: What Does it Mean for Literacy Instruction [PDF]

Kristen McMaster, Ph.D., Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota

Evidence in Practice: Conducting High-Quality Literacy Instruction [PDF]

Marissa Straszewski, Chris Rice, Samantha Shopbell, Leah Swenson & Kristen McMaster

Summer Literacy Workshop 2018
Using Digital Literacies to Connect Classrooms & Promote Student Engagement [PDF]

Eva Boehm, M.A., Associate Director of Curriculum, CEHD America Reads

Elizabeth A. Fogarty, Ph.D, Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction

The Wonder of Words: A Community-School Partnership to Improve Vocabulary [PDF]

David Parker, Ph.D., Research Director, ServeMinnesota

Susan Thomson, Senior Strategic Analyst for Research and Development, ServeMinnesota

Lori Helman, MCRR, University of Minnesota

May 2018 - LiRN Presentation
Culturally Sustaining Education: Teaching, Learning & Justice Movements [PDF]

Django Paris, Associate Professor, James A. & Cherry A. Banks Professor of Multicultural Education, University of Washington

January 2018 - LiRN Presentation
Silence as Agentive: Shfiting Curriculum and Pedagogy to Sustain Community Stories [PDF]

Timothy San Pedro, Assistant Professor, Multicultural and Equity Studies, Ohio State University

December 2017 - Learning Forward Annual Conference
Powerful Protocols for Systematic and Effective Assessment Analysis [PDF]
September 2017 Distinguished Scholars Symposium
Implementing Effective Reading Interventions in Schools: Alignment of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Interventions [PDF]

Dr. Barbara Foorman, Francis Eppes Professor of Education; Director Emeritus, Florida Center for Reading Research

Summer Literacy Workshop 2017
Systematic Literacy Improvement: Putting the Pieces Together [PDF]

Kim Gibbons, Ph.D., Associate Director of Innovation & Outreach, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), University of Minnesota
Fostering Student Engagement in Literacy Instruction in the Upper Elementary Grades [PDF]

Lori Helman, Ph.D., Director, MCRR and Associate Professor, Curriculum & Instruction

Kristi Bergeson, Assistant Professor, Mankato State University

Examining a Framework for Elementary Literacy Improvement [PDF]

Katherine Patton, PRESS Literacy Coordinator

Stacy Thompson, PRESS Literacy Coordinator

Literacy Data with Instructional Implications: Two Examples from MN Reading Corps [PDF]

David C. Parker, Ph.D., Research Director, ServeMinnesota
Building & Fostering Literacy-Focused Community Partnerships: An America Reads Journey [PDF]

Eva Boehm, Associate Director of Curriculum, CEHD America Reads

September 2016 Distinguished Scholars Symposium

Writing & Reading Connections, Dr. Steven Graham, Arizona State University

Promoting Writing & Reading Connections, Dr. Steven Graham, Arizona State University

Lori Helman presentation in South Africa

Strategies to Support English Learners, Lori Helman, Ph.D. Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, September 30, 2016 [PDF]

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We offer short research briefs and presentations that are free access for educators and literacy leaders to use to stay on the cutting edge of research and improve outcomes for all learners.

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Amplify is offering educators and their students free access to a remote learning version of Amplify Reading through the end of the school year.

We know you're under tremendous stress right now. We are committed to helping school and district partners make high-quality instructional resources like Amplify Reading available to students who are unable to attend school, currently or in the near future.

What is Amplify Reading?

Amplify Reading is a digital literacy program that boosts reading growth through personalized instruction and practice in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and close reading. Watch the video below to learn about the research basis and how it works.

Amplify Reading adapts to the needs of each individual student, providing each one with the exact instruction and practice they need to advance their literacy skills in any setting, in just 45 minutes of independent practice a week.

How do I sign up?

The remote learning version of Amplify Reading is available through June 30, 2020. To request access, register using the form on the right

Who can participate?

All schools and districts in the United States can participate. Amplify Reading requires unique logins, so we will need to work with an administrator to provide access to students and staff. Participating schools and districts must:

meet minimum device requirements

have an educator at the school or district who is qualified to send basic enrollment information and able to attend a brief licensing call

allow us to send emails to teachers in order to share implementation resources and guidance for parents

Parents: Amplify Reading is not currently available to parents. We recommend sharing this page with school contacts in order to enroll your child.

Device requirements: Amplify Reading works on a variety of devices, including Windows devices with Windows 7+, Chromebooks with Chrome OS, and Mac devices with OS 10.11+ or iOS 11+.

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Amplify is offering educators and their students free access to a remote learning version of Amplify Reading through the end of the school year. We know you're under tremendous stress right now. We are committed to helping school and district partners make high-quality instructional resources like Amplify Reading available to students who are unable to attend school, currently or in the near future.

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Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.

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Learn to dance from our ballet tutorials, taught by the best dance teachers, including combinations, and exercises for any skill level.

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Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad and Mac that helps you learn to code and build apps using Swift, the same powerful language used to create world-class apps for the App Store. Engaging lessons and walkthroughs demonstrate the core concepts of coding and building apps as you write real Swift code in an interactive environment.

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Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad and Mac that helps you learn and explore coding in Swift, the same powerful language used to create world-class apps for the App Store.

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Computer programming - JavaScript and the web | Computing | Khan Academy

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In this course, you’ll explore the wonders of what you can create with programming. Learn how to program drawings, animations, and games using JavaScript and the Processing library, and explore the technologies behind the web as you design webpages with HTML and CSS.

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Code Monster gets kids excited about programming. It is a combination of a game and tutorial where kids experiment with learning to code.

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Learn computer science. Change the world.

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Every student in every school deserves the opportunity to study computer science.

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ASL Summer Residency Program at Gallaudet

Come to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. to immerse yourself in learning ASL on the campus of the world's only university for Deaf and hard of hearing students. You'll find yourself living and learning on this historical campus, a Deaf cultural mecca situated within one of the world's most visited cities with unrivaled free cultural activities.

ASL Summer Residency Program

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Come to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. to immerse yourself in learning ASL on the campus of the world's only university for Deaf and hard of hearing students. You'll find yourself living and learning on this historical campus, a Deaf cultural mecca situated within one of the world's most visited cities with unrivaled free cultural activities.

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5-Minute Kids Body Scan Meditation w/ Cory Muscara

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Kids Yoga & Mindfulness To Stay Strong 💪🌈 | Cosmic Kids

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Check in your local area for similar events!

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First Lady Donna Edwards on Facebook Watch

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Check your local Public Broadcasting Station!

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Check your local Public Broadcasting Station!

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PBS Digital Studios - view the PBS LearningMedia Collection HERE

PBS Digital Studios is a network that connects, inspires, and cultivates the next generation of public media enthusiasts. We create bold, thought-provoking programs that illuminate the world around us. We bridge the gap between new and existing audiences at PBS by meeting people where they are-online and across different streaming platforms.

Crash Course - Welcome to school without the Classroom! Crash Course is part of the PBS Digital Studios network on YouTube.

Deep Look - See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Get a new perspective on our place in the universe and meet extraordinary new friends. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.

It's Lit - It's Lit! is a series of smart, funny video essays from PBS Digital Studios about our favorite books and why we love to read. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis, the series delves into topics like the evolution of YA, how science fiction mirrors our own anxieties, and why the book is sometimes just a _bit_ better than the movie.

It's OK to Be Smart - This is a show about science. But it's probably not about science the way you're used to it. Hosted by Joe Hanson, author of the science blog, It's Okay to be Smart. Part of the PBS Digital Studios network.

Origin of Everything - Every aspect of our daily reality, whether its the words we use, the pop culture we love, the technology that get us through the day, or even the identities we give ourselves, emerge from thousands of intersecting histories. And on this show, we're going to explore them ALL! . . . Okay, maybe not ALL, but you get the idea.

Eons - Join hosts Hank Green, Kallie Moore, and Blake de Pastino as they take you on a journey through the history of life on Earth. From the dawn of life in the Archaean Eon through the Mesozoic Era - the so-called "Age of Dinosaurs" -- right up to the end of the most recent Ice Age.

The Art Assignment - The Art Assignment is a weekly PBS Digital Studios production hosted by curator Sarah Green. We take you around the U.S. to meet working artists and solicit assignments from them that we can all complete.

Physics Girl - Join host Dianna Cowern as she puts her MIT physics degree to the test. With experiments, demonstrations, and cool new discoveries, Physics Girl sheds new light on the fun, adventurous side of physical science.

Google Virtual Museums

Google Arts & Culture's collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds of more places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science. This collection is especially good for students who are looking for ways to stay on top of their studies while schools are closed.

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At-Home Learning | Louisiana Public Broadcasting

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PBS Digital Studios - view the PBS LearningMedia Collection HERE PBS Digital Studios is a network that connects, inspires, and cultivates the next generation of public media enthusiasts. We create bold, thought-provoking programs that illuminate the world around us.

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“Goodnight With Dolly” will feature Dolly Parton reading a series of Imagination Library books all carefully chosen for their appropriate content at this moment in time. https://imaginationlibrary.com/goodnight-with-dolly-read-aloud/

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Film event in Pigeon Forge, TN by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and 7 others on Thursday, April 2 2020 with 81K people interested.

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Artsology has been providings arts games for kids for 17 years! The goal with the arts games is to engage kids with fun games as a way to introduce them to art history ... and it seems to be working! We've got 107 arts games spread out over 8 pages, and 95 arts investigations which have been used as Arts Education resources by art teachers in the classroom, by homeschooling parents, and sometimes just for fun and interest! Also, make sure to check out our exclusive series, The Arts Adventurer! Below are a highlighted selection of art games, arts ed resources, and arts adventures.

"Artsology has been rated as one of the top 15 art teaching and learning websites by our research team."
- Tingting (Windy) Wang, Ph.D., Department of Art, Rowan University

(Many more can be found by clicking on the navigation links at the top of the page)

NEW: Bezier Art Game

An interactive drawing game using bezier curves - endless possibilities!
Click here to play now!

Abstract Expressionist
Battleground Game

Shoot down the Guston heads before they destroy your Pollock! Play now!

Share this page via:

Site content © Artsology.

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Artsology | Art Games for Kids | Arts Education Resources for Teachers

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Artsology has been providings arts games for kids for 17 years! The goal with the arts games is to engage kids with fun games as a way to introduce them to art history ... and it seems to be working!

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Explore all Collections on Google Arts & Culture.

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Welcome to the Body Coach TV where I post weekly home workouts to help you get, stronger, healthier and happier.

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Big History examines our past, explains our present, and imagines our future. It's a story about us. An idea that arose from a desire to go beyond specialized and self-contained fields of study to grasp history as a whole. This growing, multi-disciplinary approach is focused on high school students, yet designed for anyone seeking answers to the big questions about the history of our Universe.

The Big History Project is a joint effort between teachers, scholars, scientists, and their supporters to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to knowledge to lifelong learners around the world.

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Big History examines our past, explains our present, and imagines our future. It's a story about us. An idea that arose from a desire to go beyond specialized and self-contained fields of study to grasp history as a whole.

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National Geographic Young Explorer (Voyager Magazine)

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experiments spangler "steve spangler" "easy science experiment" "easy science experiments" diysci "diy sci" "mentos diet coke" "elephant toothpaste" "elephan...

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About Steve Spangler... Steve Spangler a bestselling author, STEM educator and Emmy award-winning television personality. Spangler is a frequent guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the host of his own syndicated television series called DIY Sci. Steve posted the original Mentos & Diet Coke video in September 2005 when YouTube was only 3 months old.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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Join in the Wonder Creation

Make YOUR wonder a wonderful reality!

GET YOUR WONDER DAILY

Subscribe to Wonderopolis and receive the Wonder of the Day® via email

Join the Buzz

Don't miss our special deals, gifts and promotions. Be the first to know!

Delta Dental

NCFL and Delta Dental began a partnership in 2014 and today, Delta Dental supports production of all new Wonders of the Day appearing on Wonderopolis.org. Since 1966, Delta Dental of Kentucky has been working to improve oral health and hygiene by emphasizing preventative care, because Delta Dental believes that everyone deserves to enjoy a healthy smile.

As America's largest and most trusted dental benefits carrier, Delta Dental covers more Americans than any other dental benefits provider and strives daily to make dental coverage more accessible and affordable to a wide variety of employers, groups, and individuals.

Better World Books

Better World Books collects and sells new and used books online, matching each purchase with a book-for-book donation and generating funds for literacy initiatives in the U.S. and around the world. Since its founding in 2003, the Mishawaka, Indiana-based company has raised more than $23 million for libraries and literacy, donated 20 million books; reused or recycled over 229 million books, and achieved 54,000 tons of carbon offsets through carbon balanced shipping. Better World Books provides support for Camp Wonderopolis.

Dollar General

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation began partnering with NCFL in 2006 and supports the online Wonder Jar and SMS subscription service on Wonderopolis.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation also provides funding for the National Literacy Directory, a resource that launched in 2010 and strives to reach the 35.7 million adults ages 18-64 who do not have a high school diploma by guiding them to better-paying, more stable jobs.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In 2013, NCFL began a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to ensure that our network of students, teachers, and families thrive among recent shifts in standards-based education.

The Foundation's multi-year investment leverages the unique strengths of Wonderopolis® and supports the development of the Wonder Ground and our growing network of educators committed to wonder and inquiry.

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Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease | IwAR3lOtZwAW-rhnCU3b0lZWe89bH953JitJUNL7Nyx2_6A5Ty-6kSe-ObCNY | Wonderopolis

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Join in the Wonder Creation Make YOUR wonder a wonderful reality! GET YOUR WONDER DAILY Subscribe to Wonderopolis and receive the Wonder of the Day® via email Join the Buzz Don't miss our special deals, gifts and promotions. Be the first to know!

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Experiments you should try at home featuring topics from the Bill Nye The Science Guy show.

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Smithsonian

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Learn more about Fun Stuff for Kids and Teens

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Enjoy archived footage of Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu at the San Diego Zoo recorded from January through April 2019.

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Home of Dr. Jeff Vinokur, The Dancing Scientist™

﻿Dr. Jeff Vinokur, 29, has a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA and specializes in demonstrating science through TV shows and inspirational school assemblies. With 25+ million YouTube views, he has a contagious passion for science and a talent for teaching. Dr. Jeff has conducted biofuels research at UCLA, hosts a kids science show on www.GenerationGenius.com and performs science assemblies nationwide. Check out his recent appearances on NBC's Today Show, The View, Discovery Channel and more.

Dr. Jeff's Signature School Assembly: So You Think You Can Do Science.

Dr. Jeff's 50-min stage show called "So You Think You Can Do Science" has been performed at the Smithsonian Institution, World Science Festival, USA Science & Engineering Festival and over 400 schools coast-to-coast. The show combines 'WOW' science demos,

with energetic music, a student competition and some jaw-dropping dance moves. Checkout the booking page for more info.﻿

Now Available Year Round In California & Touring Nationwide!

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Dr. Jeff Vinokur, Dancing Scientist | Science Shows, School Assemblies

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Home of Dr. Jeff Vinokur, The Dancing Scientist™ ﻿Dr. Jeff Vinokur, 29, has a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA and specializes in demonstrating science through TV shows and inspirational school assemblies. With 25+ million YouTube views, he has a contagious passion for science and a talent for teaching.

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We're scientists. We're also parents. Our daughter is stuck at home as public schools in our area have been closed for 6 weeks. Yikes! How do we entertain and educate them, while we all figure out how to work from home?

We have a fantastic team of biologists at Oceans Initiative, each of whom runs at least one fascinating project. We're planning to live stream an event Monday 16 March 2020 at 11 am (Pacific). Choose your favourite platform. We'll be streaming simultaneously on Instagram and Facebook. No need to sign up. Just like and follow the pages, and we'll "see" you Monday at 11. (When we studied at University of St Andrews, we loved the tradition of "elevenses" when scientists met in the lobby every morning at 11 to drink tea and coffee, eat pastries, and talk about science.)

Feel free to email us your questions ahead of time, to get the conversation started. We'll start out by talking about southern resident killer whales. But let's brainstorm the next topic for our meeting. This quarantine may last a while. We could talk about Pacific white-sided dolphins, including Erin's work collecting breath samples to understand diseases in wild dolphins. (That may be an age-appropriate way to talk about viruses.) We could talk about our efforts to keep whales, dolphins, and porpoises safe from fishing gear. One of our team, Natalie Mastick, could talk about her studies of parasites in marine mammals - if we talk on a Thursday, she could stream from her lab and show you some worms, in jars. Or maybe we can figure out how to invite guest speakers when we run out of topics.

Let us know in the comments below if this is a community service you'd use. How are you keeping your kids entertained and educated at home these days? We're all in this together.

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Coronavirus community service: a virtual marine biology camp? | Oceans Initiative %

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We're scientists. We're also parents. Our daughter is stuck at home as public schools in our area have been closed for 6 weeks. Yikes! How do we entertain and educate them, while we all figure out how to work from home?

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Math with manipulatives

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The multisensory approach is a unique way of "thinking" about teaching mathematics. This program applies Orton-Gillingham multisensory instructional strategies to mathematics. This approach fits easily with recommendations from current research and suggestions from the National Math Panel regarding instruction for struggling learners. Hands-on work with manipulative objects is recommended for all students at all ages. It enhances both concept integration and memory. This approach is especially important for LD students and those with conceptual gaps. It is however, an approach which is appropriate for all students.
Multisensory Math Tracking: Numeracy to Algebra

This approach is:
research based, advocated by the NCTM, applicable to any curriculum or textbook series, and appropriate for ALL students, but necessary for some. Read more...

The emphasis of our site is on helping all students be successful in math, helping teachers find ways of supporting struggling students, and informing educators about about learning differences which can impact student performance in mathematics.

In essence, a multisensory approach uses concrete manipulatives to teach mathematical concepts. We then transition students through the representational (pictorial) level of instruction until they are able to deal only with numerals/numbers at the abstract level. Manipulatives are used by all students because research has shown that multisensory input is stronger than unisensory input for creating lasting associations and memories. In more simple terms that means that the more of the brain that is involved in the learning, the stronger the memory.

It is also true that when students are given explicit instruction in foundational skills and concepts, less time may be needed for procedural instruction, so there is not a substantial increase in instructional time. Students are able to apply their knowledge across applications and are better at problem solving. Some studies indicate that students who use manipulatives for concept instruction including at the algebraic level, equal and even surpass their peers in summative assessments and retain the material longer.

If you are interested in more information, a workshop or a course; visit the www.asdec.org website for a complete list of current events.

You may also contact me directly at multisensorymath@gmail.com

For workshops or full multisensory math workshops, contact The Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center in Rockville, Maryland. http://www.asdec.org

Feedback from both teachers and students utilizing this approach is extremely positive. It must also be noted though that not all manipulatives are appropriate for all topics and that teachers and schools do not need to spend enormous sums of money for commercially produced manipulatives. There are many simple and inexpensive items which may be successfully used for instruction. Most of all, multisensory math makes mathematics instruction fun!

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The multisensory approach is a unique way of "thinking" about teaching mathematics. This program applies Orton-Gillingham multisensory instructional strategies to mathematics. This approach fits easily with recommendations from current research and suggestions from the National Math Panel regarding instruction for struggling learners. Hands-on work with manipulative objects is recommended for all students at all ages.

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Complete Math Curriculum for Homeschool and Small Group Learning | Math-U-See | Complete K-12 Math Curriculum

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Math-U-See is math you'll love. Math-U-See is a complete K-12 math curriculum focused on homeschool and small group learning environments that uses manipulatives to illustrate and teach math concepts.

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Ascend Math, personalized math instruction for K-12, begins at each student’s lowest skill gap. Get up to two or more grades level growth in a school year!

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Narrowing the Achievement Gap in Algebra

Sense-making in Mathematics

Responding to the problem posed by the San Francisco Unified School District regarding the decline in mathematics performance in the middle grades, SERP-recruited researchers identified the culture of mathematics classrooms as a major contributor to the problem. Both teachers and students were focused on getting the right answers to problems rather than on understanding the mathematics. The team of co-developers explored approaches to shifting the culture via small but powerful changes in the tasks given to students. These changes were consolidated into a tool-kit for sense-making in mathematics.

Lead Researchers: Alan Schoenfeld, U.C. Berkeley; Phil Daro, SERP

Diagnostic Teaching in Mathematics

Observing Common Core Math Practices

SERP teams heard from principals, coaches, and other leaders that a handy tool was needed to help focus principals' observations in math classrooms on the implementation of the CCSS mathematical practices. The "5x8 Card" was the result. As a product of user-based design, the 5x8 Card targets the intersection of the principal's experience observing in classrooms with the underlying principles of the CCSS-M practice standards. Detailed empathy and user experience work led to design specifications: brevity; 5 x 8 inch format; concrete, catalytic ideas that excite action rather than covering all components of instruction comprehensively. Principals have embraced the 5x8 card, but its success created a demand from teachers, teacher leaders, and coaches for a tool to support teachers to make the shifts principals were advocating. SERP responded with the development of the "Deck behind the 5x8 Card."

Lead Researcher: Phil Daro, SERP

Shifting Course Pathways to Align with the CCSS-M

The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics specify content to be taught to eighth grade students that is not aligned with a typical Algebra 1 course. In districts that have moved Algebra 1 to eighth grade, the standards come into conflict with what has become the symbol of a rigorous mathematics course pathway. SERP collaborated with the math leadership teams in San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District to generate course pathways that preserve the CCSS-M focus on eighth grade math content, but allow students to compress courses in order to complete as many math courses as were possible when eighth grade Algebra 1 was the norm. The course pathway proposals and their presentation to the school boards in the two districts model effective negotiation of the concerns of parents for college preparatory instruction and the knowledge of mathematics specialists regarding critical middle school mathematics that should not be skipped in the interest of acceleration.

Lead Researcher: Phil Daro, SERP

Deepening Teachers' Collaborative Learning

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Responding to the problem posed by the San Francisco Unified School District regarding the decline in mathematics performance in the middle grades, SERP-recruited researchers identified the culture of mathematics classrooms as a major contributor to the problem. Both teachers and students were focused on getting the right answers to problems rather than on understanding the mathematics.

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IXL | Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish

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IXL is the world's most popular subscription-based learning site for K-12. Used by over 8,000,000 students, IXL provides personalized learning in more than 8,000 topics, covering math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Interactive questions, awards, and certificates keep kids motivated as they master skills.

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Caregiver Math Resources for COVID-19 School Closures

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When learning to read, children first have to link the shape of the word on the page with the sound it makes. Then, when it comes to writing, they have to recreate that shape back onto paper.

For children with dyslexia, decoding these patterns and making these links can often be very difficult. As a result, they frequently fail to develop the automatic flow of writing which will help them to express themselves clearly and easily in writing.

Handwriting tips

The key to learning is practice, practice, practice!

Keep to short timed sessions so your child is able to maintain concentration without becoming bored or uncomfortable

Make sure your child is sitting comfortably when they write, with their feet firmly on the floor. If it's helpful, try using a slanted writing surface

Help your child to learn to grip the pen/pencil properly using the tripod grip. This allows the fingers and wrist to move freely without putting pressure on the hand

Help your child strengthen the muscles in their hand by using play dough or performing hand exercises

It's recommended that children learn to write using continuous cursive handwriting so they don't have to learn how to form letters twice when they need to write more quickly later on.

When a dyslexic child is learning to write it's important to be aware that a co-occurring condition such as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder or dyspraxia may also be present. For more information visit www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk. There are ergonomic products available which can help pupils who find holding a pen or pencil uncomfortable

For some pupils with dyslexia and/or dyspraxia the difficulties associated with handwriting can mean that the only way that they can achieve the speed of writing needed for success in the education system is to use a computer. If this is the case then learning to touch type will be beneficial.

Resources

The British Dyslexia Association has created a series of videos for teachers called Teaching for Neurodiversity which cover a range of topics such as spelling, writing and homework. You may find them helpful to support learning at home.

Sound Check booklet: This booklet was created as part of the Department for Education funded project 'Sound Check'. Its aim is to help parents and carers to support their child with reading, writing and spelling.

National Handwriting Association

The National Handwriting Association is a charity which aims to promote good practice in the teaching of handwriting and to support those who work with children with handwriting difficulties.
Website: www.nha-handwriting.org.uk

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Handwriting - British Dyslexia Association

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When learning to read, children first have to link the shape of the word on the page with the sound it makes. Then, when it comes to writing, they have to recreate that shape back onto paper. For children with dyslexia, decoding these patterns and making these links can often be very difficult.

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By Nancy Bailey

Cursive writing is important for many reasons, and its loss in America's classrooms should raise concerns. Cursive not only differs from print in the way it looks, it connects letters to words in a meaningful and productive way. It has been shown to assist children with reading difficulties like dyslexia.

All students benefit by learning how to write in cursive. Scientific American reported on a study which found that students who write notes in cursive during lectures remember much more than if they use their laptop. If students never learn longhand (cursive) it might impede their learning. Print is cumbersome and takes too long when taking notes.

With the advent of the unproven Common Core State Standards, cursive writing fell by the wayside. Common Core is supposed to lead students to mastery, competency-based, or personalized learning on the computer. There's no research to indicate learning only by technology works. But those focused on technology don't see any purpose to cursive writing. They believe if you teach a child keyboarding they'll be set for life.

Those in favor of cursive claim it's still important that children grow up and be able to sign checks, write thank you notes, or read historical documents. While that's important, it misses the most important reasons why students should learn cursive writing. Also, since these reasons hardly make a convincing argument for students to spend time learning cursive, many states no longer require teachers to teach cursive handwriting.

Schools in Louisiana and Alabama, however, are bringing back cursive. Other schools should too, and here's why.

For many children, learning cursive is a pleasurable experience. They are proud of their signature, and of being able to express their ideas in writing in diaries and journals. Cursive writing teaches a variety of skills.

visual-motor coordination.

visual synthesis.

visual perception.

visual memory.

spatial relationship.

focus.

spelling.

reading.

self-confidence.

For the record, keyboarding is also an important skill. But cursive writing should not have to compete with keyboarding. Children can and should get instruction in both cursive writing and keyboarding.

For children who have extreme fine motor coordination difficulties, or dysgraphia, and cursive writing is too much of a chore, keyboarding can be helpful. Children with such difficulties are easy to spot and they should not be forced to do cursive.

However, cursive writing can be helpful to children struggling with reading and writing difficulties. Children with dyslexia might be able to remember words better if they can string letters together in cursive. In 2014, PBS News Hour had a special "How Cursive Can Help Students with Dyslexia Connect the Dots."

I personally write cursive and could not learn well without it. Cursive writing helps me remember. There's something about the kinesthetic, or tactile, movement on paper, reading what I've written, and also sometimes verbally discussing it with others, or I talk to myself, that seals it in my memory. I am also grateful for the semester of typing I took in high school. I am speedy and efficient at the keyboard because of it.

But I still rely on cursive writing for formulating my thoughts and ideas. It is worth repeating. It helps me when listening to lectures. I take notes, listen, read, rewrite, and later repeat the information to myself verbally. It got me through college with good grades.

If your child's school doesn't teach cursive, there are many worksheets available online. Stores like Target and Staples usually have cursive writing practice workbooks. To reuse them, place a clear transparency over the page and give children an erasable pen. Help children do cursive over the summer or when they have free time if it isn't too taxing.
References
In the long run, cursive writing will be a worthy skill that will assist students in many ways, in their future education, or life in general.

Cindi May, "A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop." Scientific American. June 3, 2014.

Jin Bo, Julia Barta, Hilary Ferencak, Sara Comstock, Vanessa Riley, and Joni Krueger. "Developmental Characteristics in Cursive and Printed Letter-Writing for School-Age Children." Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 2014. 2, 1-8.

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Teach Cursive Writing! Why It's Important for Children Including Those with Dyslexia

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By Nancy Bailey Cursive writing is important for many reasons, and its loss in America's classrooms should raise concerns. Cursive not only differs from print in the way it looks, it connects letters to words in a meaningful and productive way. It has been shown to assist children with reading difficulties like dyslexia.

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Alec Falconer knew for years that he had a problem with words and letters. The young man who is now in 9th grade struggled in school for nearly a decade before his learning difficulty was diagnosed as dyslexia. Dyslexia is a language processing disorder that can hinder reading, writing, spelling and sometimes even speaking.

"When I first found out I was dyslexic I was a little stunned," said Falconer.

"During elementary school and middle school, I've never had to write in cursive. My teachers let me just write in print," Falconer said.

But for those with dyslexia, cursive handwriting can be an integral part of becoming a more successful student.

Dyslexia at a Glance

Dyslexia is the name for specific learning disabilities in reading.

Dyslexia is often characterized by difficulties with accurate word recognition, decoding and spelling.

Dyslexia may cause problems with reading comprehension and slow down vocabulary growth.

Dyslexia may result in poor reading fluency and reading out loud.

Dyslexia is neurological and often genetic.

Dyslexia is not the result of poor instruction.

With the proper support, almost all people with dyslexia can become good readers and writers.

Source: National Center for Learning Disabilities

"It's because the various areas of the brain interacting," said Marilyn Zecher, a former teacher and language specialist at the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center (ASDEC).

According to Zecher, students with dyslexia have difficulty learning to read because their brains associate sounds and letter combinations inefficiently. But cursive can help them with the decoding process because it integrates hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and other brain and memory functions.

"Some of the most recent research in the fMRI studies is showing us that when the hands are involved, it's a stronger association for learning and memory. When people write things they remember them longer," she said.

Alec Falconer believes cursive instruction has helped him in school

"After going to Marilyn, my handwriting, my spelling, the way I put sentences together has definitely improved a lot," he said.

Parent Cathy Ruse said cursive therapy is also working for her eight-year-old daughter, Lucy, who is working with therapist Deborah Spear, who has a private practice but also works with ASDEC.

"It was so beautiful to see at the beginning of Lucy's lessons," recalled Ruse. "She would never be able to remember 'd,' but when she started sky writing 'd' and using all these muscles, it helped her brain remember."

While cursive is often part of dyslexia therapy, it's becoming somewhat of an endangered species in American public education. School districts are dropping the previously required lessons to make room for Common Core State Standards and content showing up in standardized tests.

In addition to tutoring dyslexic students, Zecher also instructs teachers on how to implement the Common Core State Standards, which do not mention cursive at all. She argues cursive handwriting supports the goals because it helps facilitate deeper and more critical thinking.

"If we're asking children to think about what they are reading, if we are asking to really assimilate the content and make notes and remember it, cursive handwriting really supports that enormously," Zecher said.

Some states implementing Common Core are still making an effort to keep it in the classroom, even though it's not required. Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Idaho, Indiana and Massachusetts and Kansas have moved to mandate cursive be taught. Many students in the remaining states will either have to go without cursive instruction or seek private lessons outside of school.

Even though some teachers and department heads may believe cursive has no place in this increasingly digital world, Ruse said it's worth it.

"I think that it's awful that cursive is being dropped in so many school curricula," said Ruse. "My daughter has learned so much from learning cursive that it would be a tragedy to lose it."
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. This story and PBS NewsHour education coverage is part of American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen, a public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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How cursive can help students with dyslexia connect the dots

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Students with dyslexia have difficulty learning to read because their brains associate sounds and letter combinations inefficiently. But cursive can help them with the decoding process because it integrates hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and other brain and memory functions.

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By Diana Hanbury King

In the first place, cursive is undeniably much faster. "Kate Gladstone, a handwriting specialist based in Albany, estimates that while a student needs to jot down 100 legible words a minute to follow a typical lecture, someone using print can manage only 30" (Freedman, 2005).

When writing cursive, the word becomes a unit, rather than a series of separate strokes, and correct spelling is more likely to be retained.

All lower case cursive letters can begin on the line, so fewer of them are likely to be reversed.

Most critically, handwriting engages more cognitive resources than keyboarding does (Berninger, 2012).

Other benefits from teaching cursive include the ability to read cursive. The Declaration of Independence and many other important archival documents are written in cursive. A cursive signature is more difficult to forge than a printed one.

Anna Gillingham advocated teaching cursive from the beginning, and many schools designed for students with dyslexia do the same (e.g., The Kildonan School, Camperdown Academy, and Sandhills School). In France, and in many other European countries, cursive is taught from the beginning.

It has been argued (by some who should know better) that learning to write using cursive makes it more difficult for beginning readers. This is simply not the case. Reading and writing, although both tasks involve written language processes, engage different circuits within the brain. First graders can easily master formation of lower-case cursive letters by Christmas. When working with older students from fourth or fifth grade on up, I have never needed to spend more than two weeks establishing formation of these letters. Upper case letters take longer, but students can certainly continue to print upper case letters in the meantime.

Before the student begins to write on paper, all cursive formations should be practiced with the student standing up and working on a whiteboard or chalkboard. The four-step multisensory procedure known as "Trace, Copy, Cover, Closed" is vital ( March 2015 Examiner). Be sure that each letter begins on the line and ends with a "smile" that is the beginning of the connecting stroke to the following letter.

Use of "Simultaneous Oral Spelling" (i.e., SOS) is important. As students form each letter when writing a word, they say the letter name (not the sound) out loud. Say to the student, "Always tell your hand what to do." This procedure, known as Simultaneous Oral Spelling, or SOS, reinforces letter formation.

From the beginning, it is essential to establish correct posture, paper position, and pencil grip:

Posture
The student sits with back straight or tilted slightly forward and feet firmly on the floor. The desktop should be no more than two inches above the elbow when the arm is hanging down by the student's side. If the desk cannot be adjusted, use a pillow and a box or stool so that the feet are not left to dangle. Both elbows should be on the table-we call this the "listening and learning position."

Paper Position
The paper must be slanted at a forty-five degree angle that is parallel to the writing arm. Thus the arm can pivot freely from the elbow as the writing moves across the page. The non-writing hand is kept at the top of the page to anchor the paper and to move it up-like the roller in a typewriter. Correct positioning is especially important to avoid the left-handed hook. Anna Gillingham said that people who use this hooked position are "a monument to the ignorance or laziness of that child's teacher." Taping or painting a "V" at the bottom of the desk can serve as a reminder. Another method is to have parallel lines slanted according to the child's handedness as a guide.

Pencil Grip
The pencil is gripped between the thumb and index finger, with the middle finger forming a shelf underneath. The end of the pencil should point toward the shoulder. All fingers are slightly bent. This is known as the "tripod grip" and is the most efficient.

There are various pencil grips and pencils on the market designed to help students hold their pencils appropriately. Avoid cheap ballpoints that write only when the pencil is held vertical to the paper. Sometimes gel pens or felt-tipped pens work best. Experiment to find what is most helpful to the individual.

Students should learn to write cursive letters in an order based on ease of formation. The "finish-later letters" (i.e., i, t, f, j - below in cursive) need special practice so that the student does not stop in the middle of the word in order to add the dot or the cross. The most difficult to connect are the "bridge letters" (i.e., b, v, w - below in cursive). Connecting these letters requires targeted practice.

Practicing a letter formation a few times is more effective than writing endless lines of a single letter. Once the alphabet has been mastered, it should be practiced daily at the beginning of every session. The twenty-six letters should be written in two lines, a to m and n to z.

Encourage students to work slowly and carefully at first. Eventually, they should be able to write the lower-case alphabet in less than two minutes.

Upper-case cursive letters are more problematic. All lower-case cursive letters begin on the line. In contrast, only four upper-case cursive letters begin on the line (i.e., I, J, G, and S - below in cursive). For this reason, cursive capitals are best taught in groups according to beginning strokes. Most cursive capital letters end on the line and join directly to the next letter, but six do not (i.e., D, P, T, V, W, X - below in cursive).

The earlier cursive is mastered, the more likely it is to become established as a life-long habit. Never forget: Writing exercises the brain, keyboarding the fingers.

REFERENCES

Berninger, V.W. (May-June 2012). Strengthening the Mind's Eye: The Case for Continued Handwriting Instruction in the 21st Century. Principal, 28-31.

Freedman, S. G. (January 19, 2005). Back to the Basics of a Legible Hand. On Education. The New York Times.

Klemm, W.R. (March 14, 2013). Why Writing by Hand Could Make You Smarter. Psychology Today.

Mueller, P.A. & Oppenheimer, D.M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168.
Diana Hanbury King, Lit.hum.Dr.h.c., F/AOGPE, was the founder of Camp Dunnabeck in 1965 and co-founder of The Kildonan School in 1969. She was a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE). Her vision created cutting edge education for students with dyslexia, and she developed a program for training teachers at Kildonan that has become a model program. Dr. King has also published teaching materials, particularly in the area of written language skills that have been used by thousands of educators throughout the world. The International Dyslexia Association awarded her the Samuel T. Orton Award in 1990 in recognition of her gifted teaching that "has enhanced beyond measure the quality of life for a myriad of dyslexic students and their families." In 2013, she was awarded the Margaret Byrd Rawson Lifetime Achievement Award by IDA in recognition of her compassion, leadership, commitment to excellence, advocacy for people with dyslexia, and work nationally recognized as furthering the mission of IDA.
Copyright © 2015 International Dyslexia Association (IDA). We encourage sharing of Examiner articles. If portions are cited, please make appropriate reference. Articles may not be reprinted for the purpose of resale. Permission to republish this article is available from .

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Why Bother with Cursive? - International Dyslexia Association

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Share This: April-May 2015 By Diana Hanbury King In the first place, cursive is undeniably much faster. "Kate Gladstone, a handwriting specialist based in Albany, estimates that while a student needs to jot down 100 legible words a minute to follow a typical lecture, someone using print can manage only 30" (Freedman, 2005).

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QA International launched , a new valuable resource to learn Spanish. Includes 17 all-around themes to explore, including the human body, sciences and food. MORE From the image to the word and its definition, the Visual Dictionary Online is an all-in-one reference.

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It's an online interactive English dictionary and thesaurus that helps you find the meanings of words and draw connections to associated words. You can easily see the meaning of each by simply placing the mouse cursor over it.

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As a former special education teacher with experience in inclusive and self-contained settings, I was constantly on the hunt for reading materials that matched the needs and interests of my students. Simple Words Books' Sam is Stuck by Cigdem Knebel is exactly the type of book that I sought. The story provides a high interest and delightful storyline with a controlled vocabulary that makes the book an excellent resource for reading specialists, elementary educators, and special education teachers.

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This portal is offered as a free resource to help facilitate online reading instruction and learning during this challenging time of school closures due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

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If there is one thing Orton-Gillingham teachers can never have enough of, it is decodable text. Finding books that are highly decodable, engaging for our students and suitable for a wide variety of ages is challenging. Differences in scopes and sequences further complicate matters. However, there are some resources that I turn to again and again because of their appeal to kids and the success that I have found using them.

If you are seeking collections of decodable books or reading passages with decodable text, this post has compiled a large list for you!

decodable stories with pictures designed for younger students,

decodable stories designed for older students as "chapter books",

printable books found online

decodable passages written for the purpose of OG instruction , such as the ones found in my store.

These decodable books are similar to leveled readers typically used in classroom except for one difference. Rather than using predictable repetitive text, they are highly decodable. Some of them are designed to accompany an Orton-Gillingham based programs, but can be used with other scopes and sequences with care.

These decodable readers are illustrated in detail with black and white illustrations. They contain a mixture of fiction and nonfiction titles. They are engaging and interesting stories that provide not only an opportunity for practicing decoding and fluency, but also comprehension. While the early levels likely appeal more to younger students, they are not babyish and quickly move into content more interesting for readers of all ages.

This series of decodable readers are nicely illustrated with black and white illustrations. They include elements of both fiction and nonfiction and are appealing stories designed for grades K-3. Although beginning readers of all ages may find the upper level stories enjoyable. The readers follow the Recipe for Reading scope and sequence and are divided into 3 levels. Levels 1 and 2 are comprised of 18 books each with level 3 consisting of 3 decodable chapter books.

This series of decodable books is most appealing for a younger audience. Illustrations are simpler and storylines less complex. There are numerous opportunities to practice each introduced concept with additional practice books available at the early levels. Advertised for levels K-6, this does not equate to grade levels. These books would likely feel too young for an older beginning reader. They do have a distinct advantage of being quite affordable.

This series of books was a gem of a discovery. My younger students, grades 1, 2 and even 3, love these books. Using funny animal characters, the illustrations bring the simple and highly decodable text to life with a more engaging storyline. There are 8 levels providing a very gradual introduction of decoding skills. Ranging from grade levels K-mid 3 rd grade, there are numerous resources available online, and books are available in full color, more affordable paper black and white or interactive digital form. One of the delights of this series is that the final book of each of the first four levels is available for purchase in quantities at a price suitable for gifting to a student upon completing the level. This story represents the culmination of their work.

These beautiful books are a hit for all ages. They are full color beautifully illustrated authentic feeling literature that reinforces phonics concepts. They are not as strictly controlled as some readers, but are excellent for consolidation of skills and working of fluency or comprehension. The only drawback is that they can be quite expensive.
Geodes https://greatminds.org/geodes
Geodes is a set of Both Levels 1 and 2 of Geodes include four modules, comprised of 16 books. Each book builds knowledge around a connected topic and reinforces student application of decoding and word recognition skills.

Bob Books https://bobbooks.com/
Merrill Readers
Bob books have been around for years and are great for your younger students. They start with very simple text and move up through stages of complexity. Parents will find these an affordable option for their children to practice decoding strategies.

These books are traditionally used to accompany O-G based programs like Wilson, and PAF.

These books are actually available in both a chapter book format or a format with less text per page. Sold as affordable black and white compilations of 5 books or individually, they are also available in full color chapter books. The series has resources for parents, prereading skills, games and more available on their website. While they are not necessarily the most literary books, they provide students with abundant practice in reading controlled text in a format that does not look babyish. It follows a nice scope and sequence.

Simple Words Books - https://www.simplewordsbooks.com/
If you are interested in a full set of these decodable chapter books, there is a Simple Words Chapter Books 9-Book set in my online store.
This series of books is perfect for middle elementary and older readers. They are engaging stories with an easy to read font and size with a good amount of white space. There are stand alone books, as well as books that follow the same characters. One of my favorites is actually told from the cat's point of view. The website has additional resources for parents and teachers including free webinars.

Additionally, I have been granted permission by the author, Cigdem Knebel, to create literature guides to use with these chapter books. Each guide has three sections: Vocabulary, Phonics and Reading Comprehension/Writing. The first guide I created was for "The Gold of Black Rock Hill." if your students love stories about treasure maps and pirates, they'll love this one!

Find Simple Words Literature Guides in my TPT store or The Literacy Nest Online Store on this website. I will be publishing 9 literature guides starting January 2020 until December 2020.

High Noon Books- Sound Out Chapter Books- https://www.highnoonbooks.com/listHNB-Phonics.tpl?action=search&cart=15763432974336056&cattrack=Phonicsatoc&xHNBCATEGORY=Sound%20Out%20Chapter%20Books&xHNBSUBCATEGORY=PhonicsAtoC&bobx=1st%20Grade%20Phonics-Based&eqGROUPdatarq=item

These are one of my favorite decodable books for older readers! They are stories designed for older learners with topics of interest to tweens and teens. They are also excellent for comprehension work.
Saddleback Publishing
For older, struggling readers, there are few options as respectful and fun for them as these books. Each 16 page fully illustrated book in one of the series is a portion of a longer serialized story. Each book not only moves the story forward, but adds an additional phonics concept. With a variety of different levels including catch up/review series that moves more quickly through concepts and characters recurring in more than one series, this is one resource very helpful for reluctant readers. This series is actually British in origin, but is sold in the US by High Noon Books. Like other High Noon titles, these are written with the older struggling reader in mind.

This publisher has created sets of chapter books for tweens and teens. The subject matter in some of the books is definitely for an older crowd. If you work with older students or adults, this is a site you will want to check out.

Printable Books Available Online
https://www.speld-sa.org.au/services/phonic-books.html
There are a wide variety of decodable books and passages available free online, especially for the emergent reader. I have found these resources quickly diminish when more advanced concepts like multi-syllabic words, vowel teams, morphology or different syllable types are concerned. The quality and formatting vary widely. Most effective when you have a gap in your collection of decodable books and passages, or when you need something a child can keep, these are some sites worth checking out.
https://www.freephoneticreaders.com/
A wide variety of phonics concepts available for use on a tablet on printable.
http://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/geniebooks/teacherbooks/
Printable books for the short and long vowel sounds.
http://www.funphonics.com/helpful-teaching-aids
The Reading Genie page has books written by teachers available in Powerpoint format. There is also a wealth of other resources and information including a link to a newly published decodable book series.

Printable books for closed syllables.

Not free, but available through a subscription, there is a good selection of both decodable books and passages.

It can be tricky to find just the right book for the skill you are teaching. Sometimes, I like to combine a reading passage that targets the specific skill with a longer book to practice orchestrating a variety of skills. For more advanced students that are reading books that are not necessarily controlled, decodable text, these passages are a nice learning tool for focusing specifically on a new skill before moving onto less controlled reading.

These passages are appropriate for a wide variety of ages, can conveniently be marked up and cover a wide variety of concepts. Not only do I have passages for phonograms for all OG levels, but for syllable division, prefixes, suffixes, roots, spelling generalizations, non-fiction, and advanced passages for older students ready for a challenge.

The Literacy Nest passages with decodable text- Over the years, I have written hundreds and hundreds of passages with decodable text. They mainly follow the progression I was given during my first Orton-Gillingham training through trainers using the Massachusetts General Hospital O-G training curriculum which is IMSLEC accredited. You may also order a bound copy of my decodable passages directly through my online store.

Bonnie Kline Stories: Originally written to accompany Project Read Phonology, these are a little tricky to find now. You'll have to hunt around online to find used copies.

The ABCs of O-G Phonetic Readers by Emi Flynn I used these for several years before writing my own passages. They follow The Flynn System progression, which is a little different than mine, but they're still excellent.

Save up to 25% off in my TPT store on February 2-4, 2020! A couple of new resources are listed below for you to check out.

Note: One newer growing bundles is already deeply discounted, so I will not be including it in the sale.

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The Best Decodable Books and Decodable Passage Resources - The Literacy Nest

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If there is one thing Orton-Gillingham teachers can never have enough of, it is decodable text. Finding books that are highly decodable, engaging for our students and suitable for a wide variety of ages is challenging. Differences in scopes and sequences further complicate matters.

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FREE Early Reading Activity PDF Downloads

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Click HERE to schedule a FREE phone or video consultation with Randall to discuss how you can help your child with early reading skills. Purpose: To model isolation of the beginning sounds...

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Have you heard of Learning Ally?

I first became aware of this wonderful organization back in 2000 when my son's struggle with Tourette's syndrome and dyslexia made it difficult for him to focus on text. Back then, the organization was known as Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, but in 2011 they became simply Learning Ally.

Learning Ally is a non-profit organization committed to helping dyslexic, blind, and visually impaired students thrive. They understand that for some kids, reading struggles hinder learning.

They have made it their mission to help remove the barriers that hold kids back by providing them with audiobooks. Audiobooks help kids experience the many benefits of consuming text, but without the struggle of reading.

Learning Ally's online library includes a huge selection of human-narrated textbooks and literature for readers of all ages that can be downloaded and listened to on most computers, smartphones, and tablets. I am grateful to Learning Ally for giving my son access to text that he was unable to read fluently when he was a child. He enjoyed many great books and was able to grow in vocabulary and background knowledge because of the work that Learning Ally does.

How To Qualify for Learning Ally

An annual membership that provides access to all the services that Learning Ally offers costs $135*. But not just anyone can qualify for these services. In order to comply with federal copyright law, Learning Ally is able to produce audiobooks only by documenting that their members have disabilities. And because only children who have a documented learning disability, visual impairment, or physical disability can receive assistance from Learning Ally, verification of the disability must accompany a membership request.

*Use promotional code CERTREG2 to receive 20% off on your Learning Ally membership. However, please note that when we refer you for a Learning Ally membership, you will automatically receive 20% off your initial membership with no promotional code needed.

Need a Referral? We Can Help!

If you suspect that your child has dyslexia, a referral can be obtained through a special educator. And guess what? That's us!

We would love to recommend your child for Learning Ally, on the condition that we can verify that your child is dyslexic or has a reading disability. To find out whether or not your child is eligible for this service, please fill out our Symptoms of Dyslexia Screening Checklist.

After filling out the checklist, save the PDF to your computer and then submit the checklist to us.

When you submit the checklist, please include your child's name, age, your name, email address, and telephone number. After receiving your checklist, we will determine if your child qualifies and will submit the "Proof of Disability" form to Learning Ally on your behalf. Contact us if you have any questions.

Please Note: Learning Ally is for U.S. residents only

Although we are able to provide referrals for membership with Learning Ally, we are not associated with their organization. Please contact Learning Ally directly for all inquiries related to Learning Ally's products and services.

Explicit Reading Instruction Is Still Essential

Resources like Learning Ally have been a lifesaver for so many families like mine. But even great resources are not intended to take the place of a comprehensive reading program. If your child is struggling with reading, it is essential that he receive explicit reading instruction. All About Reading and All About Spelling have become the go-to curriculum resource for scores of families who want to help their children become better readers and spellers, whether or not they have dyslexia. Because even if your child doesn't have a documented reading disability, he or she will benefit from the multisensory, no-gaps approach that makes our programs so special.

Does your family have any favorite audio books, either through Learning Ally or other sources?

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How to Get a Membership with Learning Ally

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Have you heard of Learning Ally? I first became aware of this wonderful organization back in 2000 when my son's struggle with Tourette's syndrome and dyslexia made it difficult for him to focus on text. Back then, the organization was known as Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, but in 2011 they became simply Learning Ally.

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Try Audible free for 30 days! Start listening to best-selling audiobooks, exclusive Originals, and free podcasts with the Audible app.

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free video-audio books read by kids for kids - filmed chapter by chapter for easy listening.

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KidsRead2Kids: Online Literacy Resources for Kids

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Empower young minds with KidsRead2Kids: Explore engaging online literacy resources for children. Ignite a love for reading today....

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Digital Text to Speech human read

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Project Gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world's great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for enjoyment and education.

Looking for something to read? Project Gutenberg eBooks are mostly older literary works. Most were published before 1924, with some published in the decades after. Use one of the Search methods on this page, or try using the Bookshelves to browse by genre, age group, and topic.

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Project Gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world's great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for enjoyment and education.

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Learning at Home during COVID-19 (for educators)

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The following resources will help students with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers to continue learning during school closures.

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Learn more about cloud-based Read Naturally Live: watch an introductory video, walk through a demo of the program steps, or sign up for a 60-day free trial.

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Freckle by Renaissance - Differentiation Platform for K-12

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Accelerate literacy equitably with differentiated resources.

K-12 coverage of standards and skills

Over 1,000 nonfiction and fiction passages that adapt to each student's level

Teachers can assign a specific standard for some or all students to practice

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Freckle by Renaissance | Reach Every Student at Their Level

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Freckle helps K-12 teachers differentiate instruction and reach every student at their own level across Math, ELA, Social Studies and Science.

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OgStar Reading's multisensory, structured literacy apps provide a full OG curriculum with phonological awareness and fluency practice. These gamified apps are the go-to apps for tomorrow's readers.

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For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

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CommonLit | Free Online Reading Passages and Literacy Resources

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CommonLit is a comprehensive literacy program with thousands of reading lessons, full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and standards-based data for teachers.

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Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network- VOCABULARY

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1. Sign-up for Poem-a-Day and read a poem each morning.

2. Sign-up to receive a free National Poetry Month poster, or download the PDF, and display it for the occasion.

3. Read last year's most-read poem, Naomi Shihab Nye's " Kindness."

4. Record yourself reading a poem, and share why you chose that work online using the hashtag #ShelterinPoems. Be sure to tag @poetsorg on twitter and instagram!

5. Subscribe to the Poem-a-Day podcast.

6. Check out an e-book of poetry from your local library.

7. Begin your virtual meetings or classes by reading a poem.

8. Talk to the teachers in your life about Teach This Poem.

9. Learn more about poets and virtual poetry events in your state.

10. Read about your state poet laureate.

11. Buy a book of poetry from your local bookstore.

12. Browse the glossary of terms and try your hand at writing a formal poem.

13. Create an online anthology of your favorite poems on Poets.org.

14. Organize a poetry reading, open mic, or poetry slam via a video conferencing service.

15. Sign up for an online poetry class or workshop.

16. Donate books of poetry to little free libraries and mutual aid networks.

17. Research and volunteer with poetry organizations in your area.

18. Take a walk and write a poem outside.

19. Start a virtual poetry reading group or potluck, inviting friends to share poems.

20. Write an exquisite corpse or a renga with friends via email or text.

21. Take on a guerrilla poetry project in your building.

22. Read essays about poetry like Edward Hirsch's " How to Read a Poem," Mary Ruefle's " Poetry and the Moon," Mark Doty's " Tide of Voices: Why Poetry Matters Now," and Muriel Rukeyser's " The Life of Poetry."

23. Read and share poems about the environment in honor of Earth Day.

24. Submit your poems to a literary magazine or poetry journal.

25. Make a poem to share on Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 30, 2020.

26. Make a gift to support the Academy of American Poets free programs and publications and keep celebrating poetry year-round!

Read more ways to celebrate National Poetry Month.

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30 ways to celebrate national poetry month at home or online

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30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home or Online

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Sign-up for Poem-a-Day and read a poem each morning. Sign-up to receive a free National Poetry Month poster, or download the PDF, and display it for the occasion. Read last year's most-read poem, Naomi Shihab Nye's " Kindness."