In this video, reading expert Linda Farrell works with Calista, an early stage reader, on short vowel sounds, blending and manipulating sounds, reading whole words, and fluency. Ms. Farrell starts by making sure Calista has a strong foundation in short vowel sounds by teaching her hand motions to remember those sounds more easily. After Calista demonstrates she knows short vowel sounds, Ms. Farrell teaches her to change one sound in a spoken word using manipulatives. Finally, Ms. Farrell helps Calista move from sound-by-sound reading to whole word reading. Related: Watch other episodes in our Looking at Reading Interventions series
Sound walls support students with learning those tricky high-frequency words. They also support students in retaining and learning to read unfamiliar words on their own. A sound wall does the work of matching our articulation of speech sounds/phonemes to the letters/graphemes that represent those sounds. Learn more about why you should make the switch from word walls to sound walls.
In this blog post, literacy coach Margaret Goldberg talks about the pros and cons of predictable texts and explains why instructional time would be better spent with decodable texts, which include only words that beginning readers can sound out with the phonics they have been taught. Decodables provide readers with a purpose for learning and applying phonics. Related: Decodable Text Sources
In this article from our sister site Colorín Colorado, ELL expert Beth Skelton shares strategies for developing ELLs’ language skills across all four domains of language (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) in online settings.
REL West has recently produced three short videos that include activities and ideas to support young children's language and literacy development. The strategies can be adapted for distance learning, and may be especially helpful for students whose home language is not English.
Watch a teacher use a simple 3-step routine for teaching new vocabulary to young children that includes lots of opportunities to practice using the new word in different ways.
This video models a readaloud process, shares tips for asking effective questions for on-the-surface and deeper-dive discussions of books, and introduces a writing activity.
Professor Nell Duke from the University of Michigan demonstrates how she uses an online interactive whiteboard to teach children to collaboratively write a letter.
For students on the autism spectrum, some aspects of virtual learning may be easier than face-to-face instruction — for example, the home learning environment may be more comfortable than the physical classroom. Other aspects may be more challenging. Some students are struggling to learn without the support of peers. Others are missing the structure of the daily in-school routine. Try these 12 ideas to help students on the spectrum feel connected, stay engaged, and learn effectively in the virtual classroom and beyond.
Since the pandemic hit, speech-language pathologists have completed speech assessments in two different ways — in person with a lot of PPE and online. Each method has advantages, but SLP Ellen Kester prefers online. In this article, she says, "Our primary tools for assessing speech involve watching and listening to the speech patterns. Wearing masks, face shields, and possibly fogged-up glasses can make this really difficult to do!" Here are answers to common questions about how speech-language pathologists can best accomplish online speech assessments. (From the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) Related: Onboarding Our Neediest Families During the Pandemic
As COVID-19 continues to disrupt, educators who find themselves working with students either within or outside of school walls or both have an increased need for digital content and access to books. Many organizations and publishers who already make it their mission to support readers are doing even more to assist educators, caregivers, and families in light of the pandemic. In this new article, find sources of books, audiobooks, digital books, and online texts and news
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 18, 2021) celebrates the life and civil rights work of Dr. King. It’s recognized as a National Day of Service where volunteers across the country work together to make a difference in their communities. Browse our list of children's books about Dr. King, fiction and nonfiction books about ordinary people who stand up for what's right, and stories about helping others and giving back. (Visit the AmeriCorps website, for information about volunteer opportunities during COVID-19.) Related: Find more books and activities about community and civic engagement on our Start with a Book website.
Reading and writing go hand in hand. Explore multicultural folktales, fairy tales, and myths through shared read alouds and independent reading. Then try some of the writing, oral storytelling, poetry, mapmaking, and other creative activities featured here.
Do you know any kids who are fascinated by dinosaurs (and think that T-Rex rules)? We do! And we've gathered up a great collection of books and activities, and kid-friendly apps, podcasts and websites for learning all about dinosaurs.
In this special Reading Rockets video series, experts answer real questions from families about reading and how to support your children at home. In one video, reading expert Sandra Wilborn answers a parent’s question, “Should I tell my child to look up words in the dictionary?”
Browse our library of easy-to-use tips for helping your child build reading and writing skills, literacy in science, reading aloud, and more. Sample tip sheets:
Learning to read is complex. Children must learn to do many things at the same time: decoding, reading with comfortable fluency, absorbing new vocabulary, understanding what the text says, and discovering that reading is pleasurable and builds knowledge about the world. We hope our new guide will help you learn what it takes to become a strong reader and how to support your child’s reading and writing at home. You'll explore typical milestones for children in PreK through second grade, and discover a collection of easy, lively activities to build key literacy skills.
IDA Announces New Free Digital Library The International Dyslexia Association has launched their Dyslexia Digital Library. You’ll find an extensive collection of articles, fact sheets, infographics, FAQs, trending topics, and videos. Families can learn strategies to help them advocate for their child with dyslexia, reading teachers can find guidance on applying the principles of Structured Literacy in their classrooms, and researchers can review the work of their peers.
Reading Rockets is a national educational service of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital. The goal of the project is to provide information on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is supported in part by the Poses Family Foundation and Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes.
Send your questions, comments, or suggestions to [email protected]. Our mailing address is WETA/Reading Rockets, 2775 S. Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22206. We look forward to hearing from you!
