Early Literacy part of the Education Reform Network

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Elementary

• Picture Match
  This interactive activity gives students practice with both initial consonant letters and sounds and short vowel letters and sounds. For use with individuals or small groups, this activity features a print out of pictures and letters at its conclusion.
• Fun & Games for English Practice
  The Place for English Language Learners includes activities,teachers resources, etc. Resources include materials in the following languages: Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.
• Songs
  This site features video and audio clips of songs to reinforce early literacy acquisition and phonics concepts.
• Literature Learning Ladders
  This website is great.It has collabrative and interactive projects and literature-based webquest grade by grade.
• Flower Power-Question and Answer Relationships
  For this final class project, as student in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort created a user friendly QAR (Question-Answer Relationships) format to teach students how to answer different types of questions and at the same time build their comprehension.
• Awesome Authors
  The selected DVL lesson is taught by Karyl O'Banion, a 3rd grade teacher from Dolby Elementary School in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The lesson is entitled Awesome Authors and demonstrates students learning how to participate in an online discussion, how to videotape live interviews, and how to conduct Internet searches to research an author.
• Interactive Writing
  For this final class project, a student in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a PowerPoint presentation on using interactive writing in the fourth grade. In using this process, the teacher has noted improvement of writing skills for the students in her classroom.
• Things to Print
  This site includes practice with short vowel sounds, word blending, alphabet skills, listening skills, word finding, and other activities to support early literacy development.
• St. Mary's Online...Caribbean Literacy Portal
  A site that focuses on researchable issues--especially the Language-Literacy connection in Caribbean pre-school Education. Researchers, teachers and parents can make use of the materials and "lists" that are cited here.
• Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening: Instructional Resources: Activities
  This site includes teacher resources such as activities, helpful web links, and a parent corner. Phonological Awareness activities are provided for beginning sounds, blending, rhyming, and sound-to-letter segmentation for Pre-K through Grade 3.
• Where Children Love to Learn and Learn to Grow
  This site is created for helping teachers and parents. There are lessons plans and units, presented by grade level.
• National Reading Panel
  This Web site is updated regularly with information about National Reading Panel publications and materials, as well as upcoming speaking engagements by Panel members. This site is also an archive, featuring the congressional charge to the NRP, biographies of NRP members, meeting minutes, and other historical information.
• Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners: A Position Paper
  In addition to this on-line position paper, links at the bottom of the document connect to definitions of literacy, L2 teaching methods, and a literacy framework. This website is useful for both classroom and university instructors.
• America Reads Website
  This site has archived information from a four-year grassroots national campaign challenging every American to help all our children learn to read. Nationwide, college students and citizens of all ages and from all professions tutored children and their efforts, successes, and suggestions are available to other people who want to establish reading initiatives.
• An Overview of Reading Comprehension Instruction, Past and Present
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension instruction is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Character Draws
  For this final class project, students in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a lesson plan to assist students in writing about character traits. The lesson plan includes step-by-step instructions and samples of student writing based on this activity.
• Parent Pamphlets for Emergent, Beginning, Transitional and Intermediate Readers
  For this final class project, three students in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a series of pamphlets describing readers at four levels. �The purpose of the pamphlets is to allow classroom teachers to use them as tools for parent-teacher conferences.
• The Read In!
  THE READ IN! is an online interaction between children's authors and illustrators, and K-12 students.
• Reading is Fundamental
  This website provides ideas for parents to encourage reading at home. Topics include motivating kids to read, choosing good books, reading aloud, literacy-rich homes, and school connections.
• CREDE: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence
  This CREDE website includes articles from a national research and development center. Included are research principles, publications, and five standards for educational pedagogy.
• Go to Paivi�s Library
  This site features stories that focus on different sounds. Categories include broad o, consonant blends, consonant digraphs, long and short vowels, silent letters and tricky endings, and others.
• Homophone Chutes and Ladders
  For this final class project, a student in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort adapted a popular game for classroom use. Included in this link are directions for playing, a high resolution image of the game board, and an answer key.
• Focusing on Reading First Core Programs
  This article describes how schools in Nevada choose their core reading programs under Reading First.
• Oral Communication
  For this final class project, students in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a brochure to assist parents in understanding the importance of oral communication with their children. According to research, storytelling ability in kindergarten children predicts comprehension and vocabulary success in fourth graders.
• Personal Readers for Transitional and Intermediate Students
  For this final class project, three students in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a description of use of personal readers with group content dictations, poems, and informational text. A personal reader list and discussion log template is included, along with student samples.
• University of Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts
  The UTCRLA provides books and booklets for downloading as well as information on professional development for primary, secondary, and k-12 special education teachers. Downloadable resources with step-by-step teacher lesson plans include Reading Strategies and Activities Resource Book: For Students at Risk of Reading Difficulties Including Dyslexia (410 pages) and Word Study for Students with learning Disabilities Including English Language Learners (50 pages).
• A Rhyme a Week: Nursery Rhymes for Early Literacy
  If "an apple a day will keep the doctor away", then perhaps a-rhyme-a-week will keep school failure at bay. WIL's A-Rhyme-a-Week phonological awareness program features 28 different nursery rhymes.
• Unlocking the Key to Reading: Comprehension
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Comprehension: Instruction and Assessment
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension instruction and assessment is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• GET READY TO READ
  THIS WEBSITE has helpful information for both concerned parents and eager teachers.It has preschool teaching ideas,reading and learning activities and programs for early learners. This site contains a 20-question research-based screening tool for use with young children.
• Personal Game Boards
  Cohort developed adaptations of board games from Words Their Way to use with preschool children, ages two through five. �The children and I made our own adaptations to allow this game to be used in a variety of letter, sound, and concept of word activities in our class.�.
• Effective Comprehension Instruction
  A powerpoint presentation for Nevada Reading First, January, 2004, by Nell Duke , Michigan State University.
• Vocabulary Instruction--Power Point
  This PowerPoint presentation on vocabulary instruction is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Poems and Songs That Teach
  This link contains the following themed poetic ideas to support phonological awareness: holidays and seasons, alphabet and phonics features, and animals. Ready-to-use readers theater scripts are included.
• First Grade Literacy Centers
  For this final class project, a student in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a series of class literacy centers. Centers include computers, reading the room, pick a poem, pool reading, math stories, rhyme match, and an ABC game.
• Vocabulary Development
  This PowerPoint presentation on vocabulary development is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Games
  This site of interactive activities includes making words, vocabulary, concept of word, phonics, alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, and others.
• BookPALS
  This Storyline Online website features professional actors from the Screen Actors Guild making favorite children's books come alive through their reading. Books are selected by BookPALS National Program Director Ellen Nathan, a former teacher and librarian, and each of the books on this site has an accompanying lesson plan and activity guide.
• The Reading Process
  This Clark County (NV) School District site provides information on guided reading, modeled reading, shared reading, independent reading, and vocabulary. Video clips of lessons are included for spelling/word study, phonics, and the alphabetic principle.
• Octopus Arms
  For this final class project, a student in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed an activity for classroom use. �This activity was developed to help review and reinforce short vowels and word families.� In addition to step-by-step procedures and variations, this link includes downloadable images for the activity.
• Reader's Theatre Scripts and Plays
  This site contains 54 scripts, a Readers Theatre teacher's guide, and a Readers Theatre evaluation guide. Also provided are tips on reading, scripting, and voice inflection.
• Colorín Colorado
  The phrase "Colorín Colorado" appears at the end of virtually all children’s stories and fairy tales in Spanish-speaking countries - it translates roughly to "and they lived happily ever after." The website includes information, activities, and advice for parents and educators of Spanish-Speaking students.
• Areas of Study with Writing Project
  For this final class project, a student in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a lesson plan to assist students in writing a �well-developed, short essay on a content area.� The teacher has included a series of photographs including reading materials and motivators, vocabulary chart, fact chart, and a final draft.
• Fluency Workshop
  This workshop on fluency is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Teacher Motivation
  This PowerPoint presentation on teacher motivation is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• Power for Kids: For Parents and Teachers
  This is an engaging website.It has literacy ideas and programs such as short story and letter activities.Parents can use this activities for their children at home easily.
• Linda�s Links to Literature
  This website has 15,500+ links to activities and lesson plans for children's and young adult literature. Links are arranged in alphabetical order by title.
• Role of the NREA Literacy Specialist
  For this final class project, two students in the Nevada Reading Excellence Act Master�s Cohort developed a PowerPoint presentation on their roles as Nevada Reading Excellence Act Literacy Specialists. �Upon completion of this project we feel prepared the next time we are asked to give a presentation.
• Thematic Hawaiian Islands
  This website contains an overview and descriptions of five lesson plans used in second grade: (1) The Hawaiian Islands; (2) Map Skills; (3) Learning about fish that live in the ocean off Hawaii; (4) Rewrite a Hawaiian folk tale; and (5) Compare homes in Olivehurst to Punia�s home in Hawaii. A performance based unit assessment is included.
• The Writing Process
  This Clark County (NV) School District site provides information on writing traits, modeled writing, shared writing, and guided writing. In addition, it features a video clip of an interactive writing lesson.
• Stories
  This Web site is for parents or teachers and their kids to surf together. It contains both printable versions of stories as well as stories to read on line.
• Comprehension--A Framework for Literacy
  This PowerPoint presentation on comprehension is one of a series of presentations and workshops for teachers produced by Literacy Leaders as part of NREA coursework (Note: these workshops are copyrighted by NREA and the authors. You are welcome to use/adapt them to your school under two conditions: a) that you give credit to the author, and b) that you return a copy of improved/adapted versions of the workshop to the NREA in care of Joan Taylor ([email protected]).
• The Old Lady Who Swallowed the Fly
  This lesson plan contains engaging visuals to assist students in remembering the sequence of events in this lively lesson.
• Take Me To Your Readers
  This website was developed as part of Vanderbilt University�s �Young Children's Literacy Project.� The project is in its tenth year of research on the development of children's reading and writing skills - funded under a 1999-2003 grant from the IERI consortium of the National Science Foundation; the Department of Education; and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The project developed and tested new print and technology-supported tools to improve the reading skills of children in grades K - 2, targeting word-recognition skills and the development of literacy habits.
• Internet Resources to Assist Teachers with Struggling Readers
  This website provides an overview of web-based resources for teachers of struggling readers.
• What does it mean to be a struggling reader?
  The Wisconsin Literacy Education and Reading Network Source channel on struggling readers includes information on factors that may hinder reading acquisition and general suggestions for struggling readers. Strategies for helping struggling readers include summarizing; using story grammar, imagery, questions, and think alouds; and activating prior knowledge.
• FOCUS on Struggling Readers and Writers
  This International Reading Association site provides links to resources, publications, books and sample chapters, journal and newspaper articles, and position statements relating to various aspects of literacy teaching and learning.