Last spring, did you notice that your students are quieter, less participatory, and seemingly more reticent to join in or speak up during guided reading exercises? What can we do differently this year? Literacy expert Tim Shanahan has some suggestions for how to jumpstart and sustain engagement in the distance classroom.
In this new blog post, Shanahan recommends that you continue to use guided reading in your distance teaching. "The key here is for those portions to be read silently instead of aloud. Keep the portions short initially and expand them over time as students demonstrate an ability to handle that. Part of your job is to 'stretch them out.' This both reduces the variability in reading speed and will allow you to monitor how well a student can read varying lengths of text." Get ideas on how to record student responses in the comments section.
Explore new ways to teach foundational reading skills using technology in this new resource from the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI). You’ll find tools for K-5 reading instruction and intervention. The materials are designed to be used with Zoom, Google Meets, Teams, and other videoconferencing platforms and with interactive whiteboards in the classroom. The activities can also be used if you are creating video for asynchronous lessons.
Watch the overview video for an orientation to the UFLI approach to virtual teaching. Then, download lesson templates, browse the tips for creating engaging lessons, and explore the instructional activities to plan lessons appropriate for your students. Visit the hub >
Researcher and literacy expert Nell Duke talks about how to provide small group literacy instruction for young children using Zoom. She walks through a phonics lesson and then a lesson that builds knowledge about food chains and flow diagrams. The video concludes with reflections from four instructional coaches.
Related:
Word Work at a Distance Nell Duke shows how to use free Google tools to provide phonological awareness, phonics, interactive writing, and vocabulary instruction for young children at a distance.
More Distance Learning Resources for Families and Educators
Where can educators find the best ideas, materials, and tips for distance learning? We’ve compiled information and resource lists from trusted sources, and we’ll continue to update the resources weekly as we’re all navigating the unchartered waters of COVID-19. This project was developed in partnership with the National Education Association and Colorín Colorado.
Here are some of the topics you’ll find in the guide:
In this guide for parents and educators of children with autism, you'll find resources to help support literacy and social and emotional issues at home. You'll also find information for special services providers and online courses for families and educators.
Explore practical examples from the field of how educators are adapting to serve all students in this era of remote learning. Educators share technical descriptions of how they are working to move from face-to-face to at-a-distance learning with reflections and lessons learned about their experiences. The Educating All Learners Alliance we will continue to add more — use the forum to tell them what kinds of practical examples you need. Here are two resources that can be helpful for parents of children with autism:
In this special Reading Rockets video series, experts answer real questions from families about reading and how to support your children at home. In the first series of videos, reading expert Linda Farrell shares her strategies and tips for which letter sounds to teach first, how to explain the “ea” vowel pair, reading sight words, and more. Watch the newest video: Can you recommend a good reading program for my child with learning disabilities?
We're asking families to submit questions about how to help their striving readers. If you'd like to ask a question, please write to us at: info@readingrockets.org
Talking to and reading with your child are two terrific ways to help them hear and read new words. Conversations and questions about interesting words are easy, non-threatening ways to get new words into everyday talk. Here are some ideas to get you started, available in English and Spanish.
Our one-pagers offer easy activities to help your kids strengthen their reading and writing muscles at home, now and throughout the summer. The emphasis is on simple and fun — we know you have so much going on at home right now. For more tips like these, visit our Growing Readers library. All tip sheets are available in English and Spanish.
For each stage of reading development, you’ll find a brief instructional plan with easy suggestions for targeting the main components of reading. (From the Right to Read blog)
Read Charlotte has developed a tool to keep students reading on grade level. “The Reading Checkup” is a free program for students kindergarten through fourth grade. The goal is to help kids with their basic literacy skills and reading comprehension skills. Students can take daily quizzes, and parents will then see their child’s grade and receive recommended reading activities.
Is your child struggling to focus during online learning? You are not alone. In this episode of From Our Family to Yours, hear from Catherine, a parent and Understood community member, about what works for her daughter. Fidgets, regular physical breaks, visual schedules, and timers are some of the ideas shared. (From Understood)
Times are stressful for kids and families these days. Sitting down together to read picture books or the next chapter in a family read aloud can be the perfect antidote to an intense school and work day. Need help choosing great read alouds? Browse the tips here: How to Choose Read Aloud Books.
We use spatial thinking every day. When we pack a backpack so that everything fits, or use words like “on,” “under,” or “next to,” which describe how things are related to each other, we’re thinking spatially. Children start developing their spatial thinking skills at an early age, and like any skill, it takes practice. When you combine early orienting and mapping skills with adventures outdoors, you’ll build your child’s spatial thinking skills and also foster their curiosity about exploration and discovery. Learn more in this post from the Magination Press Family blog (American Psychological Association).
Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, pioneers in children’s publishing, launched Just Us Books 30 years ago as a way to “capture, affirm and represent the diversity of our Black heritage and culture,” says Cheryl. In this interview with our children’s book expert Maria Salvadore, Wade and Cheryl talk about the origins of their publishing company and the importance of expanding the voices in children’s books. They also discuss their powerful anthology We Rise, We Resists, We Raise Our Voices and their newest anthology, The Talk, where 30 diverse and award-winning authors and illustrators capture frank discussions about racism, identity, and self-esteem. “These honest discussions in The Talk can shed light, promote understanding and offer needed opportunities for empathy,” says Wade.
Many kids are fascinated by superheroes, with their extraordinary powers and awesome adventures. We also celebrate the lives of real-life heroes — athletes, artists, activists, and government leaders — role models who stood up for what's right and fair. We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about heroes and superheroes.
A false assumption about what it takes to be a skilled reader has created deep inequalities among U.S. children, putting many on a difficult path in life. Listen in to this powerful audio documentary by Emily Hanford (from American Public Media).
An excerpt:
Sonya Thomas wants everyone to know about what she and [her son] C.J. have gone through. And she wants to help other parents get what they need for their kids. She’s now executive director of PROPEL, the parent group she helped to found. It’s her full-time job. She wants to see a movement of parents across the country demanding better reading instruction.
“Why isn’t everyone in this country angry like me? Why are they not losing sleep?” she said. “It’s unacceptable for children to not have a chance right off the bat. And we are not going to let anybody sleep until we have changed for the better for all children.”
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 readingrockets@weta.org. Our mailing address is WETA/Reading Rockets, 2775 S. Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22206. We look forward to hearing from you!
