March 2024

Short vowels, concept sorts, celebrating women and girls, nurturing young writers, and more!

In this issue: In the Classroom / Children’s Books & Authors / Literacy at Home / Events & News Headlines

In the Classroom

Learning ‘b’ and ‘d’ and Reading Short Vowel Words

In this video, reading expert Linda Farrell works with second grader Aiko on a common letter reversal — confusing the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’. Ms. Farrell coaches Aiko to look at the letters during b/d practice and to look at the words while she works with Aiko to read short vowel words accurately.

Watch other episodes in our Looking at Reading Interventions series. You’ll also find professional development guides to use with these videos. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)
 

Related resources:

• First Rule of Reading: Keep Your Eyes on the Words
• Helping Students Keep Their Eyes on the Words
• Teaching Short Vowels: a comprehensive skill explainer from our sister project, Reading Universe

Featured Strategy: Concept Sort

Concept sorts ask students to think about what they know as they compare and contrast it to new information. They are a lively, interactive way to introduce and review vocabulary and concepts across disciplines. Go inside Cathy Doyle’s second grade classroom in Evanston, Illinois to see how she uses the concept sort strategy to introduce vocabulary from the class read-aloud, The Seed Is Sleepy. Cathy models the strategy and shows the kids her decision-making process by thinking out loud — before sending them off to work in small groups.

More comprehension strategies:

• List-Group-Label
• Think-Pair-Share

What Does Your Literacy Block Look Like? It Depends …

An effective literacy block allows teachers (ideally collaboratively) to adjust the amount and content of instruction according to students’ needs. In her latest blog post, literacy coach Margaret Goldberg says:

“Implementing a curriculum as if all students need the same thing, at the same time, in the same dosage, ignores some of the most important findings from the science of reading.”

Related: Differentiation Done Right: How “Walk to Read” Works

Does Literature Count as Knowledge?

In this new blog post, literacy expert Tim Shanahan says that yes, literature can be an important source of knowledge, but only if our choice of books and pedagogical moves support that kind of learning. He offers 5 reasons why it’s important to teach literature, and a bit of guidance on learning goals for your lessons.

Children’s Books & Authors

Celebrating Women and Girls with Picture Book Biographies

For Women’s History Month — and throughout the year — we celebrate the accomplishments of women like Sonia Sotomayor, Mary Golda Ross, Ida B. Wells, Malala Yousafzai, Frances Perkins, Zora Neale Hurston, and Zaha Hadid. In these picture book biographies, young readers will meet women who dreamed big and helped make our world better.

Find many more titles for Women’s History Month on Book Finder (use the filter for Women and Girls)

Take a look at some of our video interviews, featuring award-winning authors who explore the lives of girls and women in their books:

• Deborah Hopkinson
• Pam Muñoz Ryan
• Tanya Lee Stone
• Raina Telgemeier
• Renée Watson

Browse our full library of video interviews with children’s authors and illustrators.

Nonfiction for Kids

Children are naturally fascinated by the lives of real people and the world around them. And building background knowledge is key to children’s academic success. Our resources can help you find great nonfiction picture books and offer tips on how to get the most out of reading nonfiction. You’ll also find links to our themed Reading Adventure Packs that encourage hands-on fun and learning centered around paired fiction and nonfiction books.

All Kinds of Readers: A Guide to Creating Inclusive Literacy Celebrations for Kids with Learning and Attention Issues

Special literacy events and celebrations can be a great way to get kids excited about books and reading. But for kids who struggle with reading, these kinds of events can challenge their self-confidence. Here are 15 strategies to help you plan a successful, joyful reading event for all kinds of readers and learners.

Literacy at Home

Make a Joyful Sound! Books and Activities All About Music

Tune In — our free music-focused toolkit is all about experiencing the many forms of music in our lives!

Imagine making music with your body, inventing simple instruments with recycled materials, playing conductor, building community through call-and-response singing and group dances, creating a music time capsule, drawing to music, designing an album cover, exploring voices and songs of social change, and writing original jingles, parodies, and raps. Tune In features music from around the world — from classical to salsa to hip hop.

Find more books and activities about music at our sister project, Start with a Book.

Writing SOS: How Do I Help My Child Organize Their Creative Ideas?

Children's author Carmen Agra Deedy (Martina the Beautiful Cockroach) shares tips for helping your child organize their writing. Start by talking the story through — the process of refining, and telling and retelling a story helps to get rid of the confusing bits and makes it stronger.

Learn more about supporting your child’s writing in our Writing SOS video series, where experts answer real questions from families. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association).

More Ideas for Launching Young Writers!

Explore these tips and ideas to help your kids stretch their writing muscles:

• Keeping a Writer’s Notebook
• 7 Great Ways to Encourage Your Child’s Writing

Find more easy at-home writing activities (from Reading 101: A Guide for Parents):

• Your Kindergartner
• Your First Grader
• Your Second Grader

Events & News

The Reading League Summit
Finding the Alignment: From Research to Practice
April 27, 2024 | San Diego, CA

American Library Association Annual Conference
June 27 – July 2, 2024 | San Diego, CA

International Dyslexia Association Annual Conference
October 24–26, 2024 | Dallas, TX

National Summer Learning Association Summit
November 11–13, 2024 | Washington, DC

5 High-Impact Writing Strategies for the Elementary Grades
Edutopia

An Interview With Educator and Author Jonathan Kozol
Education Week

Evanston Public Library Names the 2023 Blueberry Award Winners!
School Library Journal

It Was Enough to Make You Wish You Lived in a Boxcar (gift article)
New York Times

Learning science might help kids read better
KQED MindShift

English learners stopped coming to class during the pandemic. One group is tackling the problem by helping their parents
Hechinger Report

Free PBS KIDS professional learning is paying off for early childhood educators and providers
PBS Wisconsin

Creating a welcoming environment for linguistically diverse families of students in special education
KQED MindShift

School Leaders Need Training in the Science of Reading, Just Like Teachers
The 74

Getting Students to Read Digital Texts More Deeply
Edutopia