Why is Literacy Important?
Literacy goes beyond reading and writing. Literacy is the ability to read, write, design, speak, and listen in order to communicate with others. Literacy is EVERYWHERE! One must have literacy skills in order to read street signs, read social media posts, communicate with others, etc. Students with strong literacy skills are more likely to succeed in other subjects as well. For example, students must know how to read math word problems and read their textbooks. Below is a video explaining why reading alone is important.
Florida Center for Reading Research
The Florida Center for Reading Research has many FREE resources available to all users. This website is very credible. The Florida Center for Reading Research is a multidisciplinary research center at Florida State University. The team explores all aspects of reading research. The team focuses on literacy-related skills for typically developing readers and those who struggle. The team has conducted many studies on effective reading prevention and intervention. The first link below leads you to the resource page. The resource page includes student-centered activities, guides for identifying evidence-based interventions, instructional considerations or text-based writing, empowerment of teachers, principal reading walk-through checklists, presentations, and additional documents.
My favorite resource from the website is titled "Student Centered Activities." A team of teachers at FCRR created activities for kindergarten though fifth grade. The activities are split up according to grade (K-1, 2-3, and 4-5.) Just click on the grade level you need and you will be directed to student centered activities page. The website provides three books for each grade level cluster. The first book is a teachers resource guide. The second book consists of phonemic awareness and phonics activities. The third book consists of fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension activities. Just click on the button below for creative and fun reading activities for Kindergarten through fifth grade. Click on the grade level cluster of your choosing. This will lead you to the three books. Scroll down to the literacy area you need to instruct the students. Each literacy area has three to four parts. Click on the part of your choosing. (Ex: Under phonemic awareness click on part 2: phonemic blending & phonemic segmenting). This will lead you to a list of activities for phonemic segmenting and phonemic blending.
Intervention Central
Intervention Central is the leading resource for Response to Intervention (RTI) tools and resources. RTI is a school-wide model of student support. The primary focus of RTI is students in the general-education classroom who are struggling with academic and/or behavior problems. Jim Wright is the creator of Intervention Central. Jim wanted to create free research-based intervention practices and tools because of school budget cuts across the nation. Intervention Central provides teachers, schools, and districts with free resources to help struggling learners and implement Response to Intervention. Jim also presents workshops on academic and behavioral interventions, assessment, and implementation of Response to Intervention. Jim schedules his workshops directly with the schools, districts, and organizations.
Below is a link to reading resources found on Intervention Central. The link will lead you to the acadmic interventions tab on the website. In order to access the literacy resources you must find the reading headers (Reading: Sight-Words, Reading: Phonics, Reading Fluency, writing, and Reading Comprehension.) Under each header are corresponding resources. Simply click on the "read more" in order to access the resources for free!
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets is a national multimedia initiative, offering information and resources on how young children learn to read and why so many young readers struggle. Reading Rockets provides research-based strategies to teachers, parents, administrators, librarians, and anyone involved in helping a child become a cofident reader.
Reading Rockets goal "is to bring the reading research to life - to spread the words about reading instruction and to present "what works" in a way that parents and educators can understand and use."
The link below will lead you to a page titled Research, Guides, and Resources. Reading rockets has gathered a collection of resources about reading. These resources include research reports, descriptions of nonprofit, state and federal literacy organizations, and a free reading guide for parents and educators. Below the title there are three pictures. In order to read the research and reports, simply click on the "see research and reports" below the first picture. Under the second picture click, "See Guides" to access the reading guides. Under the last picture click on "See Resources" to browse Reading Rockets collection of resources.
Reading Rockets goal "is to bring the reading research to life - to spread the words about reading instruction and to present "what works" in a way that parents and educators can understand and use."
The link below will lead you to a page titled Research, Guides, and Resources. Reading rockets has gathered a collection of resources about reading. These resources include research reports, descriptions of nonprofit, state and federal literacy organizations, and a free reading guide for parents and educators. Below the title there are three pictures. In order to read the research and reports, simply click on the "see research and reports" below the first picture. Under the second picture click, "See Guides" to access the reading guides. Under the last picture click on "See Resources" to browse Reading Rockets collection of resources.
The IRIS Center
The IRIS Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The IRIS Center is headquartered at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. Their objective is to create resources about evidence-based practices for use in preservice preperation and professional development programs. IRIS is a very trustworth site. According to a research publishes in Exceptional Children, IRIS was among only a handful of sites to receive top ratings for both levels of trust and quality of evidence.
The first link below will lead you to a reading, literacy, and language arts resource locator page. Below there are modules you can watch, case studies to read, some activities to implement in the classroom, informational briefs, interviews, video vignettes, web resource directories, and CONNECT Modules. In order to access any of these resources simply click on the tab. For example, if you want to watch an interview, click on interviews and then click on the interview of your interest.
The second link below will lead you to a module regarding evidence-based practices. The module is divided into three parts, but I led you to the first part of the module. Click on the second button below. Then once you are at the module page, scroll to the bottom and press begin! I chose this module because it explains evidence-based practices in detail. Educators must ensure they are using strategies, practices, and activities that are proven to show positive results.
The first link below will lead you to a reading, literacy, and language arts resource locator page. Below there are modules you can watch, case studies to read, some activities to implement in the classroom, informational briefs, interviews, video vignettes, web resource directories, and CONNECT Modules. In order to access any of these resources simply click on the tab. For example, if you want to watch an interview, click on interviews and then click on the interview of your interest.
The second link below will lead you to a module regarding evidence-based practices. The module is divided into three parts, but I led you to the first part of the module. Click on the second button below. Then once you are at the module page, scroll to the bottom and press begin! I chose this module because it explains evidence-based practices in detail. Educators must ensure they are using strategies, practices, and activities that are proven to show positive results.