Fostering a love of reading while developing children's reading skills can be a challenge for primary teachers and parents. Nothing can ever take the place of curling up with a good book. But online reading sites offer plenty of resources for motivating children and cultivating reading skills. Many teachers use book series to engage young readers and these sites offer resources and information on children's books and authors as well as book reviews that discuss themes and characters. Research-based teaching techniques, lesson plans and other information on teaching children to read are available for teachers. Teachers, students and parents will find numerous literacy tools and activities to encourage reading for all students.
Book Adventure
Book Adventure is a free program that encourages children to read books by awarding prizes for reading. Students can read books, take quizzes on them, and earn points for correct answers on the quizzes. The site offers a database of quizzes on more than 6,000 popular children's titles.
Compact for Reading
The School-Home Links Reading Kits provided at this site help families, teachers, principals, and students work together to improve reading and literacy skills. The kits are designed to be used with the Compact for Reading Handbook, which is also available on the site. The program, which targets grades K-3, includes 100 developmentally appropriate activities.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets offers a wealth of information for helping young children learn to read. Visitors can locate information on the ABCs of reading, ways to help kids learn to read at home and at school, support systems available, and research-based teaching techniques. Also included are articles, news items, lists of recommended books, interviews with authors and illustrators, and much more.
Read, Write, Think
Read, Write, Think was developed by the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The site provides a wide array of standards-based lesson plans that meaningfully integrate Internet content into the teaching and learning experience. Each lesson is research-based, and includes a detailed instructional plan and student-ready materials, including worksheets, interactive activities, and reviewed Web resources.
RIF Reading Planet
RIF Reading Planet, a Web site developed by the nonprofit children's literacy organization Reading is Fundamental, is an online world of books created just for kids. The site includes interactive reading games, writing activities, book reviews, and author interviews. Kids of all ages will enjoy such fun activities as printing and illustrating stories, writing stories collaboratively, creating poems, and making their own word puzzles.
Learn about more great sites for students, parents, and educators by visiting Education World's Site Reviews Archives.
Article by Hazel Jobe
Education World®
Copyright © 2004 Education World
09/08/2004
Updated 08/02/2008
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