Literacy and Reading Skills

25 Ideas to Motivate Young Readers
These ideas are designed for elementary students, and many will work with middle school, too.

88 Generalizations about Free Voluntary Reading
A summary of research regarding SSR/DEAR programs.

100 Most Frequent Words in Books for Beginning Readers
These words are listed in order of frequency. Access requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.

103 Things to do Before/During/After Reading
These tips from Jim Burke can be applied to a wide range of grade and ability levels.

ABCs of Conservation
This technology-integrated lesson reviews letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds as students brainstorm ways to use natural resources wisely.

The Alphabet is Historic
The three lessons in this K-2 curriculum unit include short historical introductions to the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans, hyperlinks to selected illustrations, and suggestions for activities.

Alphabet Made Easy with Learning Styles
Designed for preschool through grade 1, this lesson uses the book Obvious Letters to appeal to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.

Beginning to Read
Fifteen activities for preschool to grade 2.

Beginning Reading and Writing
Activities for the youngest readers and writers.

Between the Lions
Sponsored by PBS with a new lesson every week. Lessons are tied to specific skills.

Building a Case for Clues
Students make, confirm and revise predictions using the reading context. This activity is designed for grades 3-5 and includes an optional graphic organizer.

Character Scrapbook
In this online activity, students respond to reading by creating a scrapbook of a character. They use options to create a portrait and then list 10 things about the character before printing.

Cheryl Sigmon's Website
An extensive introduction to Four Blocks reading instruction strategy, free handouts, and learning games.

Comprehension
Scroll down to a collection of links to a variety of reading strategies.

Dolch Basic Sight Words
This 3-page story, "The Best Thing in the World," contains all 220 Dolch Basic Sight Words, color-coded for 5 different grade levels. Access requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.

Early Literacy Development
Descriptors of levels of early literacy. Follow links on the left to sample lessons, reading strategies, and other resources.

Fact vs. Opinion (Part I) and Fact vs. Opinion (Part II)
Designed for grades 6-8, these lessons help students understand the difference between fact and opinion and provide practice.

Fact vs. Opinions in Advertisements
Students develop criteria for determining statements of opinion and practice discerning statements of opinion in advertisements.

Fairy Tales & Folklore
Links to fairy tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White.

Finding Faulty Logic
Students analyize political ads and commercial ads, looking for generalizing, scare tactics, and exaggeration. This interactive lesson is designed for adult learners and may work with high school students, too.

Four Blocks
Information and teaching ideas.

Four Blocks Teacher Resources
Information, bulletin boards, lesson plan ideas, and related links.

Five Quick Games Build Reading Skills
Appropriate for grades K-8, these quick activities help develop a variety of reading skills.

Fry's Readability and Other Readability Information
Kathy Schrock presents Fry Readability directions and graphs, along with links to other readability formulas.

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