Early Literacy Resources
Here are some of my favorite Early Literacy and Children's Literature web-sites. Many of the statisitics, research and ideas I use with the children started here!
Great Websites for Kids is launch point for the best websites developed for children from birth to age 14. Suggested sites are evaluated by the Great Websites for Kids Committee of the American Library association using established selection criteria. The site is evaluated and revised three times a year to ensure all sites are still relevant, appropriate and accessible. The sites are divided into categories including, Animals, The Arts, History & Biography, Literature & Languages, Mathematics & Computers, Reference Desk, Sciences and Social Sciences. www.gws.ala.org
Get Ready to Read! is for educators and parents of young children interested in the development of early literacy skills in the years before kindergarten. The site is a service of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. The resources and information provided on this site promote skill-building, communication between adults, and ways to address concerns. Under the “Early Literacy” tab, topics such as “Getting the Most Out of Picture Books”, “Quality Television Shows That Focus on Early Literacy”, “Get Ready to Read! Literacy Checklists” and “When Parents Are Concerned About Their Child’s Early Learning Skills” are innovative.www.getreadytoread.org
Get Set for K is a part of the Charlotte Meckelenburg Library’s website. The month by month guide to school readiness offers parents and caregivers an early literacy skill to focus on for each month of the year. Then, they offer activity suggestions easy enough for every family to implement. While some suggestions are more appropriate for children in preschool, many can be used with babies and toddlers. www.cmlibrary.org/kids/getset4k
Reach Out and Read is a nonprofit organization with a goal of promoting early literacy and school readiness. They focus on the medical field’s involvement by giving new books to children when they visit their doctor’s office. Through physician guidance they advocate for the importance of reading aloud.
Resources that can be found on their website and used by all parents include book suggestions, typical literacy milestones and recordings of classic children’s books that can be streamed through the website.www.reachoutndread.org
Reading Rockets is a national literacy initiative that offers information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Under the “Early Literacy Development” topic, visitors to the site can watch videos about literacy development, find activities to use with young children, explore the latest research on parent involvement in education and much, much more. Literacy milestones from birth to age 3 are offered. www.readingrockets.org/atoz/early_literacy_development/
Caroline Jackson Blakemore and Barbara Weston Ramirez, the authors of the website Read To Your Baby, are reading specialists. Together they have over fifty years helping elementary school children with reading difficulties. They instruct new parents in the field of emergent literacy and offer practical suggestions on how babies and toddlers will best achieve future school success. Specifically, they offer wonderful read aloud tips, resources and up to date research about babies and toddlers and their acquisition of language and literacy development.www.Readtoyourbaby.com
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States. The organization delivers free books and literacy resources to families who need them most. RIF provides new, free books for children to choose from and make their own. According to RIF, by providing children with books the children are empowered and motivated to see new possibilities. Highlights from their website include:
An “Activities” section that offer learning opportunities for every age group and skill level through cultural, dramatic and writing activities.
“Booklists” provide book suggestions by topic ranging from award winners to multicultural suggestions.
The “Articles” section is full of ideas for teachers and parents wishing to encourage reading in new ways.
The “Brochures” are easy-to-read guides offering tips for reading with young children and tips for selecting age appropriate books for youngsters. www.rif.org
Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Services and Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy present Storyblocks. Storyblocks is a collection of 30-60 second videos which model for parents and caregivers songs, rhymes, and fingerplays appropriate for early childhood. Each video clip contains literacy tips to increase understanding of child development and pre-literacy needs. The videos, in both English and Spanish are divided into three age ranges: babies (birth-24 months), toddlers (2-3 years), and preschoolers (4-5 years). www.storyblocks.org
Jim Trelease is the author of million-copy bestseller, The Read-Aloud Handbook. Mr. Trelease has traveled to all 50 states and abroad, advocating the benefits of reading aloud to children. He has been recognized by both teachers and parents for his message that books are friends, not enemies. Sixty U.S. colleges use his Handbook as a text for education students. Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and Spanish editions of The Read-Aloud Handbook now reach parents and teachers worldwide.
The useful website is chock full of information related to literacy. From discussions about reading education to the No Child Left Behind legislation and from booklists to research regarding the effects of television, Mr. Trelease’s website covers it all. Free brochures and slides from his lectures are available for printing. Weekly read-aloud book reviews and a weekly essay from the author on current reading issues keep the site remarkably current. www.trelease-on-reading.com
We Give Books was created by the Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation. Books for reading and books for giving are at the heart of this program. With age-appropriate titles for young readers, picture books are available for on-line reading. For every book read online, a great book will be donated to one of the Foundation’s non-profit literacy partner. The 0 to 3 age range is loaded with board books, ABC books and seasonal selections. Open the book, turn the pages on the screen and read the book out loud to your favorite young child. www.wegivebooks.org
ZERO TO THREE is a nonprofit organization intent on informing, training and supporting adults who are working to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Their specific mission is to “promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.” Their site is full of development charts, tips and tools about child development, and tips regarding age-appropriate play. The site also offers information about school readiness and early literacy and language development.www.zerotothree.org
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