Understanding Reading – For Parents
Parent Webinar: Evidence-Based Ways to Support Children with Reading
This 45 minute video covers the simple view of reading, explains why reading is a complex task, what “explicit instruction” means and provides parents with resources and activities to help develop their child’s skills and enjoyment of reading at home.
The ABCs of Teaching Reading at Home
The Right to Read Project has put together materials that parents can use at home, providing information and instruction for different stages of reading. Plans target the two main compononents of reading: (1) Oral Language: vocabulary and background knowledge, and (2) Decoding: learning the way in which letters represent the sounds in each word.
National Center on Improving Literacy
From the NCIL website: The National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL) is a partnership among literacy experts, university researchers, and technical assistance providers, with funding from the United States Department of Education. The NCIL’s mission is to increase access to, and use of, evidence-based approaches to screen, identify, and teach students with literacy-related disabilities, including dyslexia. Resources are available for families, educators and school districts.
Learning Ally
Many students already have subscriptions to Learning Ally for audiobooks and the PCSD has a district-wide membership that is available by teacher recommendation to struggling readers. Learning Ally has an excellent Parent Resource Page with tips and activities to engage your child at home.
Specific Websites Offering Free or Reduced Learning Tools
Many of the resources below were compiled at the beginning of the pandemic and links will be updated throughout the summer of 2022.
Flyleaf Publishing has made their decodable readers free online. You can search for books based upon the word pattern your child is learning (VC, CVC, Blends, etc.). Flyleaf Publishing – Online Materials Portal
Audible is streaming a selection of books for kids for free, including six different languages. Audible Stories Streaming for Free.
Nessy is offering a Virtual School Parent Pack with “8 weeks of lessons in reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, phonics and keyboarding, plus 1200 printable worksheets.” Nessy Parent Pack Offer.
Lexercise, which was set up as a distance-learning program, has a discount for their “Basic Therapy” program. Lexercise COVID-19 Response
Mindplay is offering discounted subscriptions on their educational software. Mindplay COVID-19 Response.
Tumble, a science podcast for kids, is offering free curriculum pacakges, worksheets and more in their Educational Materials Store. Use the code “COVID” at checkout. Tumble Store – Educational Materials
Play Roly provides pre-K reading development activities for “children age 3+ designed specifically to develop phonological awareness skill, age-appropriately, with play at school and at home.” You can learn how to teach phonological awareness at home — these are non-screen learning activities. Roly Poly Website.
Time for Kids is offering free access to grade-specific digital editions of Time for Kids and Your $ financial literacy magazine. Time for Kids Offer.
Neuhaus Academy is offering parents and teachers a free 6-month instructor subscription. Access for learners is always free. Registration page. Use Access Code 19135L80IX. Complete information (user names will be permanent, other information can be changed later).
The Atlanta Speech School Online Preschool is now free and includes videos and lessons tailored for Preschoolers (3-4 yrs) and Toddlers (18m – 2 yrs): Atlanta Speech Online Preschool
Read, Write and Type is a reading software that includes phonics, spelling, keyboarding and word processing. There are special features for ESL students, as well as for students with learning disabilities and reading difficulties They are offering six months free. Read, Write and Type.
Raz-Kids is offering its products free to schools not already using them. If your school uses Raz-Kids, be sure to check out the Virtual Learning Support page for Parents.
KidsActivities.com has compiled online story times: Here’s the Entire List of Authors and Illurstrators That are Doing Online Story Time.
Learning without Tears is offering 90-days free of their Pre-K Interactive Teaching Tool and/or Handwriting Interactive Teaching Tool.
Have a Captain Underpants fan at home? Author Dav Pilkey has collaborated with the Library of Congress to provide home activites. More information here.
Articles & Organizations that have Compiled More Resources
IDA has put together this Dyslexia and Reading Resource Guide for Families and Teachers Affected by COVID-19.
The Reading League Pennsylvania has made three separate resource compilations & one is specifically for parents: Parent Resources for Education: School Closures.
Garland Independent School District (Texas) has compiled a specific Dyslexia Support Resources Page, which includes keyboarding, audiobook links, spelling & more. GISD – Dyslexia Support
The Barbara Bush Foundation has compiled an Educational Toolkit for At-Home Learning, with links to many supportive websites and activities. Educational Toolkit for At-Home Learning
From Kidsactivities.com, “Here’s the Entire List of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due to School Closings.”
Milwaukee for Kids has gathered online resources in a downloadable google spreadsheet. This list includes websites, virtual field trips and much more. All. The. Ideas.
The Summit School, which specialized in dyslexia, has compiled resources helpful at home, including links to math manipulatives and mindfulness activities. The Summit School Resources.
Resources for Elementary Librarians and Educators During an Extended School Closing
This list from Staying Cool in the Library is broken into the following sections:
- Free Subscription Offers for Schools Affected by COVID-19
- Websites For Students to Read or Listen to Books Online
- Tutorials and How-to Information for Online Apps and Websites
- Other Miscellaneous Resources
This website has consolidated resources for parents and families: Distance Learning for Special Education.
Decoding Dyslexia-CA created a Resource List for Families During COVID-19 School Closures.
General PC READS Resource Lists
PC READS has developed a resource list of books, websites, movies & more. This list is available for download: PC READS General Resource List. We also have a resource list of professionals, including tutors, counselors and neuropsychologists. Please email us at parkcityreads@gmail.com to obtain a copy.
