If you are an educator reading this blog series, you are hopefully thinking about the curricula provided (or mandated) by your school. Perhaps you’ve already identified the parts of it that are useful and effective for students, and the other parts that are not. Maybe you even feel capable and empowered to reduce (or even eliminate) the parts that are not effective. Do you know where to find other materials and tools that will help you get more of what’s effective or fill in the gaps of what’s missing from your curricula? Are you simply ready to expand your knowledge and experiences around teaching literacy and find more of what works? This blog post is for you! 

Below are some categories of materials, resources, tools and training that can help you move forward in your quest for having effective, research-based instruction that develops all aspects of literacy for many kinds of students and learners. Take stock of what you have and what you’re missing or want more of. Then, explore away! Whether you have a large amount of influence and funds available at your school, or you’re completely on your own with a shoestring budget, there are hopefully options for all:

Phonemic Awareness Components:

• Reading Resource Phonemic Awareness Activities
• Phonological Awareness Cards
• Heggerty for Phonemic Awareness 

Phonics/Spelling Components: 

• Article: What’s Spelling Got to Do with It?
• University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI)’s systematic phonics materials
• Literacy How’s book for PA/Phonics
• Materials from Wilson (Fundations or Just words), especially the large sound cards (adds a multisensory element to word study lessons) 

Syntax/Vocabulary/Morphology components: 

• Article: Developing Word Power: How to Teach Morphology
• Literacy How’s books for Syntax and Vocabulary
• Structured Word Inquiry’s word study approach/resources
• Use the work of professionals like Pete Bowers and Gina Cooke 

Text comprehension/written expression components: 

• ReadWorks: a free resource for leveled reading material (grade/Lexile levels) on many different topics (fiction and nonfiction)
• University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI)’s decodable passages
• Literacy How’s book for Comprehension
• Two Writing Teachers Blog
• No Red Ink’s free writing resources & lessons
• Quill: literacy activities for reading comprehension, writing, and language skills
• The Writing Revolution’s approach & resources

Tech-based literacy tools: 

• Word Wall phonics sorts & activities 
• Foundations A-Z 
• Lexia Learning 

Intensive/comprehensive curriculum & intervention tools: 

• National Center on Intensive Intervention
• Sonday System
• PAF Reading Program
• Orton-Gillingham

Assessments:

• DIBELS 8th Edition (free)
• PAST assessment (free – for phonological awareness)
• Quick Phonics Screener 1 (free)
• Quick Phonics Screener 2 (free)
• STAR Early Literacy
• FastBridge Reading Assessments 
• Acadience Reading K-6
• Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment for foundational skills, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, etc (includes progress monitoring)

Training on building literacy skills: 

• Use edWeb to access free workshops (you will have to sign up), such as:
• 7 Essentials for a Successful Writing Initiative
• Unlock the Power of Writing: Developing Reading and Writing Skills
• Getting Reading Groups Right
• Literacy Ecosystem webinar 
• 5 Ways to Improve Foundational Skills Instruction Right Now
• Several options from the Science of Reading week 
• Natalie Wexler’s newsletter, Minding the Gap and Knowledge Matters podcast
• The Reading League  
• Literacy How’s Professional Learning Series (w/accompanying workbooks)
• 95 Percent Group trainings & info
• Book: Shifting the Balance (K-2) or this version for grades 3-5
• Shifting the Balance “Six Shifts” online course 
• Online class from the Institute for Multi-sensory Education (IMSE)
• Wilson Language System workshop or training
• Contact us at Authentic Education to tailor a workshop to your school’s literacy needs!

As you explore these tools and materials to build the resources you need to more effectively teach literacy, consider how to raise your voice in your school or community. Your administrators and team members should understand how important it is to move beyond using only one boxed curriculum, and to more deeply evaluate all curricula to see what other pieces are needed. My hope is that as more teachers and leaders embrace and talk about this approach, it will become second nature in schools to have a number of flexible tools and resources to instruct and assess our students and more effectively respond to their individual needs. 

Question for readers: What materials or tools do you routinely use to meet your students’ literacy needs that’s outside of your main curricula? Post your responses in the comments.

This is the fifth part of Emily’s six-part blog series. Emily’s sixth and final post in the series will be “How do we keep moving forward?” Click below to sign up for email alerts on Emily’s upcoming posts.