Literacy Resources

CEP's Favorite Literacy Resources

Video: How to incorporate literacy into your tutoring sessions: A short overview of the many ways you can bring tailored literacy support into your tutoring sessions with elementary aged students. This video is aimed at new tutors and those working with elementary school students, but can be used as a quick refresher for experienced tutors.
Video: Literacy Support for Older CEP Students: This video covers literacy strategies and activities for volunteers working with middle and high school students.
Education.Com: Turnkey lesson plans, worksheets, activities, and online learning games for preschool through 8th grade students.
- Username: info@cep.ngo
- Password: Ilovetolearn
StoryWorld: An interactive literacy program for elementary students. Includes leveled books and associated worksheets and games. Experience the fun first hand through the Test Account and then ask your CEP staff partner to sign to create a login for your student.

Literacy Common Core Standards
Tips for Reading To Your Student
"Jump Into Reading" Log

Literacy Toolkits
Pre-K Toolkit
K - 1st Grade Toolkit
2nd - 3rd Grade Toolkit

Literacy Activities
Literacy Activities K - 3rd Grade
Literacy Activities Bingo K - 3rd Grade
Literacy Activities 4th - 8th Grade
Literacy Activities Bingo 4th - 8th Grade

Literacy Guides

Reading Lists

Literacy Assessment Tools
Student Assessment Log
San Diego Quick Assessment
Dolch Sight Words
3 Minute Assessment

Teaching Literacy Tutorials

Reading Rockets: Short videos demonstrating how to support reading with PreK - 3rd grade students.
Big Ideas on Doing an "Interactive Read-Aloud" When Reading TO Children
- Big 3: Plan, Keep the momentum of the story, invite response after
- Introducing book: author, title, picture walk, discuss genre of the book; contextualize story and key concepts of story; set a purpose of the storytime.
- During reading: read expressively by practicing beforehand and using your voice as an underlining tool; read slowly; pause and go with the style of the author (i.e. funny vs serious); stop and ask open-ended questions with wait time (i.e. what are we thinking so far?) and listen to what they say; don’t overdo it with too many questions
- After reading: invite personal response (i.e. what they thought of the story); ask high-level questions (i.e. ask about characters in the book) and where in the text they got their answer (“let’s revisit the text” and go back and re-read sections/ details that they may have missed); focus on key themes of the story (you should have thought of these before the storytime)
Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Children: TED talk explaining importance of reading to children.
5 Ways to Teach Kids to Sound Out Words
Helping Kids Sound Out Words
Blending and Segmenting: Contains fun, instructional videos on sounding out words.
Vowel Sound Lessons: Explanation of the difference between hard/ soft vowel sounds & how to teach them to children.
The Vowel Song: Very fun and cute musical video teaching the difference between long and short vowels.

Literacy Websites

Afterschoolcareprograms.com: This site provides dozens of links to literacy games and activities including poetry, vocabulary, and grammar.
BLM Instructional Library: This site provides a library of Black Lives Matter children's books, and contains the link to a Read-Aloud for each book.
English Phonemes: English Phonemes, Spellings, Example Words, and Meaningful Names.
Eye on the Sky.org: Tutor guide to early literacy.
Get Ready to Read.org: Literacy screening and learning activities online and printable.
LiteracyCenter.net: Free, professionally-designed, education material for beginning readers.
LiteracyConnections.com: This website includes suggested activities and strategies, plus a specific section on tutoring tips to help students learn to read.
PBS Kids.org: Literacy activities, lesson plans, handouts, certificates, and other resources to engage emerging readers.
Reading Rockets.org: Tutoring Strategies for the Primary Grades.
Scholastic.com: Read every day, lead a better life.

Literacy Apps for All Ages

Reading Trainer
Subject: Reading
Need Internet: No
Android
iOS
Windows

Literacy Apps for Grades K-3

First Grade Learning Games
Subject: Language Arts & Math
Need Internet: No
Android
iOS

iStoryBooks
Subject: Reading
Need Internet: No
Android
Windows

Literacy Apps for Elementary School

iTooch Elementary School
Subject: Multiple
Need Internet: No
Free Android App
1st Grade iOS & Android
2nd Grade iOS & Android
3rd Grade iOS & Android
4th Grade iOS & Android
5th Grade iOS & Android

Literacy Apps for Intermediate / High School

iTooch Middle School
Subject: Multiple
Need Internet: No
Free Android App
6th Grade iOS & Android
7th Grade iOS & Android
8th Grade iOS & Android
Middle School iOS & Android