Anthony Ponce's Effective Literacy Website # 5 NAT GEO KIDS

            NAT GEO KIDS https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/  offers readers and articles about nature and animals. NAT GEO Kids will definitely be more appealing to younger kids. This website is not just a great literacy resource for students, it can also be a very interactive and enjoyable site for young readers. It offers readers information about the animal kingdom. For students who love animals, this is one of those websites they will very much enjoy. In addition to the readers and articles about animals, they also have great educational videos which students will love. This is an effective literacy tool for school aged children. I would recommend this website for teachers. 

 International Literacy Association Newsletter: Website #6

Kids World Fun

URL: https://www.kidsworldfun.com/

    Kidsworldfun.com stands out as a valuable resource for promoting literacy among young students. This free website offers an extensive range of literature options, providing over seven varieties to choose from. The diverse selection includes poems, short stories, myths and legends, magazines, e-books, children's books, and quotes specifically for kids. Within each category, users can explore a library of over 30 types of engaging stories, making it a versatile platform for reading with children.

    A notable feature of the website is the "Learn" tab, offering educational content across various subjects such as English, science, math, coding, and even guidance on preparing for spelling bees. For a multisensory experience, Kidsworldfun.com includes nursery rhyme videos that promote rhythm and rhyme, enhancing language development.

 Beyond literature and learning, the website also incorporates a wide variety of games and quizzes to make the educational journey enjoyable. Parents and educators will find additional resources such as arts and crafts activities, coloring pages, and even cooking activities, providing hands-on activities  to children's development.

   

 

Effective Literacy Website #4: Reading Eggs

For my ILA Newsletter Weekly Project Effective Literacy Website #4 Exploration, I will be exploring and reviewing Reading Eggs (https://readingeggs.com/). Reading Eggs is a reading website for both parents or teachers. The website offers a free 30-day trial to allow parents or teachers to explore what the Reading Eggs website has to offer. After the 30-days, there is a subscription fee. The subscription fees are as follows: $9.99/month or $69.99/yearly. The subscription includes reading programs for up to 4 children.
            Reading Eggs' mission is to teach children how to read. It is based on a solid scientific research to allow children to succeed at their best. Reading Eggs uses the five essential keys to reading success: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This program is designed for children from ages 2-13 years old. The lessons utilize colorful animation, fun characters, songs, and rewards to motivate children. Children will receive interactive lessons to ensure that they stay on task. A placement quiz is given at the start of the program to ensure that children on the correct reading path. Reading Eggs includes over 3000 online books for kids. Each book ends with a comprehension quiz to ensure your child comprehended. Basically, children read books online, earn rewards along the way, and complete quizzes to ensure comprehension.

A convenience feature for Reading Eggs for parents is also included. Parents are able to download the Reading Eggs application on the App Store or Google Play so that their child is able to access the website on a phone, tablet, or laptop/computer. This is neat for those who are always on the go. Children are still able to read and complete lessons and activities away from home and school.

 

 

Ed San Nic's Technology Picks: Effective Literacy Website #4: News-O-Matic

 

https://www.newsomatic.org/

    Today I am reviewing the website: News-O-Matic. This website is not free and requires a purchased membership. They do offer a free trial version which is what I signed up for to do this review. Just like its title mentions, this website contains articles  about both current and past events in our world. It is easy to navigate by both children and adults alike. The picture below shows the homepage upon logging in. You can search for resources by using keywords, standards, grade levels, or specific dates which are easily displayed at the top of the page.  

The picture below displays a drop down menus showing some categories a user can search for news articles. As you can see, there a quite a few to choose from. 

Once you pick an article there is a toolbar that is displayed at the top of the page. This toolbar consists of different ways to interact with the article. These activities include questions, writing, and fun facts. It also includes the article in a select few languages for an ELL learner. Unfortunately is does not have any languages from our Micronesia region. Below is a picture of how an article I choose along with the displayed above. Again, All the tabs allow then student to interact with the article being presented. 

If you are teaching about citing and resources, there is a tab that displays that exact information. 

The picture below displays the questions that come with the article. Once the students answer these questions they get immediate feedback from the website. 

 The picture below shows the different types of units available. It will take some researching to see if any of these units are something you would like to use in your classroom. 

This site is filled with tons of non-fiction articles about both past and current events. Teachers can use this website to help their students learn about the events that have changed, are changing, or will change the world. It can be a good way to introduce the students to expository texts while having fun in the process. This website utilizes many interactive activities to keep our learners engaged. The only downside I see to this wonderful resource is that it requires a membership fee. Besides the fee, this is an another awesome literacy website to have in your toolbox. 

Lalilo by Renaissance

 

    Lalilo by Renaissance is a research-based phonics comprehension program. It is an online tool for the lower elementary grades kinder through second. How Lalilo works is that students are on

a journey through different worlds, collecting badges and unlocking stories. All the world has different activities that allow students to practice different identification and comprehension skills. Here are the different categories in the Scope and Sequence that Lalilo covers: Phonology (Cound and Blend Syllables), Phonics (Phonemic Awareness, Letter Recognition, Blending and Segmenting), Spelling (Word Level and Words in Context), Sight Words and Word Families (Automaticity, Fluency, Spelling, and Words in Context), and Grammar and Conventions (Capitalization and Sentence structures).  

    This website is great for teachers. As an educator on the Lalilo website, you’re first able to see the lessons that the students learned week by week. Teachers can create assignments and lesson plans for the students to focus on. At the end of each week, there is a progress monitor that shows if students mastered the lesson, lesson is still in progress, skipped, or needs a lot of help. Before any of these lessons could start however, students take a placement test activity to see how where they are level wise. From there, the site will generate the correct starting place for each student when doing the adventures. For comprehension, Lalilo offers practice for both listening and reading comprehension. Everything that the students work on is on their own pace and at their own level. Lalilo will adjust the experience, intelligence, and activities all on its own. 

Ciera's ILA Effective Website #4

Literably (https://www.literably.com/) is an online literacy assessment for grades K-8 designed to inform instruction, screen students for reading difficulties, identify students’ reading levels, and monitor students’ response to intervention. The data needed to do this are generated by a student reading a short passage out loud into a computer, laptop or tablet device and answering several comprehension questions.

Literably yields an oral reading fluency (ORF) score. An ORF score measures the number of words a student reads out loud correctly in one minute and is sometimes written as words correct per minute. ORF has the desirable property that, in general, it is valid for the purpose of screening elementary school students for reading difficulties. 

Unlike students assessed under these older instruments, students that use Literably read out loud into a device, typically a tablet or laptop. This is in contrast to the traditional process of an educator sitting with a student one-on-one and noting her errors as she reads. This change in mode of administration saves a large amount of staff time, which can improve student achievement via the reallocation of that time toward instructional activities

To promote content validity, Literably’s passages were selected to resemble the materials that students read in the classroom. Thus, Literably draws its reading passages, with permission, from leveled children’s trade books. Approximately half are excerpts and the remainder are the full book, with the full books concentrated at the lowest reading levels. Approximately half are fiction and half non-fiction. Pictures are available for all passages up through the 3rd grade level. All books were officially leveled according to Heinemann’s Guided Reading framework. 

Literably does have a monthly subscription however teachers are offered a free one month trial. After signing up for literably, teachers then add their student roster into the program. After adding students, teachers can have students take the many assessments to start gathering data. 

Overall, Literably is a great tool for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. It is an all in one website to measure a student’s literacy levels. 

Effective Literacy Website #3: Newsela by Tammy Leon Guerrero

  

    Newsela (https://newsela.com/) is an online hub for resources for teachers. It offers a search engine for resources and articles based on specified topics and criteria. Teachers can also sign up and provide a class code for their students to use the search engine.

    On Newsela, it is easy for teachers to sign up for a free account (Newsela Lite). With Newsela Lite, there are three highlighted features teachers can utilize. The first is that teachers can access four articles at a time. New articles are then added every week. The second feature is that teachers can differentiate instruction on five reading levels. The third feature that teachers have access to is that they can assign content along with different writing prompts and standards-aligned quizzes. Quiz responses can then be saved and later accessed in a digital binder. Newsela also makes it easy to sync classes from Google Classroom. Teachers can easily assign content to students that can also be easily tracked.

    Teachers can be assured that the content they assign to students is safe and informative. There are lots of topics to choose from and search for. When an article has been selected, teachers can also assign a poll for students to take. This poll features a question that can tap into a student's prior knowledge before reading. This is a great feature to have since it has been academically proven that when the proper schema of a child is activated, it gives more room for higher-quality thinking and comprehension.

    Newsela is a great online tool for teachers to incorporate into their classrooms. Teachers can share information on current events and other news topics to lead discussions within the classrooms. The free version of Newsela is a great start to encourage literacy.

Anthony Ponce's Effective Literacy Website # 4 NASA Ebooks

NASA Ebooks https://www.nasa.gov/ebooks/ offers downloadable ebooks and articles for those students who are interested in space, solar system and STEM field content. It is an easy to navigate website; most of their ebooks and articles are free for users to read. In addition to great reads that it offers making it an effective literacy resource, it also has a library of educational games. 

What makes NASA Ebooks an effective  literacy website? For starters, as mentioned it provides and offers current tech and space content that readers and students can learn about. Although most of the articles and titles may be geared towards the secondary level students, it does offer some article titles for younger readers. There is also an interactive component to it that provides users with some educational games. Another great feature is the titles are downloadable so students can save and read on their time of choice. There are so many interesting titles to read about involving space. It is a great website to introduce students who have interest in robotics, solar system and technology. I would recommend this website not only as an effective literacy tool, but just an overall great internet recourse to have. It is also user friendly and any grade-age level student will be a safe website for them to explore. 

"Tween Tribune" - The Smithsonian Mag

    Smithsonian mag, provided by the Smithsonian, offers daily news articles specifically designed for students in grades K-12. These articles come with quizzes and lesson plans, which can be used by teachers to initiate classroom discussions and current events. This resource aims to engage students, enhance their understanding of the world, and facilitate critical thinking and analysis skills.

    This “tween tribune” provides a unique perspective on various topics and subject matters that are researched, studied, and exhibited by the Smithsonian institution. You can find topics that will be very much fitted for your classroom lessons. These topics include science, history, art, popular culture, and innovation. The Smithsonian mag is organized by subject, which makes it so much easier for teachers to find topics that align with their lessons! The search toolbar found on the upper left corner is also helpful in finding articles, or activities that you can’t find within the topic sections. 

    The website also pushes out new news articles everyday, providing reliable and up-to-date sources of news for students and ensuring that students have access to current information events from around the world. This Tween Tribune is a great free resource for parents and educators to help keep children informed about the latest developments and encourage them to engage in discussions about the world around them. By offering insights and information through a Smithsonian lens, the magazine provides our students with a deeper understanding of these subjects and their significance in our own world!

Why is reading current events important for students?!

1. Develop critical thinking skills: Reading about current evnts helps students develop their critical thinking skills by analyzing information from various resources! It encourages them to question, analyze, and form their own opinions based on evidence. 
   
2. Increase awareness and knowledge: Current events provide students with up-to-date information about what is happening in the world. It helps students stay informed about global issues, fostering a broader understanding of different cultures, societies, and perspectives. 
3. Improve reading and comprehension skills: Regularly reading current events articles can improve your students' reading comprehension skills, vocabulary, and overall literacy! It exposes them to different writing styles, complex ideas, and diverse viewpoints. 

Effective Literacy Website #5 by Mary Jane P

 KizPhonics.com

Kiz Phonics is a website that offers educational resources and materials for teaching phonics to young children. It is a resource commonly used by parents, teachers and homeschoolers to support early literacy development in children. It has a range of interactive phonics games, worksheets, lesson plans and activities designed to help children develop their phonemic awareness, phonics skills, and reading abilities. Kiz Phonics aims to make learning phonics fun and engaging for children through interactive and visually appealing content. Kiz Phonics is a structured curriculum that is organized into different levels based on age groups. It covers preschool (ages 3-4), kindergarten (ages 4-6), 1st grade (ages 6-7) and 2nd grade (ages 7-8). 

Preschool Phonics (Ages 3-4) 

• This is where learning to read begins. The focus is on providing resources to support the early stages of reading development in children as young as 3 years old where they are just learning Print Awareness & Phonemic Awareness.

Kindergarten Phonics Level 1- Ages 4-6

• This program focuses on teaching foundational reading skills and a structured comprehensive approach to early reading development. Children will learn how to read words, sentences, engage with short stories, read short vowel sounds a & e, and beginning and ending consonant sounds. 

Kindergarten Phonics Level 2- Ages 4-6

• In level 2, children will learn short vowels i, o & u, ending and beginning consonants and digraphs

First Grade Phonics Level 1- Ages 6-7

• In this level, children will build up on various foundational reading skills. It covers short vowels, beginning and ending consonants, as well as specific phonics patterns such as S blends, consonant digraphs, and the soft sounds of C and G. This program aims to support children in developing their phonics knowledge and decoding skills! 

First Grade Phonics Level 2- Ages 6-7

• First grade level 2 focuses on teaching long vowel sounds with silent “e” patterns. Children will learn how the silent “e” at the end of words changes the pronunciation of the preceding vowel, focusing on the long “a” and long “i” sound. The program also covers vowel digraphs “ai” and “ay”, vowel digraphs “ee” and “ea”, and the use of final “y” as long “e” sound. 

    Kiz phonics curriculum and phonics activities are designed to bring joy to learning to read! Phonics, which involves combining letters to form sounds, is a fundamental method to use to teach children how to read. Phonics provides an effective method for learning to read, surpassing just word recognition. Recognizing that learners have different needs, the Kiz Phonics curriculum offers a diverse range of resources to support phonics instruction. These resources include phonics worksheets, games, flash cards, listening materials, word families activities, short stories, lesson videos, and powerpoint presentation. With this comprehensive set of resources, Kiz Phonics aims to provide educators and parents with the tools they need to effectively teach phonics and foster a love for reading in children!

Effective Literacy Website #4 by Jeanmarie Cruz

READING RAINBOWS

            Growing up without cable TV, the main channel that I watched as a young girl was PBS. Reading Rainbows is one of the earliest TV shows I remember watching. To my surprise, it is still around and has remained a valuable resource for students, teachers and parents everywhere. Reading Rainbow is a TV program that encourages children to be passionate readers. While production ended in 2006, their website remains active, and episodes can be viewed from their website or their YouTube channel. They will also be reviving the show as Reading Rainbow LIVE, an interactive book event.  

On top of videos and stories, readingrainbow.org offers resources for teachers and parents. The website offers different activities that you can do with your students or children after watching the episodes. After clicking the link for the activity, it will redirect you to the PBS learning website where you will find the online activity and local or state standards that apply. Reading Rainbow is one of my earliest memories of TV and fostered my interest in reading as a child. After reviewing their website, I look forward to using it as a tool in my classroom.  

Ciera's Effective Literacy Review #3 Raz-Kids

RazKids (https://www.raz-kids.com) is an award-winning online teaching tool that provides comprehensive leveled reading resources for students. There are hundreds of eBooks offered at 29 different levels of reading difficulty, it's easy to put the right content in every student's hands. Students have the opportunity to access their designated reading materials through an online learning platform specially designed to keep them motivated and engaged. The eBooks are readily available, in both online and mobile formats allowing students to listen, read at their pace and even record themselves while reading. Following each reading session students can take an eQuiz that includes ended questions to assess their understanding and identify areas, for further improvement. Once a student has successfully completed ten or more leveled eBooks along with their eQuizzes they progress to the next reading level where they can explore more challenging and longer texts.

Raz Kids offers a reading library that tailors to students’ individual reading levels allowing them to access books for their abilities. This personalized approach ensures that students can benefit from the platform based on their varying abilities. The interactive eBooks provided by Raz Kids come with features like read aloud support comprehension quizzes and engaging elements that enhance the reading experience. Teachers and parents can keep track of students' progress through the platform, gaining insights into their reading comprehension, quiz performance and the number of books they have read. This enables assessment and personalized instruction. 

Whether at home or in the classroom, Raz Kids is easily accessible on devices such as computers, tablets and more. To motivate students to regularly engage with the content and complete readings, Raz Kids incorporates elements like rewards and badges. Additionally it offers a range of reading materials across genres and topics to cater to diverse interests providing a differentiated learning experience for each student. The platform also includes teacher resources such as lesson plans, printable materials and tools, for managing and monitoring student progress. RazKids does have a 14 day free trial that does not require any credit card information. However, Raz-Kids operates on a subscription-based model, and access to the full range of features does require a subscription and this cost should be considered.