portaportal

About Me

About Me
This link will take you to my About page on my blog

http://twrctank.com/about/
My Blog - Resources for Teaching Reading (aka The TWRCtank)
"TWRC" rhymes with "work" & stands for "think, wonder, reflect, & connect."

http://twrctank.com
My Facebook Page

http://facebook.com/twrctank
My Twitter Account

http://twitter.com/TWRCtankcom
My YouTube Channel

http://youtube.com/user/twrctankcom

Achievement Gap

Stephen Krashen Discusses the Achievement Gap
This is a People Make a Difference Video from CSU, Dominguez Hills TV. Krashen discusses his plan to close the achievement gap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLcootlU9lc&feature=player_embedded#at=40
The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3 (Hart & Risley, AFT, 2003)
This is the key to the achievement gap in my opinion. I consider it a must read.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2003/hart.cfm
The Everyday Experience of American Babies: Discoveries and Implications (Risley & Hart, 2006)
This 5 pg pdf discusses 7 surprising discoveries from the very important study, "Meaningful Differences." It is a great read!

http://srdad.com/SrDad/Early_Childhood_files/Todd%20Risley.pdf
TWRCtank's YouTube Achievement Gap Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos organized in a playlist. (Look on the right-hand side.).

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/E3CCCF7442FBB0C9
When to Begin (and End) Read Aloud
This is an excerpt from Trelease's wonderful "The Read-Aloud Handbook." Excellent advice for parents!

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-ch2-pg2.html

Alphabet

Alphabet Avenue
This site is devoted to learning the alphabet. It has great information for parents and teachers as well as great reproducibles.

http://www.alphabetavenue.net/
Alphabet Games from PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/games/alphabet.html
Letter Games from PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/games/letters.html
TWRCtank's YouTube Alphabet Letters & Sounds Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos organized in a playlist. (Look on the right-hand side.).

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/D36952935C0E558E

Approaches to Teaching Reading

TWRCtank's Approaches to Teaching Reading Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/95F52D2F4CEF670D

Assessment

Assessing Reading Fluency (Rasinski, PREL, 2004)
This is a GREAT 28 page pdf about assessing fluency. It's from PREL (Pacific Resources for Education & Learning).

http://www.prel.org/media/137837/10_assessing-fluency.pdf
Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data (2006)
You can use this chart to determine the reading rate percentile (10th to 90th) of students in 1st-8th grades.

http://www.readnaturally.com/pdf/oralreadingfluency.pdf
TWRCtank's YouTube Assessment Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos organized in a playlist. (Look on the right-hand side.).

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/7AD976943B19A45E

Authors

TWRCtank's YouTube Authors Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/F9FD592C394CA6B9
Video Interviews with Top Children's Book Authors & Illustrators
More than 100 exclusive video interviews with authors & illustrators!! From Reading Rockets.

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/
Video Interviews with Young Adult Authors
From AdLit.org. Use the scroll bar to see all the videos.

http://www.adlit.org/media/authors/

Background Knowledge

AmericanRhetoric.com
This site is great for building knowledge & fluency practice with older readers. It has a database of full-text, audio and video

http://americanrhetoric.com/
Podcast by Daniel Willingham
Willingham discusses how teachers teach reading comprehension using comprehension strategies & why that's not enough.

http://download.publicradio.org/podcast/americanradioworks/podcast/arw_4_30_reading.mp3?_kip_ipx=1017638692-1297712350
Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge--of Words and the World (Hirsch, AFT, Spring 2003)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2003/index.cfm
Teaching Content is Teaching Reading (Willingham, New America Foundation, 2009)
This is a GREAT 10 min. video that demonstrates the importance of background knowledge in comprehension.

http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/must-see-youtube-teaching-content-teaching-reading-9403
What Reading Does for the Mind (Cunningham & Stanovich, AFT, Spring/Summer 1998)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading. It has some of my favorite charts, too.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/springsummer1998/index.cfm

Book Lists

Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac
Daily children's book recommendations & events from Anita Silvey.

http://childrensbookalmanac.com/
Award-Winning Kids' Books
You will find many book lists at this link from Reading Rockets.

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/awardwinners/

Book Trailers

60 Second Recap
This website has short 60 second recap videos of books for teens and young adults. Very impressive!

http://www.60secondrecap.com/
65 Book Videos from Scholastic
Book trailers (like movie trailers) from Scholastic. They are broken up into different grade levels. (K-12)

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751638
Book Trailers - Movies for Literacy
Categories: early elementary, late elementary & adolescent. Quite impressive! (They are .wmv files.)

http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/mgeary/booktrailers/
TWRCtank's YouTube Book Trailers Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/C6EFE6E0C9987F1A

Comprehension

Focus On Comprehension (Lehr & Osborn, PREL, 2005)
This is a GREAT 52 page pdf about comprehension by PREL (Pacific Resources for Education & Learning).

http://www.prel.org/media/139871/74_re_focuscomp.pdf
Phrase Craze (Peha)
This article was a HUGE aha for me and definitely influenced my work with students struggling with fluency and comprehension.

http://www.ttms.org/say_about_a_book/phrase_craze.htm
How to Improve Reading Comprehension by Chris Pirillo
Although it's impossible to cover everything about reading comprehension in a 5 min. video, I think Chris hit on some key points

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK2JscwKkHA
Podcast by Daniel Willingham
Willingham discusses how teachers teach reading comprehension using comprehension strategies & why that's not enough.

http://download.publicradio.org/podcast/americanradioworks/podcast/arw_4_30_reading.mp3?_kip_ipx=1017638692-1297712350
Reading as Reasoning: A Study of Mistakes in Paragraph Reading (Thorndike, 1917)
This is a landmark paper & is often cited. It is a great read!

http://www.archive.org/details/readingasreasoni00thor
Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge--of Words and the World (Hirsch, AFT, Spring 2003)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2003/index.cfm
Teaching Content is Teaching Reading (Willingham, New America Foundation, 2009)
This is a GREAT 10 min. video that demonstrates the importance of background knowledge in comprehension.

http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/must-see-youtube-teaching-content-teaching-reading-9403
TWRCtank's YouTube Comprehension Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/0831563DB4FBD125
Voice Inflection (Swallow)
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this lesson! It teaches students that the meaning changes when we emphasize different words.

http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/OtherLanguageMaterials/VoiceInflection.html
What Reading Does for the Mind (Cunningham & Stanovich, AFT, Spring/Summer 1998)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading. It has some of my favorite charts, too.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/springsummer1998/index.cfm

Dictionaries & Other References

Dictionary Selection is Important!
Pick a word & read its definition in different dictionaries. Not all dictionaries are student friendly! Is yours?
Collins Cobuild Dictionary & Thesaurus
Collins CoBuild dictionaries are a favorite of mine. You can search English or bilingual dictionaries on this site.

http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/
Dictionary.com
Not the most student friendly definitions, but I love that it includes word etymologies.

http://dictionary.com
Heinle's Newbury House Dictionary of American English
This online dictionary has over 40,000 entries using clear & simple definitions. Check out the "Advanced Search Options" tab.

http://nhd.heinle.com/home.aspx
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Words & phrases are defined using only the 2,000 most common English words. I'm a HUGE fan of Longman dictionaries.

http://www.ldoceonline.com/

Early Literacy

TWRCtank's YouTube Early Literacy Playlist
http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/454FF4A4D2E24AC9

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/454FF4A4D2E24AC9

Especially for Parents

Reading Rockets Webcast: From Babbling to Books
This is a 60 min webcast about important info all parents should know. A PowerPoint summary is below the video screen.

http://www.readingrockets.org/webcasts/1002
The Everyday Experience of American Babies: Discoveries and Implications (Risley & Hart, 2006)
This 5 pg pdf discusses 7 surprising discoveries from the very important study, "Meaningful Differences." It is a great read!

http://srdad.com/SrDad/Early_Childhood_files/Todd%20Risley.pdf
TWRCtank's YouTube Especially for Parents Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/CBCE7FDEA1BF283E
When to Begin (and End) Read-Aloud (Trelease)
This is an excerpt from Trelease's wonderful "The Read-Aloud Handbook." Excellent advice for parents!

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-ch2-pg2.html

Especially for Students

Betweeen the Lions
This is PBS' website for this wonderful TV show that promotes reading. It has stories, games & video clips.

http://pbskids.org/lions/
Free Rice.com
Improve your vocabulary while you donate food to those in need.

http://freerice.com/
Game Classroom's Language Arts (& Math) Videos
A collection of videos for K-6 students.

http://www.gameclassroom.com/videos
Game Classroom's Language Arts Games
Search by grade levels (K-6).

http://www.gameclassroom.com/language-arts-games
Grammar Ninja
Keith Schoch says it's presented "in a fun way that's reminiscent of comic books & video games...Self-checking & lots of fun!"

http://www.kwarp.com/portfolio/grammarninja.html
Grammaropolis
This site has grammar games, songs, books, & videos. I haven't played around much on this site, but I liked what I saw.

http://www.grammaropolis.com/
Literacy Games from PBS Kids
I haven't played many of the games yet, but it's from PBS Kids, so they are probably good!

http://pbskids.org/games/literacy.html
Online Reading Material
See the category, Online Reading Material, for more places that are especially for students.
Reading Games from PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/games/reading.html
Rhyming Games from PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/games/rhyming.html
Starfall
Although I haven't spent much time here, I know many teachers who love this website & say their students do, too.

http://www.starfall.com/
TWRCtank's YouTube Videos for Kids Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/BFB8191EDDF67DE0
Vocabulary.Co.Il
This has tons of vocab games for K-12 students (e.g. analogy, syllable, contraction, prefix/suffix, idioms, foreign language,..

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/
Word Girl (PBS Kids)
This is the website for the award-winning PBS show that helps kids improve their vocabulary. I'm a fan!

http://pbskids.org/wordgirl/

Facebook

Colorin Colorado

https://www.facebook.com/ColorinColorado.org
International Reading Association

https://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Reading-Association/81491751082
Learning Disabilities Online

https://www.facebook.com/LDOnline
National Council of Teachers of English

https://www.facebook.com/ncte.org
National Writing Project

https://www.facebook.com/writingproject
Orange County Reading Association (CA)

https://www.facebook.com/OCReading
Reach Out and Read

https://www.facebook.com/reachoutandread
Reading Rockets

https://www.facebook.com/ReadingRockets.org
ReadWriteThink.org

https://www.facebook.com/ReadWriteThink.org
TWRCtank

http://facebook.com/twrctank
Voice of Literacy

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Voice-of-Literacy/123497410024

Feedback Survey

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Five (+1) Pillars of Reading Instruction

Five (+1) Pillars of Reading Instruction
This is a chart of the 5 (+1) pillars of reading instruction. I created it in GoogleDocs.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8MXQ2im3WuoZjg5NTgzYzktYmNhNi00MGU3LWJlODEtYzA4MzMwNzQ5ZTk4&hl=en_US

Fluency

AmericanRhetoric.com
Great site for older readers to build knowledge & practice fluency. It's a database of famous speeches (full-text, audio & video

http://americanrhetoric.com/
Assessing Reading Fluency (Rasinski, PREL, 2004)
This is a GREAT 28 page pdf about assessing fluency. I learned so much from this clearly written series by PREL (Pacific Resourc

http://www.prel.org/media/137837/10_assessing-fluency.pdf
Focus on Fluency (Osborn, Lehr & Hiebert, PREL, 2003)
This is a GREAT 36 pg pdf about fluency. I learned so much from this clearly written series by PREL (Pacific Resources for Educa

http://www.prel.org/media/139885/75_fluency-1.pdf
Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data (2006)
This GREAT chart should give you perspective on reading rates for students in grades 1-8.

http://www.readnaturally.com/pdf/oralreadingfluency.pdf
Phrase Craze (Peha)
This article was a HUGE aha for me and definitely influenced my work with students struggling with fluency and comprehension.

http://www.ttms.org/say_about_a_book/phrase_craze.htm
Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge--of Words and the World (Hirsch, AFT, Spring 2003)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2003/index.cfm
Speed Does Matter in Reading (Rasinski, The Reading Teacher, 2000)
I learned so much from this article on fluency.

http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/courses/rdla150/docs/c1s3_10speeddoesmatter.pdf
The Method of Repeated Readings (S. Jay Samuels, The Reading Teacher, 1979)
This is a must read for fluency.

http://www.li.suu.edu/Library/Circulation/Angell/educ6390vaMethodofRepeatedReadings.pdf
TWRCtank's YouTube Fluency Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/952488C3342C13E0
Vocaroo Screencast Video by Russell Stannard
This video explains how to use this free tool to record voices. I think it would be great for fluency practice.

http://screencast.com/t/NTEwYzUyM
Voice Inflection (Swallow)
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this lesson! It teaches students that we change the meaning of things by what words we emphasize.

http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/OtherLanguageMaterials/VoiceInflection.html
VoiceThread
VoiceThread is a tool you can use for fluency practice. Students could read their own writing or text you upload (e.g. poems).

http://voicethread.com
What Reading Does for the Mind (Cunningham & Stanovich, AFT, Spring/Summer 1998)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading. It has some of my favorite charts, too.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/springsummer1998/index.cfm
What Research Has to Say About Fluency Instruction (edited by S. Jay Samuels & Alan E. Farstrup, 2006)
I highly recommend this book. I believe you can read it in its entirety at this link on Google Books.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Oc-X4Vf8c3IC&printsec=frontcover&dq=what+research+has+to+say+about+fluency+instruction&source=bl&ots=E063r0VyM2&sig=ZnCcmexsclhoIPt0AgcsZ_CGtJY&hl=en&ei=gaXhS8PeJo_WNaitpawD&sa=X&oi=book

Glogsters

Out of My Mind (Glogster by @literacydocent)
This is a wonderful glogster about a must read book. Created by @literacydocent

http://literacydocent.edu.glogster.com/out-of-my-mind/

Grammar

Grammar Ninja
Keith Schoch says it's presented "in a fun way that's reminiscent of comic books & video games...Self-checking & lots of fun!"

http://www.kwarp.com/portfolio/grammarninja.html
Grammaropolis
This website for kids has grammar games, songs, books, & videos. I haven't played around on it much, but I liked what I saw.

http://www.grammaropolis.com/

Libraries

TWRCtank's YouTube Libraries Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/57C7AA72C1798EA7

Matching Readers to Books

Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac
Search by age group, subject, type of book, author/illustrator or date featured.

http://childrensbookalmanac.com/archive/
AR BookFinder
Search by authors, topics, titles, interest levels, ATOS levels, fiction/nonfiction, English, Spanish & suggested lists.

http://www.arbookfind.com
Book Trailers
Book trailers are similar to movie trailers, but for books! :) See the category, Book Trailer, for some resources.
goodreads
GoodReads is a social network for readers. Using it will help you find good reads.

http://www.goodreads.com/about/us
Guys Read
This site was created by the very funny Jon Scieszka and is aimed at getting boys to read. It is a great site.

http://guysread.com/
International Reading Association's Book Choices Lists
Here, you'll find links of recommended book lists from children, young adults, teachers, & librarians. The lists are annotated.

http://www.reading.org/Resources/Booklists/ChildrensChoices.aspx
Kids Reads
GREAT site to find out about favorite books, series & authors. Book reviews, author interviews, trivia games, contests & more.

http://www.kidsreads.com/index.asp
Lexile.com
A recommended reading list will be created when you enter your interests plus a lexile or answers to other questions.

http://lexile.com/fab/
Mid-Continent Public Library
Search different databases & book lists to help match books with kids, teens & adults.

http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/
PBS Bookfinder
Find books by age range (babies to grade 3) or theme. Select by read aloud, read to self, or both.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/bookfinder/
Shelfari
Shelfari by amazon is a social network for readers.

http://www.shelfari.com/Shelfari/AboutUs.aspx
StorySnoops
Read book reviews from a parent's perspective. You can search by genre, character gender, suggested reading & content type.

http://storysnoops.com/
Teacher Book Wizard by Scholastic
Search by grade level equivalents, lexiles, guided reading levels, DRA levels, similar books & more.

http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/homePage.do
The Book Seer
Type in the title & author of the last book you read (& liked) and it will return a list of recommended titles.

http://www.bookseer.com
The Childrens & Teens Series Binder
Here, you can find "a comprehensive listing of series books for children ranging from toddlers to tweens."

http://seriesbinder.lishost.org/index.php/Main_Page
TWRCtank's YouTube Matching Books to Readers Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/A706A9DD08273B2C
Webster Public Library
Click on “Books, Books, Books” to find a book search tool called NoveList. Use that to search by subject, level, # of pgs & more

http://www.websterlibrary.org/Frames/frame_parents.html
Your Next Read
Enter title, author, genre etc in search box to get book recs. Browse lists (e.g. best sellers, awards.) Children's tab is nice.

http://www.yournextread.com/us/

Meet the Experts

Children of the Code
GREAT site about the challenge of learning to read. Loaded w/ articles, videos & interviews from leading researchers.

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/
Conference Plenary Videos from the Literacy Research Association
Here are many videos from leading literacy researchers at LRA's conferences (2005 to the present).

http://www.nrconline.org/conference.html
International Reading Association's Reading Radio Channel
Once a month, an expert is interviewed on a topic related to reading education. You can access all broadcasts at this link.

http://www.reading.org/Resources/Radio.aspx
Podcasts from the Voice of Literacy
Lots of great free podcasts here.

http://www.voiceofliteracy.org/
TWRCtank's YouTube Meet the Experts Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/B7ED55EDEFFCC8B8

Miscellaneous

TWRCtank's YouTube Miscellaneous Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/86601FEFAF5E79C3

Online Reading Material for Kids

AmericanRhetoric.com
Great site for older readers to build knowledge & practice fluency. It's a database of famous speeches (full-text, audio & video

http://americanrhetoric.com/
EFL 2.0's Videos
This site has 41 videos of popular songs & books. Words are highlighted & scroll across the screen as text is read/sung.

http://vimeo.com/user764061/videos/sort:alphabetic
Gullah Tales
Aunt Pearlie Sue reads folktales in English & Gullah at this site.

http://www.knowitall.org/gullahtales/
International Children's Digital Library
The books here are available to read online in many different languages.

http://en.childrenslibrary.org/
Mrs. P.com
Kathy Kinney (aka "Mimi" from "The Drew Carey Show") reads books aloud in her magic library. She has a writing contest for kids.

http://www.mrsp.com
National Gallery of Writing (A project of NCTE)
A virtual museum of writing from a diverse group of people. (Yes, kids, too!) Why not start your own gallery?

http://www.galleryofwriting.org/
Poetry & Nursery Rhymes
See the category, Poetry/Nursery Rhymes, for resources.
Signed Stories
At this website, students can read subtitles or watch people use sign language to tell the story.

http://www.signedstories.com/index.cfm
Storyline Online
This site features screen actors guild members reading books aloud.

http://www.storylineonline.net/
Wild Times Magazines
This site has PDF versions of their informational magazine. There are teacher activity guides for each issue.

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Kids/kids.htm

Phonemic & Phonological Awareness

TWRCtank's YouTube Phonemic Awareness Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/4C5EBF99330BEA3D

Phonics/Decoding

Decoding Skills
This 10 pg pdf discusses 4 types of decoding: (1) Sequential, (2) Decoding by Analogy, (3) Using Context to Decode, & (4) Instan

http://www.eduplace.com/marketing/nc/pdf/fw_p11-20.pdf
Heinle's Newbury House Dictionary of American English
Clicking on the "Advanced Search Options" & selecting "ends with" should prove useful in teaching decoding by analogy.

http://nhd.heinle.com/home.aspx
Knowing 37 Rimes Helps Beginning Readers Decode 500 Common Words
I can't link to the original Wylie & Durrell (1970) article, so I linked to this.,

http://www.education.com/reference/article/phonograms/
Teaching Decoding (Moats, AFT, Spring/Summer 1998)
A 9 pg. pdf about stages of reading development & teaching decoding by Louisa C. Moats.

http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/springsummer1998/moats.pdf
TWRCtank's YouTube Phonics Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/0370A8045E8478FA

Podcasts

Podcast by Daniel Willingham
Willingham discusses how teachers teach reading comprehension using comprehension strategies & why that's not enough.

http://download.publicradio.org/podcast/americanradioworks/podcast/arw_4_30_reading.mp3?_kip_ipx=1017638692-1297712350
Podcasts from Choice Literacy

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/department94.cfm
Podcasts from Reading Rockets
Podcasts of all their videos can be downloaded in iTunes.

http://www.readingrockets.org/podcasts/
Podcasts from the International Reading Association
You will find many great podcasts from the International Reading Association here.

http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/Podcasts.aspx
Podcasts from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
A different topic of early education is focused on each month. Links to all broadcast archives can be found here.

http://www.naeyc.org/newsroom/NAEYCradio
Podcasts from the Thinkfinity Literacy Network
Lots of free podcasts here. Most of them have a pdf of the full text, too. Great for parents & teachers.

http://literacynetwork.verizon.org/Podcasts.182.0.html
Podcasts from the Voice of Literacy
Lots of great free podcasts here.

http://www.voiceofliteracy.org/

Poetry/Nursery Rhymes

Giggle Poetry
This is poet, Bruce Lansky's website. It is filled with so much for kids to read & do. Kids love it, too!

http://gigglepoetry.com/
Jack Prelutsky's Website
This is poet, Jack Prelutsky's, website.

http://www.jackprelutsky.com/
Magnetic Poetry
This is such a fun place to play! :)

http://www.magneticpoetry.com/kids-area/
Mother Goose Club
Knowing nursery rhymes is great for literacy. This site has many with video &/or audio. It also has songs, printables & more.

http://www.mothergooseclub.com/index.php
Poetry 4 Kids
This is poet, Kenn Nesbitt's, website.

http://www.poetry4kids.com/
Robert Pottle
Here, you'll find links to poet websites and links to poetry podcasts & videos of Pottle's poems.

http://robertpottle.com/poems/links.php
Rhyming Games from PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/games/rhyming.html
Shel Silverstein's Official Website
There are areas for kids, parents, teachers & librarians. Several poems are animated & some are performed by Silverstein.

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/play.asp

Reading Aloud

Developing Language, Knowledge, and Vocabulary via Dialogic Reading Methods (Urbani)
This is a link to a great article & comment on the Vocabulogic blog. Great for teachers & parents.

http://vocablog-plc.blogspot.com/2011/06/developing-language-knowledge-and.html
Read Aloud Websites
See the category, Online Reading Material for Kids, to find links to websites where people read aloud.
TWRCtank's YouTube Reading Aloud with Children Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/D456575243D37026
When to Begin (and End) Read-Aloud (Trelease)
This is an excerpt from Trelease's wonderful "The Read-Aloud Handbook." Excellent advice for parents!

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-ch2-pg2.html

Reading Associations

International Reading Association (IRA)
You will find links to local, state, & provincial IRA councils here, too.

http://reading.org
Literacy Research Association (LRA)
Formerly known as the National Reading Conference (NRC). They aim to advance literacy theory, research & practice.

http://www.nrconline.org/conference.html
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Here, you can find sections for teachers of elementary, middle, secondary & college.

http://www.ncte.org/
Orange County Reading Association (OCRA)
My local reading council. I'm actively involved in my council. If you aren't I hope you consider it. :)

http://ocreading.org

Reluctant Readers

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Spelling

Spelling Games from PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/games/spelling.html
Vocabulary & Spelling City
This is an outstanding site devoted to spelling that kids really seem to love. I bet it would be useful to many adults, too.

http://www.spellingcity.com/

sqworls

A sqworl is a collection of links.
They're easy to make! Maybe you'll decide to make one, too.
Literacy Blogs & Websites
created by TWRCtank

http://sqworl.com/u10mz8
Primary Reading
created by simvike

http://sqworl.com/8kaekc

Teaching Forums & Nings

A Note about Nings (social networks for teachers interested in improving their craft):
Each ning has many different groups. You must join to participate. Joining is FREE!
English Companion Ning
Created by Jim Burke. It seems geared towards middle & high school.

http://englishcompanion.ning.com/groups/
International Reading Associations's Social Network: Engage
IRA launched this social network in May 2011. Lots of content. Some is restricted to IRA members only.

http://engage.reading.org
Teachers.Net: Reading Teachers Chatboard
There is a search box on the left that lets you search the site. The Quick Links menu is also helpful.

http://teachers.net/mentors/reading/posts.html
The Educator's PLN (Personal Learning Network) Ning
Created by Thomas Whitby. It seems geared towards elementary school.

http://edupln.ning.com/groups
We Teach Ning
Created by teachmama--amy. Although this ning is relatively new, I expect great things!

http://www.weteachgroup.com/groups

Technology

ELT/ESL Teacher Training Videos by Russell Stannard
Russell Stannard makes wonderful screencast videos about great sites teachers can use. GREAT stuff!

http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/
TWRCtank's YouTube Technology in the Classroom Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/BE6D1991591BD7D9

Twitter

34 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
A Google Docs presentation

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhn2vcv5_118cfb8msf8
Classroom Tweeters
A Twitter list of classroom tweeeters. Only tweets from public Twitter accounts will be displayed.

http://twitter.com/#!/TWRCtankcom/classroom-tweeters
Educational Chats on Twitter
By using a hashtag (#), people all over the world can discuss a topic. There are many active Twitter chats out there!

http://cybraryman.com/chats.html
Podcast: Twitter for Teachers
Excellent podcast!!! You can listen to it or read the text.Two Stenhouse authors are the hosts.

http://www.stenhouse.com/html/twitterforteachers.htm
The Best Resources For Beginning to Learn What Twitter Is All About
Larry Ferlazzo compiled this great collection of resources.

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/05/18/the-best-resources-for-beginning-to-learn-what-twitter-is-all-about/
TweetChat (Used to follow Twitter Chats)
Enter chat name in the box after the #. This is set up for #literacy (not a real chat yet).

http://tweetchat.com/room/literacy
Twitter Lists by @TWRCtankcom
Several are geared towards literacy. Click on the list name to see recent tweets of those on the list.

http://twitter.com/#!/TWRCtankcom/lists
Twitter Resources
A great collection of Twitter resources by Jerry Blumengarten.

http://cybraryman.com/twitter.html
Twitter Training Videos
A series of videos about how to use Twitter.

http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/newTwitter/index.html

Videos

Conference Plenary Videos from the Literacy Research Association
Here are many videos from leading literacy researchers at LRA's conferences (2005 to the present).

http://www.nrconline.org/conference.html
TWRCtank's YouTube Channel
This is my YouTube channel. Be sure to check out the different playlists on the right-hand side. Subscribing would be nice. :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/p
Reading Rockets Programs about Reading & Education
If you missed them on PBS, you can watch them online. Great for parents & teachers!

http://www.readingrockets.org/shows/
Videos & Podcasts from Reading Rockets
On the right, you will find two ways to search the videos: Channels & Topics A-Z. Their videos are GREAT!

http://www.readingrockets.org/podcasts/

Vocabulary

Dictionary Selection - Collins CoBuild
What dictionaries students use is important. I'm a fan of Collins CoBuild dictionaries.

http://www.elearnaid.com/reviewcobuild.html
Dictionary Selection - Longman
What dictionaries students use is important. I'm a BIG fan of Longman dictionaries.

http://www.longmanhomeusa.com/products.php?mid=49
English Companion Ning: Teaching Vocabulary
See a note about nings in the category, Teaching Forums & Nings.

http://englishcompanion.ning.com/group/teachingvocabulary
Focus On Vocabulary (Lehr, Osborn & Hiebert, PREL, 2004)
This is a GREAT 44 page pdf from PREL (Pacific Resources for Education & Learning).

http://www.prel.org/products/re_/ES0419bw.pdf
Free Rice.com
Improve your vocabulary while you donate food to those in need.

http://freerice.com/
MyVocabulary.com
This site has free lessons for a root a week, SAT words, word lists from popular readings & much more.

http://www.myvocabulary.com/
Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge–of Words and the World (Hirsch, AFT, Spring 2003)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2003/index.cfm
Reading Rockets Webcast: From Babbling to Books
This is a 60 min webcast about important info all parents should know. A PowerPoint summary is below the video screen.

http://www.readingrockets.org/webcasts/1002
Save the Words
A fun site that promotes word consciousness. It allows users to adopt words that run the risk of being dropped from English.

http://savethewords.org/
Teaching Content is Teaching Reading (Willingham, New America Foundation, 2009)
This is a GREAT 10 min. video that demonstrates the importance of background knowledge in comprehension.

http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/must-see-youtube-teaching-content-teaching-reading-9403
The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3 (Hart & Risley, AFT, 2003)
This is the key to the achievement gap in my opinion. I consider it a must read.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2003/hart.cfm
The Everyday Experience of American Babies: Discoveries and Implications (Risley & Hart, 2006)
This 5 pg pdf discusses 7 surprising discoveries from the very important study, "Meaningful Differences." It is a great read!

http://srdad.com/SrDad/Early_Childhood_files/Todd%20Risley.pdf
TWRCtank's YouTube Vocabulary & Language Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/D4F78E4B4ADCFE33
VocabAhead
In the study room, you can learn SAT, GRE, or ACT words by watching videos, using flash cards, & taking quizzes.

http://www.vocabahead.com/StudyRoom/tabid/61/Default.aspx
Vocabulary Concepts & Research via the University of Oregon's Center on Teaching & Learning
This site has a wealth of info on reading. This particular page has great charts of important vocabulary research.

http://reading.uoregon.edu/big_ideas/voc/voc_what.php
Vocabulary Games from PBS Kids

http://pbskids.org/games/vocabulary.html
Vocabulary.Co.Il
This has tons of vocab games for K-12 students (e.g. analogy, syllable, contraction, prefix/suffix, idioms, foreign language,..

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/
Vocabulogic
This is a phenomenal blog written & commented on by leaders in the field. See the vocabulary resources at the bottom of the page

http://vocablog-plc.blogspot.com/
What Reading Does for the Mind (Cunningham & Stanovich, AFT, Spring/Summer 1998)
This article really influenced my thoughts on teaching reading. It has some of my favorite charts, too.

http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/springsummer1998/index.cfm
Word Girl (PBS Kids)
This is the website for the award-winning PBS show that helps kids improve their vocabulary. I'm a fan!

http://pbskids.org/wordgirl/

VoiceThread

25 Interesting Ways to Use VoiceThread in the Classroom (and tips)
A Google docs presentation.

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhn2vcv5_245f2nkv3g3
100 Ways to Use VoiceThread in Education
A VoiceThread presentation

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/06/100-ways-to-use-voicethread-in.html
An Educator's Guide to VoiceThread
A great guide to get you started. Lots of screenshots.

http://teachingwithoutwalls.com/userfiles/file/VTEducatorsGuide.pdf
VoiceThread 4 Education Wiki
Lots of great stuff! (K-College)

http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/
VoiceThread in Education
Several ideas for using VoiceThread in the language arts classroom (and other areas, too).

http://www.slideshare.net/suziea/voicethread-examples-in-education-presentation
VoiceThread Screencast Videos by Russell Stannard
A set of training videos about VoiceThread.

http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/voiceThread/index.html
VoiceThread's Education Digital Library
A list of successful VoiceThread projects (curated by VoiceThread). You can read about the projects & see the VoiceThreads, too!

http://voicethread.com/about/library/

Webinars

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Websites to Visit

See the category, Reading Associations, to find more websites.
AdLit.org
Resources for parents & educators of students in grades 4-12. (A sister site of Reading Rockets)

http://www.adlit.org/
Balanced Reading
There is a wealth of information here. Great stuff!!!!

http://www.balancedreading.com/
Carl's Corner
This website is loaded with great student & teacher reproducibles for primary grade children.

http://www.carlscorner.us.com/
Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA)
A national center for research on early reading.

http://www.ciera.org/
Children of the Code
GREAT site about the challenge of learning to read. Loaded w/ articles, videos & interviews from leading researchers.

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/
Colorin Colorado
A bilingual website for families & educators of English language learners. (A sister site of Reading Rockets)

http://www.colorincolorado.org/
Cybraryman's Educational Web Sites
Jerry, the Cybraryman, has many great pages. Here's his collection of language arts links for all grade levels.

http://cybraryman.com/languageartslinks.html
International Reading Association's Reading Radio Channel
Once a month, an expert is interviewed on a topic related to reading education. You can access all broadcasts at this link.

http://www.reading.org/Resources/Radio.aspx
LD (Learning Disabilities) Online
A great website devoted to learning disabilities and ADHD. (A sister site of Reading Rockets)

http://www.ldonline.org/
Lincs: Literacy Information & Communication System (includes National Institute for Literacy's Archives, NIFL, which closed in Sept. 2010)
A national dissemination & professional development system. Has info on literacy research, practice & resources.

http://lincs.ed.gov/
NAEYC Radio
A different topic of early education is focused on each month. Links to all broadcast archives can be found here.

http://www.naeyc.org/newsroom/NAEYCradio
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
This assoc. is all about early childhood ed (children from birth through age 8). Resources for parents, caregivers & teachers.

http://www.naeyc.org/
National Gallery of Writing (A project of NCTE)
A virtual museum of writing from a diverse group of people. (Yes, kids, too!) Why not start your own gallery?

http://www.galleryofwriting.org/
Pacific Resources for Education & Learning (PREL)
A nonprofit corp. that helps Pacific schools improve. This link takes you to their GREAT free publications about literacy.

http://www.prel.org/free-publications/reading-literacy.aspx
Read Write Think (A partnership between IRA & NCTE)
Has resources for parents, teachers, & afterschool educators. Also has resources for professional development. (K-12)

http://www.readwritethink.org/
Reading Online (Published by the International Reading Association)
Online magazine about reading education. Search articles by author, title & subject.

http://www.readingonline.org/
Reading Rockets
This is a FABULOUS website filled with MANY great resources. For parents & teachers.

http://www.readingrockets.org/
The Knowledge Loom: Educators Sharing & Learning Together
This is their spotlight library, or organized collection of resources. Developed & maintained by The Educ. Alliance at Brown U.

http://knowledgeloom.org/index.jsp
Trelease On Reading
Jim Trelease's website. Lots of great info for parents & teachers. Trelease wrote "The Read Aloud Handbook." (Great book!)

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/

Wikis to Check Out

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Writing

National Gallery of Writing (A project of NCTE)
A virtual museum of writing from a diverse group of people. (Yes, kids, too!) Why not start your own gallery?

http://www.galleryofwriting.org/
TWRCtank's YouTube Writing Playlist
A collection of YouTube videos. (Look on the right-hand side.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/TWRCtankcom?feature=mhee#p/c/31022F345C80DB9B