Learning

Resources

Discover New Ways to Teach Literacy Essentials

Create everyday connections to the five foundational keys of literacy with on-the-go microlearnings and flexible instructional supports. Whether you work in a classroom or after school program, these hands-on resources provide an explicit, systematic approach to instruction and opportunities to practice applying new skills.

Build a Foundation

Watch the video at the beginning of each section to learn about one of the five basic skills of literacy.

Expand Your Knowledge

Click on "Launch Microlearning Module" and complete the 6-8 minute, self-paces microlearn. Each one provides you with new strategies and activities ready to use with students as soon as today.

Print Your Certificate

Upon completion of each microlearn you'll be issued a certificate as evidence of your learning. There are 15 certificates in all!

Make a Difference

Whether you're a classroom teacher, parent, or work with students in an afterschool program, these bite sized activities and quick professional learnings are sure to sharpen your literacy skills for teaching students to become confident readers.

Phonological Awareness

Explore the power that students have to engage in meaningful interactions by learning to identify and manipulate the individual sound units within spoken words.

Explainer Video

What is Phonological Awareness?

Explore how sounds are used to form the building blocks of words by learning about phonological awareness.

Phonological Awareness

Rhythm and Rhyme

How much can rhyming and rhythm effect the meaning communicated with words?
6-8 Minutes
Test students’ ability to identify rhymes with an activity that explores the importance of the underlying rhythm of language.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Phonological Awareness

Sounds Sequence

Can you tweak the sounds of words to create new kinds of meaning?
6-8 Minutes
Students will stretch and blend words in creative ways while learning about the sequential structure of language.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Phonological Awareness

Sound Manipulation

Does the sound of a word help you remember or understand its meaning?
6-8 Minutes
Discover the many ways students can express themselves by the way they shape the sounds of words.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity

Phonics

Strengthen students’ understanding of the relationship between the sound of a word or letter and its literal meaning with these phonemics-focused resources.

Explainer Video

What is Phonics?

Discover methods to help learners build a strong foundation in reading by understanding the relationship between sounds and letters.

Phonics

Alphabetic Principle

Can you use the Alphabet Arc to help decode the world around you?
6-8 Minutes
Reinforce students’ core understanding of the alphabet with an activity revolving around the Alphabet Arc framework.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Phonics

Decoding

Is verbal language a form of code-making?
6-8 Minutes
Uncover the meaning within words as students learn practical approaches to decoding language.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Phonics

Word Study

Do the number of syllables in a word reveal anything about it?
6-8 Minutes
Look deeper into the way our brains organize language with an activity focusing on the syllables within words.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity

Fluency

Enhance the comfort students feel using language by honing their ability to read quickly, accurately, and with proper pronunciation.

Explainer Video

What is Fluency?

Find out what essential skills are needed to improve reading speed, accuracy, and expressive delivery for a more engaging and proficient reading experience.

Fluency

Automaticity

How can practice and memorization be used to improve our literacy skills?
6-8 Minutes
Inspire students to sharpen their literacy skills with an activity that tests their ability to speak and think fast.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Fluency

Reading Speed

Is language like a “muscle” that can be worked out?
6-8 Minutes
Equip students with skills that they can use to read and navigate text more efficiently.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Fluency

Prosody

Can we infuse words with emotion by the way that we say them?
6-8 Minutes
Jazz-up students’ use of language with an activity that emphasizes the importance of expressive speech.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity

Vocabulary

Teach students how to develop a versatile vocabulary with resources that bring words to life through visual and interactive learning.

Explainer Video

What is Vocabulary?

Explore the crucial role of vocabulary in literacy instruction, highlighting how it shapes our ability to comprehend and use language effectively.

Vocabulary

Tier 1 Vocabulary

Do you have a strong understanding of what nouns and verbs are?
6-8 Minutes
Get students started on the way to developing their vocabulary with a series of simple word challenges.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Vocabulary

Tier 2 Vocabulary

How quickly can you identify words?
6-8 Minutes
Explore the second level of vocabulary, which includes words that have more than one meaning.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Vocabulary

Tier 3 Vocabulary

Are you confident in your ability to determine the meaning of words?
6-8 Minutes
Discover the importance of “content words” as students learn about Tier 3 vocabulary.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity

Reading Comprehension

Reinforce the foundation of knowledge that students use to interpret language with resources that break down the basics of reading comprehension.

Explainer Video

What is Reading Comprehension?

Take a closer look at the way our mind extracts meaning from text and retains the content more efficiently.

Reading Comprehension

Background Knowledge

What role does the context of a word play in how it is used?
6-8 Minutes
Show students how their pre-existing knowledge colors the ways that they use language.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Reading Comprehension

Reading Strategies

Can you recognize “high level” patterns in the use of language?
6-8 Minutes
Challenge students to summarize, make predictions, visualize, and ask questions to understand language.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity
Reading Comprehension

Text Structures

Do you consider the structure of a text when reading?
6-8 Minutes
Explore the architecture of language with an activity that tests students' ability to notice details.
Launch Microlearning Module
Open Ready-to-Use Activity

Some 34% of students are below basic reading level in the fourth grade.

—U.S. National Center for Education Statistics