Reading A-Z

Reading A-Z is a website that offers comprehensive implementation resources for differentiated offline reading instruction. There are over a thousand texts spanning 29 reading levels and multiple genres, and touching on a variety of school subjects. In addition to the library of texts, separate sections focus on materials to support teaching foundational reading skills, vocabulary, grammar, or writing. Throughout the site are a wealth of additional resources for teachers, including lesson plans, worksheets, graphic organizers, assessment tools, comprehension quizzes, fluency passages, and readers' theater scripts. It's important to note that Reading A-Z is a teacher's resource, not a platform for student access. Teachers can project and present books for the class (with some handy annotation tools), but teachers will need to upgrade their subscription for student-driven digital reading experiences. The developer, Learning A-Z, offers a variety of other literacy-based teaching tools, including ones meant for student use. Each program is available at a separate subscription cost or as part of a bundle.

In addition to searching by level, teachers can select books from a specific series or genre or choose books that target specific skills like decoding, high-frequency word recognition, and sound/symbol recognition. Though there are tons of options, navigating the site is easy. Everything a teacher could need is either a clearly labeled tab or link. If needed, a robust help menu and personalized assistance can help teachers navigate everything that's available.

Reading A-Z strikes a nice balance between encouraging teacher independence and supporting those who need a quick solution. Instead of a limited number of texts covering an equally limited range of levels, Reading A-Z offers a a range of options. However, some sections are thinner than others, and books vary in quality. Still, with the ability to search by interest, level, Common Core standard, and more, teachers will likely find books and materials that support their instructional needs and students' learning goals. With such a wide range of levels available, teachers can continue to challenge and support students as they improve throughout the year. Content is updated every four to six weeks -- ensuring that the collections are topical, accurate, and relevant.

There are great opportunities to extend guided instruction beyond the reading of text; lesson plans include scripts for readers' theater, journals for literature circles, and writing and discussion prompts. However, without an online tool for students, using the site could require a good deal of management and paperwork. Though teachers could conceivably avoid massive printing by projecting books and other materials to the class, this method doesn't allow for as much differentiation and individualized learning. Plus, worksheets and assessments would still need to be printed. So to take full advantage of Reading A-Z, teachers need almost unlimited printing capabilities. A subscription to some of the companion sites, such as Raz-Kids, could serve as a solution -- though it does require an additional cost. Overall, this is a neat and amazingly comprehensive resource for leveled reading, and it's a good fit for classrooms that aren't 1-to-1. But teachers who want online instruction or more powerful data tracking might look elsewhere (or upgrade their membership) for more robust features.