TOP PICKS | 25 TOOLS
Great Early Reading Resources
Top Picks
RELATED
Print | Save as PDF
Duolingo ABC - Learn to Read
Variety of drills offer solid, thorough approach to reading fundamentals
Bottom line: This can be a fun way to engage struggling readers or reinforce early reading classroom instruction.
Khan Academy Kids
Creative, smart mix of pre-K to K activities is a breath of fresh air
Bottom line: It's tough to stand out in the crowded early learning space, but this collection does just that, offering a one-stop shop for creative learning of foundational skills.
Name Play: a name reading and writing practice kit
Simple but fun games cleverly let prereaders explore familiar names
Bottom line: This collection of name-based mini-games offers a targeted and clever introduction to literacy.
Montessorium: Intro to Words
Well-crafted app lets emerging readers and writers develop reading skills through word building
Bottom line: Basic reading skills are developed through word building, word play, and letter-sound recognition.
Hooked on Phonics
Well-known curriculum adapts well to fun, easy-to-use app
Bottom line: Thorough phonics program offers a nice mixture of learning, practicing, and reading.
Monkey Word School Adventure
Delightful monkey means business on this challenging early reading app
Bottom line: Automatic leveling and mix of phonics and sight words make this a great addition to any early reading toolkit.
HOMER Reading: Learn to Read
Interactive app engages beginning readers of diverse learning styles
Bottom line: Top-notch phonics program effectively balances and guides students through stories, activities, and games.
ABCmouse for Teachers
Cartoon classroom has wide variety of point-and-click learning
Bottom line: With plenty of supervision to help kids stay on track, this free tool for teachers can be a nice classroom supplement.
Poio by Kahoot! Learn to Read
Kid-centered early reading game leans into discovery and delight
Bottom line: This is a smart spin on phonics with a deep commitment to a kid-driven, fun-first experience.
Montessori Crosswords
Gently ease kids into phonics with superb Montessori-inspired puzzles
Bottom line: The surprisingly great combo of Montessori principles and technology helps kids learn phonics without overstimulation.
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books
Add music, sound effects to books to spice up story time
Bottom line: This will enhance -- but not necessarily enrich -- stories; if that's what you're looking for, it works well and pairs with A-list books.
Duck Duck Moose Reading
Good early reading practice, but busy with a capital B
Bottom line: Duck Duck Moose Reading offers good skills practice, if kids can block out the distractions.
Starfall Learn to Read
Delight emergent readers with lively phonics lessons
Bottom line: Easy-to-use, plentiful phonics activities keep emergent readers engaged.
Lalilo
K-2 literacy program offers comprehensive, adaptive activities
Bottom line: An easy-to-recommend tool thanks to its broad coverage of key skills and nice balance of student-driven and teacher-differentiated learning.
Raz-Kids
Leveled readings with progress-tracking enhances differentiated reading program
Bottom line: It's worth considering as a supplement to your reading program thanks to the good variety of leveled books, easy assigning and assessing, and detailed progress reports.
Skybrary for School
Thorough lesson plans help teachers utilize an amazing digital library
Bottom line: Though it could use some updates, Skybrary for School has a set of top-quality resources with great value worth checking out.
Lexia Core5 Reading
Interactive reading program promotes targeted, individualized growth
Bottom line: A good blended reading platform that offers students some choices, and teachers, actionable data and useful offline resources.
Phonics Genius
Quality flashcard-style phonics app missing some basics
Bottom line: Phonics Genius is a great resource for building phonemic awareness and a library of sight words.
ReadingIQ
Great looking, free library has a reasonable diversity of titles
Bottom line: This is a reading app that focuses primarily -- and successfully -- on the reading; don't expect many bells and whistles though.
Rivet: Better Reading Practice
Free, leveled library has promise despite missing pieces
Bottom line: The free library of high-interest content is handy, but the lack of data and learning features will require supplements and supports.
Amazon Rapids
New way to engage reluctant readers can be a good short-term option
Bottom line: A fresh way to engage reluctant readers, but teachers will need to monitor comprehension and connect students to more complex texts.
Epic! - Kids' Books and Videos
Free, expansive digital library unlocks treasure trove of books
Bottom line: This large collection of books and videos on a wide variety of topics is an easy -- and free -- enhancement to any classroom library.
Literably
Simple and useful reading fluency assessment tool frees up teacher time
Bottom line: Some districts may find this to be a cost-effective, time-saving option for reading records.
ReadWorks
Differentiate reading instruction with high-quality texts and lessons
Bottom line: The quality and scope of texts, lesson plans, assessments, and supports on this platform can help facilitate targeted reading instruction in any classroom.
News-O-Matic EDU
Daily news stories and supplements keep elementary schoolers current
Bottom line: This highly useful current events platform can be a daily fixture of elementary school classrooms.
