TOP PICKS | 20 TOOLS
Great Early Reading Resources
Top Picks
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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.
LeapFrog Explorer Learning Game: LeapSchool Reading
Kids play fun reading and hobby games to complete a classroom yearbook
Bottom line: A combination of reading games and activities based on hobbies fill this engaging title about building a yearbook.
Homer: Kids Learn to Read App
A captivating, comprehensive beginning reading resource
Bottom line: Concrete phonics learning alongside books, songs, storytelling, and art.
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.
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.
Ready to Learn Reading
Vast assortment of activities encourage reading and storytelling
Bottom line: A great variety of activities to inspire and develop reading and story building skills, but navigation is tricky.
Literator
Useful app and website combo has potential to fuel guided reading
Bottom line: This is a pedagogically sound tool that, while still a work-in-progress, has real potential for teachers looking to upgrade their guided reading assessment and instruction.
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.
Starfall Learn to Read
Delight emergent readers with lively phonics lessons
Bottom line: Easy-to-use, plentiful phonics activities keep emergent readers engaged.
Raz-Kids
Solid choice for leveled readings and progress-tracking
Bottom line: Trusty -- if a tad dated -- tool for helping younger students become proficient in many aspects of reading.
LeVar Burton Kids Skybrary School
Thorough lesson plans help teachers utilize an amazing digital library
Bottom line: Though it could use some updates, Skybrary School has a set of top-quality resources with great value worth checking out.
Lexia Reading Core5
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.
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! - Unlimited Books for Kids
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.
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: School 2018-2019
Flexible, interactive daily stories for elementary school students
Bottom line: Engaging, high-quality news stories help students learn about the world.
LightSail Education
Robust, full-featured reading app measures meaningful literacy gains
Bottom line: A powerful, well-designed literacy platform for developing engaged readers.