What is the Best Way to Help 8 Year-Olds Read Better?

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Best Way to Help 8 Year-Olds Read Better

At age 8, a child might be in second or third grade. At these grade levels, children might transition from reading more basic short stories to enjoying longer books and even perhaps chapter books. Not all children are ready to move on from smaller and more basic books, though. If children are struggling to read … Read more

How Can You Affordably Offer a Reading Tutor for All Students?

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How Can You Affordably Offer a Reading Tutor for All Students

Oct 24 2022 How Can You Affordably Offer a Reading Tutor for All Students?  Recently, we hosted a webinar with a panel focusing on how to offer affordable personalized reading support for all students. The goal of the discussion was to discuss reading practice opportunities for students. Our panel consisted of educators and technology … Read more

Here’s How to Teach Preschoolers to Read

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How to Teach Preschoolers to Read

Some children are precocious readers. They might gravitate towards books and words; parents might find it easy to sit down and teach their children how to sound out words or identify their letters. While some children read in preschool, others might not be ready to read. Every child develops differently. Not every child reads or … Read more

This is the Best App to Read Books to a Child

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Best App to Read

While studies have shown that children whose parent or caregiver reads five books to them per day know one million more words in kindergarten than children whose parents don’t read to them, not all parents have the time to read to their children. There is a way for parents to bridge the learning gap for … Read more

Here’s How to Find the Best Homeschool Reading Curriculum

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During the pandemic, virtual education simply didn’t work well for some children. In areas of the country that continued to offer in-person learning, parents also might have been uneasy about allowing their children to attend classes in person. Instead of virtual learning or in-person learning with masks, parents might have decided to teach their child at home. Home schooling is still being embraced by many parents; yet, some might wonder how to teach literacy at home. Teaching children to read through homeschool education isn’t difficult. Here’s how to find the best homeschool reading curriculum: Use an online reading program Use libraries as a resource Consider online teacher resources for literacy Read Cathy Duffy’s reviews to weigh options The Best Homeschool Curriculum for Struggling Readers Parents who are homeschooling a child with reading struggles might not know the best ways to guide their lessons and ease their struggles. Children who are reading below grade level might need more guidance, but not all parents know how to guide the reading journey for a child who has difficulties with decoding and/or comprehension. Some parents have a background in education, but this isn’t always the case for all parents who choose to homeschool. Some simply have to research the best resources to help them provide an at-home education for their child. For struggling readers, a guided online reading program could be the best resource to help ease their struggles and enable them to gain proficiency and confidence. Readability offers guided reading lessons for children who have difficulty with decoding, comprehension or both areas of literacy. Readability includes a built-in AI tutor that is programmed with voice-recognition software. How does this technology help children with reading struggles? Readability’s lessons are focused on children reading books in the program aloud. As the child reads, the tutor learns the child’s voice. This means that the AI tutor can help identify if and when a child can’t pronounce a word or is struggling. The tutor also quizzes the child about the content of the book. At the end of each book, the child has to answer questions focused on comprehension. If the child answers the question incorrectly, the tutor will show the child the section from the book that provides clues related to the question. The tutor reads the section aloud, and the child receives another opportunity to answer the question correctly. When a child demonstrates reading proficiency and a mastery of comprehension related to the books they read, the program moves them to a more difficult reading level. This ensures that children always move to a new reading level when they are ready and not after they’ve completed a certain number of tasks through the program. Readability also lets parents follow their child’s progress. The program offers a portal only accessible to parents. This portal includes the child’s reading level, their reading fluency (measured in words read per minute), and their comprehension data. In addition, parents also can see how long their child used the program. Using a guided reading app like Readability ensures that children receive the help and support they need even if parents can’t provide more specialized help. The AI reading tutor actively encourages and provides assistance to aid a child’s reading journey and help them feel more confident. Homeschool Reading Curriculum: Use Libraries as a Resource What is the most important component of a reading program: books. The most accessible location for parents who are homeschooling their children to find books is the local public library. Encourage children to read daily and often. Take them to the library and let them choose a book they wish to read for the week. Younger children might choose several books. The more a child reads, the more confident and better they might become as a reader. How can parents understand their child’s reading level? When homeschooling children, parents might have known their child’s reading level through the school. This could be the benchmark, base level. Understanding the child’s reading level is important to helping them find books that are appropriate. Reading a book that is too difficult will frustrate a child or make them not want to read. Readability can be used to help parents find their child’s reading level. In fact, this is another reason why parents who are homeschooling their children might use the program. Readability can help determine the child’s reading level; this allows parents to support their child by helping them choose appropriate books. As the child progresses through the program, parents can amend the reading level and help children find harder books to better align with their reading abilities. Homeschool Reading Programs: Consider Online Teacher Resources for Literacy Some sites provide resources posted by teachers; parents who are homeschooling their children might be able to pay for a subscription to these sites to access materials. For parents who need literacy worksheets or other tools and resources, these sites could be an option. The site Teachers Pay Teachers also offers some free worksheets that parents might be able to access. Those who are homeschooling their children also might consider contacting the sites to see if they are eligible to be members or subscribers. Read Cathy Duffy’s Reviews to Weigh Options Cathy Duffy’s site also can be used as a resource for parents who are looking for the best tools for teaching literacy. The sites and programs selected as top choices for homeschool curriculums are denoted by an apple with a number inside. Duffy offers multiple literacy categories for parents to help them choose the best program/site. Duffy’s categories include: Reading Readiness Phonics & Reading Programs Beginning Readers Phonics Workbooks Readers & Literature Reading Skills Supplements Novel & Play Study Guides Reading & Phonics Parent Resources and Other Helps Reading, Phonics & Literature Web Links and Supplements Parents can peruse all these categories to find the best sites, programs and resources for homeschooling their child and for creating the best homeschool reading curriculum. The Best Homeschool Reading Curriculum Could Evolve Parents might use multiple resources and programs to create their at-home reading program. However, they also could change their program as their child progresses or if a program isn’t working for their child. In addition, parents might add in an online program like Readability if they discover that their child is suddenly falling behind in reading or seems to be struggling with literacy fundamentals. Children don’t need to be struggling to benefit from a reading program, though. Readability can be used to ensure that parents always know their child’s reading level and to better guide their child’s reading journey. Readability advances when children are ready, and the program is like having a reading teacher at home. For parents who are managing a homeschool curriculum, using Readability could be a beneficial resource to keep children reading at the right level and moving forward in their reading curriculum. The best homeschool reading curriculum might look different for all homeschool families. These at-home literacy programs could integrate online reading programs, educational materials from teacher websites, independent reading using library books and even resources recommended by Cathy Duffy. No matter what resources, programs and tools are part of a homeschool reading program, parents will want to be certain that their program’s literacy results can be measured. Parents should create a program that allows them to identify their child’s reading level and track this level throughout the year. Understanding a child’s progress could be the best tool in determining if they are achieving benchmarks standards related to literacy.

During the pandemic, virtual education simply didn’t work well for some children. In areas of the country that continued to offer in-person learning, parents also might have been uneasy about allowing their children to attend classes in person. Instead of virtual learning or in-person learning with masks, parents might have decided to teach their child … Read more

How Can Parents Help Children During a Teacher Shortage?

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Help Children During a Teacher Shortage

The pandemic stressed many workers, and a Great Resignation ensued. Teachers weren’t exempt from this mass exodus. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that more than 2/3 of schools noted that their biggest issue was filling teacher positions—especially positions for special education and math. There is a teacher shortage that is both a symptom … Read more