A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Reading Resources

Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children

This landmark 1998 report of the National Research Council synthesizes the wealth of research on early reading development. It provides an integrated picture of how reading develops and how reading instruction should proceed. The book includes recommendations for practice, as well as recommendations for further research.

Starting Out Right:
A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success

This guide, developed by the National Research Council, explains how children learn to read and how adults can help them. Based on the 1998 National Research Council report Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, it provides ideas that parents, educators, policymakers, and others can use to prevent reading difficulties in early childhood and the primary grades.

The Compact for Reading Guide and School-Home Links Kit

The Guide explains how to develop an effective compact for reading. A compact is a written agreement among families, teachers, principals, and students from kindergarten through third grade. It describes how all partners can help improve the reading skills of all children-including those with disabilities and with limited English proficiency. Tutors and other community members can also be partners in a compact for reading.

The School-Home Links Kit helps implement local reading compacts. Developed by a team of teachers in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, this kit includes 100 one-page reading activities for each grade from kindergarten through third. Three to four times every week, teachers can provide these easy-to-use activities to families, which encourages involvement in reading activities and support of school learning.

Read*Write*Now!
Poster, Tip Sheet and Basic Kit

The Read*Write*Now! Activity Poster has a colorful illustration on the front and fun activities for children in kindergarten through grade six on the back. Students may write book reviews for publication on America Reads' Web site.
Available in English and Spanish.

The Read*Write*Now! Tip Sheet for Developing a Community Reading Program-for librarians, teachers, camp counselors, and community leaders-offers straightforward suggestions for developing summer or after-school reading programs. Available in English and Spanish.

The Read*Write*Now! Basic Kit, created by reading experts to develop and build language and literacy skills from birth through grade 6, includes fun reading and writing activities, a vocabulary log, and a certificate.

Simple Things You Can Do
To Help All Children Read Well and Independently by the End of Third Grade

This booklet is a guide that all community members can use to help children learn to read and become better readers. It includes a general outline for starting a literacy program, with suggestions organized according to the type of group.

NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card for the Nation

This report presents the results of the 1998 NAEP national reading assessment of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students. Performance is indicated in terms of average scores on a 0-to-500 scale, and percentages of students attaining three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. The 1998 results are compared with those in 1994 and 1992. Data for participating states is included.

Checkpoints for Progress In Reading and Writing:
For Families and Communities, and For Teachers and Learning Partners

These two booklets provide developmental milestones for children from birth through grade 12 and explain what most children are able to read and write within these periods. Written for parents and community members, and teachers and tutors, the booklets outline necessary skills, suggest books for each age group to read, and offer strategies and resources to assist children.

Ready*Set*Read Early Childhood Learning Kit

This kit offers families and caregivers ideas on age-appropriate activities that help children learn about language. It includes a growth chart. Available in English and Spanish

Young Children in the Arts:
Making Creative Connections

This booklet includes developmental benchmarks and appropriate arts activities for children from birth to age 8.

Every Child a Reader

This innovative series of six-page pamphlets, written for teachers and teacher educators, presents summaries of research-based knowledge from a wide variety of sources, including the National Research Council's Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Effective, research-based strategies to implement in any classroom are presented in clear, concise language.

Raising a Reader, Raising a Writer

This brochure for parents lays out simple ways to nurture a child into becoming a successful reader. The piece includes the characteristics of good child care and classroom settings, and what to ask your child's teacher.

Read With Me: A Guide for Student Volunteers Starting Early Childhood Literacy Programs

This booklet provides guidelines for placing undergraduates as literacy volunteers to work with young child- ren and is based on the Harvard Emerging Literacy Project. The booklet discusses the role of families and communities and includes a sum- mary of brain research, a checklist, and resources.

Helping Your Child Become a Reader

Based on the latest research, this guide for families with children from infancy through age 6 explains how and why to use language skills-talking, listening, reading, and writing-to help children grow into readers. It offers ideas for everyday activities to encourage a child's love of reading.

Read*Write*Now! Tutoring Manual

This manual provides the reading tutor with tools and strategies for one-on-one tutoring of school-age in children grades 1 to 6.

Beginning to Read

This article gives an overview of the critical role that phonological awareness and word recognition play in teaching beginning reading to children with diverse learning needs. It includes tips for teachers.

Learning to Read, Reading to Learn Information Kit

The kit provides information for parents and teachers to help children with learning disabilities succeed. It includes a resource guide, a list of principles for learning to read, an article from American Educator, and a bibliography.

On the Road to Reading: A Guide for Community Partners

The guide advises community partners on how to become involved in the America Reads Challenge. It presents a step-by-step process and describes how most children learn to read, how tutors can help young readers, and how community partnerships support the progress of literacy.

Reading Helpers: A Guide for Training Tutors

This manual outlines 36 hours of preservice and inservice training for tutors working with children from preschool through third grade. Lesson plans, handouts, and an extensive resource list are included. This manual is used with On the Road to Reading.

Where to Find Inexpensive or Free Children's Books

This brochure lists organizations and publishers to contact about free books and ideas for holding a community book drive.

Even Start: Facilitating Transitions to Kindergarten

This report presents promising strategies for transition to school used by Even Start projects. Even Start is a federal family literacy program for low-income children and adults that focuses on early childhood educational opportunities.

Guidelines for Tutoring English Language Learners

This brochure lists simple guidelines for tutoring students whose home language is not English. It includes tips for the tutor and links to relevant resources.

Including Your Child

This booklet for parents with special-needs children covers the first eight years of life. It includes helpful suggestions for parents to help them relate to their special-needs children and to find support services for their children and themselves.

Museums and Learning: A Guide for Family Visits

This guide for parents and teachers of children between the ages of 4 and 12 shows how museums can inspire, inform, and build skills for both classroom and lifelong learning. It is full of helpful suggestions for parents and teachers on how they can make the most of their museum visits for their children.

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)

This on-line directory offers hundreds of educational resources supported by agencies across the U.S. federal government. Topics include language arts, educational technology, math, science, and arts. FREE includes extensive links to Web sites for children's learning.

International Reading Association

The International Reading Association provides a variety of resources for teachers, reading specialists, tutors, researchers, parents, and others concerned about literacy. Topics include balanced reading instruction, tutoring, assessment, classroom discussion strategies, integrated instruction, motivation for reading, and teaching English as a Second Language.

Learning Disabilities Online (LD Online)

This Web site offers easy-to-understand information and resources on learning disabilities, including dyslexia. It is a service of The Learning Project at WETA-TV, in cooperation with the Coordinated Campaign on Learning Disabilities.

U.S. Department of Education Publications

The U.S. Department of Education publishes a wealth of information for teachers, administrators, policymakers, researchers, parents, students, and others on reading and other educational topics.

Federal Work-Study Directory

This is a listing of more than 1,100 institutions of higher education that pay literacy tutors and mentors through the Federal Work-Study program. In 2000, every college or university receiving work-study funds will offer a reading tutor program.

Additional Information About America Reads

• The toll-free number for comments or questions: (800) USA-LEARN or (800) 437-0833 (TTY)
• The toll-free number for ordering publications: (877) 4ED-PUBS or (877) 576-7743 (TTY)
• America Reads staff may be reached at (202) 401-8888. The fax number is (202) 401-0596.
• The America Reads Web site: www.ed.gov/americareads
• The America Reads Listserv is a forum for interested parties to ask questions and discuss best practices regarding children and reading. To subscribe, send an e-mail to majordomo@etr-associates.org.

The Nonprofits: A Pro-Literacy Tradition