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Real Solutions for Kids and Communities: Literacy
We're striving to create joyful and confident readers by partnering with Reading Universe, First Book, WETA and the Barksdale Institute to help teachers access the best evidence-based reading instructional practices and by continuing to give books away. So while others ban books, we will give away 2.5 million books by July 2024.
In this special issue of American Educator on family literacy, reading teachers and researchers explain how families can help their children become confident readers—and develop a love of books. Also in this issue: AFT President Randi Weingarten outlines five strategies that address students’ loneliness, learning loss, and literacy; AFT Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick C. Ingram champions HBCUs as institutions that make our society more equitable; and teacher-turned-researcher Emily Lubin Woods helps communities decide if they are ready to establish and sustain community schools.
Teaching students to read is one of the most important things we do as educators.
Reading Universe can help. You'll find ready-to-use teaching strategies, in-classroom videos, interviews with teachers and reading experts, and quick, concrete answers to common questions about teaching reading and writing.
And it's all free!
Blogs and Articles
This school has everything: vital and respected classified staff, loving families, a caring principal and teachers, a supportive community—even an emotional support dog. That’s why, when AFT President Randi Weingarten visited the school together with the Oregon School Employees Association, their recognition put a cherry on top.
When Amanda Curtis drove more than 2,000 miles across Montana to deliver books, she found libraries with books more than 115 years old. Now they have brand new, relevant literature that reflects kids’ own lives and gives them windows into other worlds.
With a two-hour line, the parking lot overflowing, and traffic at a dead stop, you’d think Sachem North High School on Long Island had converted into Disneyland. But it was something even better—books.
Last fall, the United Teachers of Wichita started voluntary supplemental reading sessions with third-graders deemed to be “at risk” of not passing the end-of-year reading assessment. After just a few months, students and teachers alike are seeing much more than just reading gains.
Share My Lesson
Available in English and Spanish
For more literacy tips, tools, resources and advice, go to the Share My Lesson Reading Opens the World Community.
Colorín Colorado
Colorin Colorado’s series of quick language and literacy tips targeted to families is available in 16 languages. These can be shared with families in two ways: tip sheets or social media graphics highlighting each tip. These tips feature the illustrations of award-winning artist Rafael López.
This resource section and tips collection are now available to share in our new free web app, Colorín on the Go!
American Educator
How LETRS Supports Teachers—and Their Students
By Louisa C. Moats
Vado Elementary School Shines with LETRS Professional Development
By Cheryl Cole, Christy Quesada, Lee Anna Vasquez, Keren Buenfil, Patricia Ramos
Why It Reduces Their Opportunity to Learn
By Timothy Shanahan
By Hugh W. Catts
Celebrating Our Linguistic Strengths
By Chan Lü
When Home and School Language Differ
By Julie A. Washington, Mark S. Seidenberg