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  • Home
  • Awards
    • California Young Reader Medal (CYRM)
    • Celebrate Literacy
    • Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards
    • Nancy Rogers-Zegarra New Teacher Scholarhip
  • Calendar of Events
  • Gallery and Archive
  • Gateway Gazette
  • Membership
  • Projects
    • Gateway Young Writers' Awards and Tea
    • LIFE Literacy Night
  • Resources
    • Distance Learning
    • Students & Kids
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Used under creative commons from Kelly Sikkema

New Resources

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ILA Resources

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ILA Teaching and Assessing Spelling
ILA Phonological Awareness
ILA Meeting Challenges Early Literacy Phonics Instructions
ILA Children Experiencing Reading Difficulties
ILA Creating Passionate Readers Through Independent Reading
ILA Principals as Literacy Leaders
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Teacher Ideas

How to Boost Reading Comprehension with the Fab Four

How to Improve Comprehension & Fluency with Poetry

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TeachingBooks.net is an easy-to-use website that adds a multimedia dimension to the reading experiences of children's and young adult books. Our online database is developed and maintained to include thousands of resources about fiction and nonfiction books used in the K–12 environment, with every resource selected to encourage the integration of multimedia author and book materials into reading and library activities. (Taken from Teachingbooks.net)
Sentence Mastery:  IVF Sentences
By:  Jamie Azevedo from Cinnabar School
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This is a fun, easy way to teach your students how to write a topic sentence. First take sheet of white paper and fold it into thirds.
     The first section will be the initial box where students will focus on the genre, title, and author of the piece. This is a great opportunity to focus on poetry, fiction or nonfiction books, or a presentation (audio or video).
     The second section is the verb box where students will identify 2 to 3 verbs, which illustrate their purpose. Some examples include: shows, tells, presents, describes, explains, lists, gives, defines, and compares.
     The last section is where they will finish their thought. They will ask themselves, what is the purpose of this piece, or what did it teach me? You may want to have your students come up with a couple of ideas in this box.    
     Lastly, the students will put the sentence together. This is where the students will try each verb in their sentence and choose the one they believe to be the best for their purpose. Now they are ready to write their sentence.

PictureCarla Peterson
The Turnip by Jan Brett
 
There are many activities you can do with the newest Jan Brett book, The Turnip.  Brett’s  The Turnip is based on the Russian folktale The Enormous Turnip (also known as The Giant Turnip or just The Turnip).  Although the setting is the same in both tales, characters and the endings are vastly different.
 
How about trying these writing activities with your class:
Make a list of adjectives for the word enormous:  Giant, Gigantic, Huge, Colossal, Super, Big
 
Discuss what the following idioms mean:
Just fell off the turnip truck (ignorant, unsophisticated)
You cannot get blood from a turnip (you cannot get help from an uncharitable person or money from someone who has none)
 
Compare and contrast the setting, characters and plot in the traditional tale and Jan Brett’s The Turnip.
 
 
Or, try these non-fiction activities:
Have each student in your class create a turnip shape book.  Using research and observation students will create their books.  In the book, have students find and list the scientific name for turnips, make observations about turnips, and give “fun facts” about turnips, turnip greens and rutabagas. 
 
Have students create a recipe using turnips. 
 
Turnip Taste Test
Have students taste turnips – both raw and cooked.  Give students post-its to write their opinions.  Make a chart for likes/dislikes/don’t know.

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Anne Seil, Reading Specialist at McKinley School in Petaluma
Great Winter Challenge

For the past two years the students at McKinley Elementary school in Petaluma have set a goal to read as many books as they can from December 1st to January 5th. Last year the McKinley Mustangs read 2850 books. This year the challenge is to read as many AR points as possible for 4th-6th graders and for the PACS (Petaluma Accelerated Charter School) 7th graders they will log the number of pages read during the December and the first week in January. This project keeps students motivated to read during December and when school is not in session.
A chart was kept in the Multi-purpose room with the number of AR points earned by 4-th – 6th grade students in each teacher’s class and the 7thh grade kept track of the pages read. There was also a tree in the front hall way of the school with suggestions of books students might like to read based on the reviews from other students. Students were encouraged to discuss the books they were reading and share ideas with their classmates. Students kept logs with the number of points or the pages of the books they have read. Anne Seil, reading Specialist at McKinley Elementary has organized the event. For the past three years. The results from this year’s reading challenge are the following:
 
4th - 6th grade (based on Accelerated Reader points)
 
1st place - 269 points
2nd place - 218.1 points
3rd place - 40.2 points
 
PACS (Petaluma Accelerated Charter School) (7th grade)
(they chose to use # of pages read)
 
1st - 8306 pages
2nd - 5162 pages
3rd - 2693 pages
 
Congratulations McKinley for the outstanding reading you did during December!
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Parent Resources

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Tips for Interactive Read Aloud - PDF - Click Here

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Home Reading Card Template - PDF - Click Here

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Download the Lists By Clicking on the Pictures Above

​Resources for ILA Intensive: Igniting the Power of Families for Ensuring Their Children’s Literacy

 Websites for Read Alouds

The following websites allow children to listen to stories read aloud. We like the ones that highlight the print as the story is being read. Some require subscriptions but may be available to children free of charge at the school or library:
  • One More Story: www.onemorestory.com
  • Storyline Online: www.storylineonline.net
  • PBS Kids: Between the Lions: pbskids.org/ lions/stories

Children can also listen to and interact with books with e-reader apps.  Some are available as free light versions. Below are a few examples: 
  • Dr. Seuss books 
  • Sandra Boynton books 
  • Toy Story Read-Along 
  • The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Additional Websites:
  • Jan Brett's homepage offers tons of games involving reading and math for different ages at www.janbrett.com
  • Hubbard's cupboard is a fantastic website for early childhood educators and parents - www. hubbardscupboard. org 
  • Home of the internet's largest collection of children's song and nursery rhymes from around the world. www.mamalisa.com 
  • Colorin Colorado provides information and activities for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners (ELIs) - www.colorincolorado.org 
  • Free publications Helpful and informative - www.ed.gov 
  • ILA parent resources
  • www.trelease-on-reading.com/downloads.html

Additional Resources:
  • Bennett-Armistead,V.S., Duke,N. Moses, A.M.,Beyond Bedtime Stories: A Parent Guide to Promoting Reading, Writing and Other Literacy Skills From Birth to 5, Scholastic, 2017.
  • Billig, S. (2000a). Educator's guide to collecting and using data: Conducting surveys. Denver, CO: RMC Research Corp.
  • Billig, S. (2000b). Profiles of success: Engaging young people's hearts and minds through service-learning. Berkeley, CA: Grantmaker Forum on Community & National Service.
  • Brenner,H.,Perez,A.Pompa,A.L.,Smith,T.A. A Guide to Family Literacy Nights: Building Early Literacy Skills with Family Involvement. Early Reading First Community Action Inc. San Marcos, TX.
  • Bryk, A.S., Bender Sebring, P., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., & Easton, J.Q. (2010). Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. .Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Cullianan, B. (1992) Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read. Scholastic
  • Dryfoos, J.G. (1994). Full-service schools: A revolution in health and social service for children, youth, and families. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Dryfoos, J.G., & Maguire, S. (2002). Inside full-service community schools.Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
  • Dufur, M and Toby L. Parcel, and Troutman ,K.P.(2013): Does capital at home matter more than capital at school? Social capital effects on academic achievement. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 31, pages 1-21.
  • Epstein, J and Associates (2008): School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action. Third Edition. Corwin Press. Thousand Oaks, Calif.
  • Gambrell and Mandel Morrow in, Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, ( 2015).
  • Gollub,,M. 5 Fun tips to Raise a Lifetime Reader,Tortuga Press, 2008.
  • Henderson,A. Ed; Berla,,N.  Ed. (1994): A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement. National Committee for Citizens in Education, Washington, D.C.
  • Henderson, A.T. and Mapp ,K.L.,(2002): A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools. Austin, Texas.
  • Jackson, Y. (2002). "Mentoring for delinquent children: An outcome study with young adolescent children." Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(2), pp.115-122.
  • Johnston, P. Choice Words (2004) and Opening Minds (2012)
  • Layne, S. “ Igniting the Passion of Reading” 
  • Layne, S. The Defense of the Read Aloud”
  • Mapp, K “Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family School Partnerships ( New Press, 2007).
  • Neufeld, S. and Shawkey, J Eds. 1,2,3,Parent, Child and Me: Multiple Perspectives on working With Parents. California Reading Association, Costa Mesa, CA 2007.
  • Sadowski,M.(Ed.).(2004). Teaching immigrant and second-language students. Cambridge,  MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Weiss (2018 )Carnegie report on Engaging with Families to Help Students Succeed.
  • Zacarian and Silverman. September 2017, vol.75 No.1 issue of Educational Leadership 

Californiareading.org   Eureka Non-Fiction List and California Young Reader Medal Award list and Parent Reading Intervention Packet: Reading Activities Designed to Assist Parents of At-Risk Students in Primary Grades
  • PTO Volunteer Form
  • Bellevue Home-School Communications Sheet
  • Icebreaker Bingo
  • ​Library Card Registration
1200 Most Frequent Words
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The link below will give you a list of the 1200 most frequent words in English.  Practicing this list with your child will help improve their fluency and this will help with reading comprehension.

1200 Most Frequent Words
International Literacy Association Parent Resources

Browse the resources in this link to find tools, ideas, and inspiration! Looking for something more specific? Scan the site for topics using the search feature (next to the magnifying glass) above.

Get Resources
Read America

Phone 800-READ-TO-U

Sharing Wordless Picture Books

Wordless picture books are told entirely through their illustrations — they are books without words,
or sometimes just a few words. Sharing wordless books with a child provides an opportunity for
literacy-rich conversations. Each “reader” listens and speaks, and creates their own story in their
own words. Sharing wordless books also reinforces the idea that, in many books, the story and the
pictures are connected. Elementary-aged students often enjoy writing down their original story to
accompany a wordless book.
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  • Sharing Wordless Picture Books
  • ​Let's Read That Again!
California Department of Education's Searchable Book List

Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences.

Recommended Literature List
Books about Reading Aloud to Children

Reading Magic by Mem Fox
The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
What Really Matters for Struggling Readers by R. Allington
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Read Across America

The National Education Association is building a nation of readers through its signature program, NEA’s Read Across America. Now in its 18th year, this year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources.
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"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child."

Click the Title Below for Additional Information

10 Reading Facts
10 Reading Facts (Español)
Lets Read That Again
Jump Frog Jump Lesson Plan
Father Reads the World
Retelling Bookmarks
Library Application
The 5 Finger Rule

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