Reading A-Z
So you’re a teacher who has no clue where to begin when it comes to reading, I got you!
I teach Special Education and it took me 4 years to even start to dive into how to teach reading and so I am sharing with you my absolute favorite tool. I will warn you though that this is something I pay to use, so it may cost you a little bit unless you can talk your district into paying (which you totally should!). Unfortunately, it always seems the best kept tools are the ones where you have to pay but in my opinion it is 100% worth the $118 a year for peace of mind for my reading lessons and an abundant library of virtual books (if that’s your thing).
It’s called Reading A-Z and I started using the website when I took on the role of literature nights at a previous job to help educate parents on how to help their kiddos with reading and foundational skills at home. I had to share this with you as a tool for your classroom because it has helped me break down reading, test where students are, and bring students into the conversation about their academics in a simple and easy to understand way.
Here are my top 5 reasons why I love to use this resource:
The leveled library: Ummmm there is an entire virtual library of books you can download and print or project so no matter how you are doing reading groups you are set! I love to use the projectable option for my students with my virtual classrooms and could see that being a great activity as whole group in a brick & mortar as well.
Benchmark passages: They have assessments for the leveled books so that you can test students before diving deep into the library and get an idea of where students are in their reading when the come into the classroom.
Running records: Each benchmark books then come with a running record sheet so you can collect data, analyze where your students are, and reflect on your teaching practices and what may need to happen to help them strengthen their reading skills.
Comprehension worksheets: To top it off there are worksheets to pair with the book. Now some aren’t my favorite and may not apply to some of my unique learners but it’s a great starting point to brainstorm independent work/ group work for students to show what they know.
Color coded visual: The aa-z2 is a great way to introduce students to think and explain their learning in an easy to understand illustration. When students can explain where they are, understand where they’ve been, and communicate where they want to go and what they need to do to get there they seem more like to meet those goals and be excited to reach them as well.
The downfall with this tool is that it costs money but luckily it is rather cheap that a district/school site should be open to buying a program for an entire site when it’s rather cheap. This could then be something that all teachers share and use as a tool through one account (don’t quote me if that is how it will work for multiple users though because I have not had experience with that). I hope this tool sparked your interest in finding a program to help guide your reading curriculum in your classroom and help keep your calm while planning/designing instruction. Until next time,
Happy Teaching :)