May 30, 2021 |
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Thousands of Teacher-reviewed Resources!
Our spring workshops have come to an end, but summer PD is right around the corner! Catch up on any OK2Ask workshops that you missed, attend this week’sTwitter chat, and stay tuned for more information about summer learning opportunities with TeachersFirst!
Engage Your Students in Reading This Summer
As we wrap up Get Caught Reading Month, we’re featuring resources to keep students of all ages reading throughout the summer months. Find new resources and tools to share with your class.
Grades K-3
PBS Summer of Possibilities - Play Your Way
Scroll through to find reading charts, map skills, activity booklets, and themed collections such as “Observing Nature” and “Sharing Your Creativity Through the Arts.” Don't miss the collection called “Reading and Sharing Stories” on the home page.
Grades K-2
K-2 eBooks: Resources for Teaching Remotely on Short Notice
This collection shares tips and online resources for finding quality eBooks for young students to read when not inside of the classroom (such as over summer break).
Grades K-8
ABCya
Combine reading skills with game-based learning and you’ll get some engaged students! This site includes word games for students in grades K–8. The topics include syllables, storybooks, story makers, compound words, and more.
Grades K-8
Whooo's Reading
Encourage students to practice reading comprehension skills this summer. After reading, students answer three quick higher-level questions that are automatically scored. Correct responses earn students coins they can spend on personalized "owlvatars."
Grades K-8
Outwhiz
Practice reading skills with over 100 topics and hundreds of questions. Earn points, move up levels, and earn badges. Sign up using your email and create a class, then give students the URL and class code so they can join and practice skills all summer.
Grades K-12
TeachersFirst's Interactive Audio Books
This curated list includes audio books with options that can offer all students, including emerging readers and ENL/ESL learners, an experience with audio and visual prompts or interactivity to reinforce and inspire literacy skills.
Grades 1-7
Bookopolis
Discover an online social reading club for children ages 7–12. The education portal helps you keep track of and review a reader's work. In the New Book section, find a book by grade level and read ratings and reviews from other readers.
Grades 2-12
Newsela
Newsela offers student-friendly current events stories organized by reading level and accessible in different formats. All articles have embedded, aligned quizzes that conform to the reading level. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading.
Grades 6-12
Story Shares
Find relevant and readable content for older students that are struggling to read above the elementary level that’s interesting without being condescending to teen readers. Use the matrix to browse through titles and choose the reading level.
Grades 6-12
Sync: Audio Books for Teens
Share this free summer audiobook program for teens. The program runs for 13 weeks (April through August) and provides participants with two thematically paired audio books/short stories weekly. Listen to a short introduction to the book before reading.
This Week at TeachersFirst
We invite you to join our bi-monthly Twitter chat on Thursday and to view our spring virtual workshops on demand to catch up on any sessions you missed! We are also sharing a related blog post and kindly ask for your input on our weekly poll.
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Thursday, 6/3, 8 PM ETTwitter Chat: Student-Centered Learning Ideas with Playlists and Choice BoardsCome and tweet with us using the hashtags #OK2Ask and #TeachersFirst. During this chat, participants will define and discuss the basic elements of instructional playlists and choice boards and share ideas for integrating them in the classroom. Share tech tools and resources that support the use of playlists and choice boards » |
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Grades 3-8Bookopolis: Your Summer Reading HeadquartersShare this summer reading opportunity with your students! This site includes book suggestions for grades 3–8, a reading bingo game, and a goal tracker sheet. Challenge your students to read books this summer and participate in this fun activity! |
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Register and view spring 2021 sessionsOK2Ask: On DemandOur live spring OK2Ask virtual workshop series has ended, but all of our sessions are available on-demand! Register and watch at your convenience to learn about topics such as digital portfolios, The Smithsonian Learning Lab, podcasting, and more. |
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Infusing Technology BlogWhat’s the Buzz: Digital ReadingSpend some time reading this relevant post that highlights the differences between traditional reading and digital reading. These skills are very different, so it’s vital to draw the distinction and explain it to your students. |
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Share your thoughtsWeekly PollThis week our poll asks "How do you plan to encourage your students to read this summer?" Will you offer incentives for student reading or possibly keep in touch through the weeks of summer to discuss books? View the replies of other educators when you submit your choice » |
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TeachersFirst is a collection of curated, classroom-ready content and ideas — including teacher-authored reviews of thousands of web resources. Built-in guidance from seasoned professionals makes effective classroom technology use trouble-free. TeachersFirst is made available free to K12 teachers by The Source for Learning, Inc., a nonprofit that has been providing educational resources for more than 40 years.