Learning from Home - Literacy

This list of resources has been compiled to assist teachers to plan learning from home opportunities related to literacy. Some additional links are included to provide information for parents.

General Resources for Developing Literacy at Home

Developing
Phonological Awareness

Apps for Developing Phonics and Spelling

Books to Build Beginning Reading Skills

Reading to Build Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension

Developing
Writing

Other Useful 
Websites

Support for 
Parents

Curriculum Documents

  General Resources for Developing Literacy at Home 

NSW Department of Education

This has been created to assist teachers with preparing to teach remotely. It includes sample weekly teaching plans and ideas for activities. Advice for parents and carers is included as well as considerations for the delivery of remote.

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Reading Rockets

Reading Rockets highlights research-based strategies to help young children become strong, confident readers. It contains professional readings, teaching strategies in literacy and a wide range of resources for teachers to use with their students. (N.B. This is an American website).

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Reading Rockets has created a page on its site to provide information across the curriculum to support learning at home.

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ABC Education

ABC Education brings together many, curriculum-linked resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers.

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Florida Centre for Reading Research

The Florida Centre for Reading Research houses many classroom activities developed by teachers to use with students from Kindergarten to Year 5. Lessons are aligned with the five components of effective reading instruction including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. (N.B. This is an American website ).

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Oak National Academy

This site houses over 40 000 free lessons, slides and Resources, including Literacy. It is a UK based site developed for remote learning.

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Core Knowledge Curriculum

The Core Knowledge Curriculum is a comprehensive set of lessons and materials based on the Core Knowledge Sequence. It is a US based curriculum. It includes student readers, teacher guides and activities.

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Five from Five

Five from Five highlights effective literacy practices and provides information and resources for both teachers and parents. It supports the five components of effective reading instruction including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. (N.B. This is an Australian website).

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  Resources for Developing Phonological Awareness and Phonics

SPLED SA

SPELD SA has developed guides to inform parents and carers about important aspects of learning to read including Phonological Awareness and Phonics. The site offers a wide range of very useful information and resources for teachers.(Note that Kindergarten is called Reception in some states.) (N.B. This is an Australian website).

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Spelfabet

Spelfabet contains a wealth of easily understood information with hands on resources to support effective literacy instruction. (N.B. This is an Australian website).

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Developing Phonemic and Phonological Awareness Skills DsF

This document contains a useful list of effective strategies to teach phonological awareness skills. (N.B. This is an Australian website). 

DsF is provides literacy and clinical support and is based in Western Australia.

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Reading Doctor

Reading Doctor is an Australian, evidenced based app to support critical foundational reading skills.

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Phonics Hero

A UK developed app for computer, tablet or phone to support development of early Reading and spelling skills.

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  Books to Build Beginning Reading Skills 

Decodable Readers Australia

A series of Australian readers that take students from the beginning to advanced application of phonic knowledge. The website has useful information for parents and teachers and books are available for purchase, online or as an App (N.B. This is an Australian website).

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Little Learners Love Literacy

The decodable books developed for this program can be purchased separately.  The screening tool to support student placement is available for free. App also available:

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Dandelion Readers

Decodable books that support the full range of letter sound relationships, with some titles especially written to appeal to older, low progress students. The books and App can be purchased from:

SPLED NSW
Phonics Australia
Phonic Books

InitiaLit Readers

Three sets of 60 decodable books can be purchased within the InitiaLit program, or separately. They are Australian and provide lots of opportunities for students to practise their developing skills.

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  Reading to Build Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension

Readworks

Readworks is a not for profit website offering free reading passages across K-12 covering a wide range of topics. Resources include pre-made worksheets, quizzes, and other printable materials. (N.B. This is an American website).

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Read Naturally Live

Read Naturally offers a wide range of online texts. Students’ reading is monitored, with prompts provided for challenging words and concepts.  The software includes online and audio books to build reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension skills.  (N.B. This is an American website).

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Free Children’s Stories

Free Children’s Stories books are read aloud, with audio only.  Words appear below the pages or can be downloaded as a PDF.  Browse by age or by style.

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International Children’s Digital Library

International Children’s Digital Library contains books only, no audio or video.  Multiple search categories including age, character type, picture book, chapter book, short, medium, long. Persian/Farsi and Mongolian books available.  

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National Geographic Classroom Resources

Bring National Geographic to your classroom through lesson plans, maps, and reference resources.

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National Geographic Explorer

National Geographic Explorer encourages children to read along with text recognition software as words are highlighted on the screen. Activities related to the books are included.

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Local Library

eBooks and eAudiobooks can be borrowed for free from your local library. Although Libraries are closed, apps such as BorrowBox remain accessible.

School Magazine

School Magazine offer carefully calibrated texts in each edition selected to complement learning in three years, three, four five and six. Includes fiction and information text, plays, serials, book reviews, puzzles and poetry.

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   Developing Writing

Writing A-Z

This is a comprehensive USA developed resources that offers both interactive online writing activities and tools for online reporting of student growth to parents. 

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Writing Legends

This Australian online resource supports students to develop all the steps in the process of writing across a number of different writing purposes. 

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  Other Useful Websites

Spelfabet

Alison Clarke’s Spelfabet website contains links to apps, games, workbooks and a range of other resources to support spelling and reading instruction. This website is for people who work with students in classroom, small group or 1:1 settings.

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SPELD SA

SPELD South Australia’s website contains a range of resources to assist teachers to develop effective teaching and learning programs. It includes resources for classroom teachers, materials to support students who are experiencing difficulty and parent resources.

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Home Learning with PLD

Contains three-week plans for Early Years to Year 6, include parent education videos, detailed instructions and downloadable resources, games, flash cards and posters. This is an Australian resource.

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FlyLeaf

The site provides texts that teachers can use when teaching a group remotely, and texts that students can access independently. Tasks are included for each text. This portal contains resources for online reading instruction organised by their phonics scope and sequence.  It includes a section for teachers and a section for students.

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  Support for Parents

SPELD SA

This free online module with explicit instruction for teaching reading has been made available by SPELD SA.

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Five from Five

The Five from Five website contains a range of free information on effective reading instruction with a section for parents. It includes many useful strategies to assist parents when supporting their children in literacy

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  Curriculum Documents

K-10 English Syllabus
National Literacy and Numeracy Progressions

Inclusion in this list does not mean the website is recommended by The Association of Independent Schools of NSW. 

Schools must consider their own context and requirements before choosing to use external websites, online learning platforms and programs.