Books
Explode the Code Series is a workbook based phonics program, covering letter sounds and most phonograms. This series starts by laying a strong foundation and building from it, including “1/2” books that provide practice for the skills learned in the whole-level books.
Phonological Awareness and Primary Phonics – Thomas Gunning. This book is a brief, practical guide for teachers who want or have to teach phonics. Ideal for teaching struggling readers, this book details Dr. Gunning’s system to build on what students know and teach them to analyze words independently.
Teach Your Kid to Read in 100 Easy Lessons – Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox, and Elaine Bruner. The methods in this book are specifically for early reading skills and is not recommended for struggling readers
Reading Apps
Endless Reader is available for free in the App Store and in the Play Store. This app introduces sight words and the most commonly used words through interactive play with cute little Endless monsters.
Homer Learn and Grow is a subscription-based site with games that “deliver playful learning across subjects.” You can choose the plan that best suits your needs, and they offer a 30-day free trial. There is also a free app available in the App Store and Google Play.
Additional Resources
All about reading has an app that teaches phonics and offers a free readiness checklist, reading assessments, as well as pre-reader resources. Kits are available for different reading levels and there are options to purchase an entire kit or individual items.
Reading Eggs subscription-based with a free trial and apps available, Reading Eggs is a great place to start. A monthly membership is $9.99 and an annual one will run you $69.99.
Communityreading.org is a collection of free resources with tools, tips, information, and support for struggling readers. This is a fantastic resource for dyslexic readers as well!
Progressivephonics.com is another site with completely free resources for new and struggling readers.
The Free Reading Program boasts an extensive library of resources for each grade level, all for free. Just create a free account and get started!
Red Apple Reading is specifically geared for Pre-K through Third grade, whether the readers are new or struggling. Your first month is free, and after that a subscription is $7.50 a month for the first child, and #2.5 for each additional child.
Children Learning Reading offers standard and deluxe packages to help beginner readers of all ages. They also offer a free trial and a 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
The Orton Gillingham Approach “is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling does not come easily to individuals.” The website has a search function to locate a tutor, parent resources, and detailed information about the program.
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