Smart+Board+Sites+to+Support+Reading

The SmartBoard can be an invaluable tool in supporting reading in your classroom. But if used incorrectly, the SmartBoard may be little more than a glorified projector. For information on how to integrate this tool to improve student learning in your classroom, contact your Learning Coach or the Lead Technology Teacher in your school.

You can use the center activities that come with the series, and these can be used as well. Also, they could be sent home with the students to practice skills at home. ||
 * Reading Planet || Another resource for the computer lab, center time or at home, the site contains four areas: Activity Lab (illustrate a story), Game Stations (play reading and writing games), Book Zone (review/rate books and listen to books online), and Express Yourself (links to other web sites and opportunities for students to write their own stories). ||
 * Book Wizard || This is a great site to use to help you level trade books in your classroom. You can search by title or author. Also, in the upper right hand corner of the screen, you can choose the reading level system that works best for you: DRA level, guided reading level, or grade level equivalent. Not only does the site contain old favorites, it has a number of recently published books as well. ||
 * Reading Rockets || A wonderful site to access articles about a variety of topics dealing with teaching reading to young children. The site also contains recommended booklists, information to share with parents (the Tips sheets are nice), ideas for how to help struggling readers and on demand webcasts, podcasts and videos. ||
 * All About Adolescent Literacy || A sister website of reading rockets.org, this site is geared for 4-12 grade teachers. This site provides information on how to help the struggling adolescent reader as well as recommended books/authors, articles covering a wide variety of reading and writing topics, and a video library that contains author/illustrator interviews and modeled teaching strategies. ||
 * Reading Matters || On this site, you will find lessons/activities that go along with each of the 5 reading focus areas (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension). Also, there are //Storytown// resources organized by grade level. ||
 * Florida Centre for Reading || This is the Florida Center for Reading Research site, and it contains a wealth of information about reading. One of the best sections is the collection of center activities geared for each of the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. To access the center activities click on "For Teachers" and under "Curriculum and Instruction" you will see the center activities listed by grade level spans. Choose the link that pertains to your grade level and then scroll down.
 * Created by Teachers || This site includes lists of Dolch words, Dolch phrases, and Dolch sight boards that can be printed off. Click on Sight Word Helpers link. ||
 * Literature Map || Focusing strictly on authors, this site allows you to type in the first and last name of an author you enjoy. Then, your screen will fill with the floating names of recommended authors. Click on an author’s name and you will generate another screen of floating names. The closer two names appear to each other the stronger the likelihood you will like those authors. ||
 * Book Seeker || Simply type in the title of the book and the author and you will be given a list of recommended books that are in the same vein as the original book. You can search for adult books as well as children’s books. ||