"At some schools, up to 70 percent of kids are refusing to take the exams". "Thousands of students are opting out of new standardized tests aligned to the Common Core standards, defying the latest attempt by states to improve academic performance".

Week 8 - Posted by Katie, Bonnie, and Malkie. The author explains the importance of spending 25% of teaching time, teaching the specific phonics skills and the rest of the time engaging students in actually reading and phonics related activities. There are quite a few suggestions for activities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36IBDpTRVNE For some reason the URL that is showing is incorrect. Here is an updated URL

Portable Word Wall and other Word Wall ideas to support struggling readers. I have used Word Walls in the past, but I have not used them for individual students. This form of differentiation can be taken with the student to a reading specialist, brought home, or used in the classroom to support instruction.

SPR15 strategy phonics K-3 resource

Grades K-2 Reading. Kindergarten-K, First-1st Grade and Second-2nd Grade Smartboard Interactive Reading. ELA Writing Games, Activities and Lessons. Teachers and students can use these Smartboard games, activities and lessons to learn about Reading ELA in Kindergarten, First Grade and Second Grade. This site offers an array of phonics activities to support struggling K-2 students working on initial letter sounds, vowel sounds, and reading skills.

Hear Gay Su Pinnell detail strategies for Phonics Mini Lessons, which are designed to support effective and efficient delivery of phonics instruction to young learners. Fountas and Pinnell are renown in the field of literacy instruction. This tutorial is a valuable mini lesson for educators who are not fortunate enough to have participated in their workshops.

FREE online. Teach children to read. For adults too! Fast and easy. Learn to read with interactive audio lessons and hundreds of clickable words. This site offers fun, interactive phonics tutorials with activities are designed to work on specific skills. Students can use this in the classroom or at home.