Simon Sound It Out!

Simon S.I.O. (Sound It Out) is software program from Don Johnston that provides beginning readers with individualized instruction and corrective feedback.  Similar to Starfall, Students navigate through Simon systematically and at their own pace as they learn phonics and word families.  Students also practice spelling, differentiation of similar words, and reading newly learned words within texts.  Simon collects data during every activity and produces detailed progress reports so that teachers can monitor student progress.  One great feature of Simon is that teachers can listen to students reading word and sentence recordings and analyze overall scores from activities.

Students who need extra time and practice learning letter sounds, word families, and blends will most likely benefit the most from Simon.  This program is also single switch adjustable for students with motor disabilities.  Simon is an excellent supplement to any early classroom phonics instruction!

To find out more information about Simon SIO Pricing visit http://www.donjohnston.com/products/simon_sio/pricing.html 

Reading is Fundamental

Reading is Fundamental's mission is to motivate young children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF's highest priority is reaching under-served children from birth to age 8.  RIF is the largest children's nonprofit in the USA.  RIF prepares and motivates young children to read by providing free books and literacy resources to children and their families.  RIF is available in both English and Spanish, so it would also be a great tool to use with ELL students.

The section of RIF that I use most with my students is "Leading to Reading" for children age 0-5, more specifically the "Preschoolers" section.  Once you are in the preschoolers section you can choose from several categories including read, sing, play, explore, and doodle.  There is also a separate section for grown-ups where parents and or teachers can visit to gain ideas and resources for encouraging literacy skills in young children.  

In the Read section there is a great selection of story books.  The books are read to the child, highlighting each word, at a moderate pace.  This encourages early reading skills and comprehension.  All of the stories are beautifully illustrated and animated and include sound effects and background music.  My students have come to love these stories and have even memorized a few! In the Sing section there is a great collection of songs for children to listen to.  Much like the story books the song's lyrics are highlighted as each word is sung.  On the Play tab there are games to enrich learning literacy.

This website is a great tool to enrich student learning both inside and outside of the classroom.  It is an excellent supplement for early childhood education, special education, and ELL students.

E-Books for Kids!

MeeGenius is an excellent reading resource for young children.  MeeGenius is available on the web as well as in the App Store for Apple devices for free, however you need to purchase the books to go along with it.  Some stories are free, and I love that MeeGenius has a lot of classic children's stories.  As a Pre-K teacher in this day and age I am noticing that a lot of the classic stories and nursery rhymes I learned when I was younger are not so common with these young kids.  MeeGenius brings story-time into the 21st century as it makes books fun and easy to read along with, all while promoting comprehension skills.  

There are two options for each story, "Read to Me" or "Read it Myself".  When you choose "Read to Me" the stories are read aloud at a moderate pace and the words are highlighted as each one is read in order to aide children in the development of reading skills.  MeeGenius would be great to use in a reading center, or as a whole group story time.  Either way it is a great technology to use with young children to enhance their reading skills.