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.