Free Reading is an open source website for teachers that has a control board of researchers, but is authored by teachers.
With the push for Kindergarteners to read earlier, many schools will want the alphabet sounds to be mastered prior to December, but some of the older phonics programs are created to take the whole school year to teach letter sounds and writing letters. This may lead a teacher to search for material to update their phonics programs in compliance.
All phonics programs are not created equal. Freereading.net is the web's best hidden phonics resource. In this program, letter sounds and writing letters is completed by week 16-20. The information in the program can also be used as an reading intervention program for struggling readers.
The purpose of the website is to give teachers a free phonics and reading program. The premise being, if utilized in the classroom, the school could decrease expenditures on phonics textbooks (a truly unique and innovative concept).
The program is designed for K-1st grades, but can be used to differentiate instruction from PreK through second grade or higher if necessary.
Teachers can use the program in various ways:
- to use the forty week phonics program (bear in mind that the program is created to go at your own pace, you can use some or all of the forty weeks or you can change the pace to suit your needs);
- to get great lesson plans, including those for fluency and comprehension,
- to share their own lesson plans,
- to find learning games,
- to create word lists,
- to download decodable texts,
- or to find free assessments.
There are even audio and visual examples of the lesson being taught to help if needed.
Quite honestly, I have visited the site several times since finding it and every time that I visit I find something new. My advice would be to keep reviewing the website as I have, whether you want to use the whole instructional program or just its parts to supplement your own phonics program, you will not be disappointed. It is rare to see a quality program like this given in it's entirety to help teachers for free... don't miss out.