Reading Specialist
My role as a reading specialist is to conduct and oversee testing in all grades, assess students that are new to Luxmanor, work with teachers to ensure best practices in both writing and reading, and work with individual students. Overall, my job is to support students as they construct meaning in reading through training the classroom teachers to become "mini" reading specialists, working with the community and promoting reading and writing throughout the grades.
Sites to Promote Reading Stronger and Longer
Book Recommendations
Spaghetti Book Club A site designed by kids for kids where kids recommend books they have read
Kids Bookshelf Recommendations for books by leading publishers; kid-friendly and very interactive
Read Kiddo Read James Patterson started this site to encourage the love of reading in children. Find book recommendations, reading guides, fun quizzes, and more.
Leveled Book Sites
Having your reader read “just right” books is key to comprehension, fluency and improvement in overall reading performance. A “just right” book is a book with a little challenge but your child should be reading like they are talking as well as grasping the story with good comprehension. For independent reading and for logging minutes, children can re-read the books his/her teacher has instructed or read at a level letter lower than his/her instructional level, which would be his/her independent reading level.
Leveled Book List Great site! Enter either by grade level or book title and you can search a comprehensive list of books at your child’s independent reading level.
Scholastic Book Wizard This site is great if you have a book title and you want to know the level. Once on the page, select a “reading level system” and choose “guided reading”. By doing this, your search will reveal books with a letter level. Caution: Some books are not leveled and will provide a grade level range i.e. K-2
Book Adventure Perfect for kids in grades K-8, this site lets readers create a list of books from 7,000 listed, then take quizzes and earn points for their progress.
Sites for reading along, being read-to or reading on your own FOR FREE!
We Give Books We Give Books has several literacy campaigns and they have several high-quality books on their website for your child to read. What do you do? Select a book from their growing library and read it. Once you finish reading the book, select a literacy campaign you would like to support. A book will be donated for every book you read online. Yes, it’s as easy as that to support literacy around the world!
Short Story Time This site will provide narration and text for your child to follow. You can choose the age group for appropriate stories.
Book Pop Children can follow along as stories are read by Stephen Cosgrove. Readers can control page turning, reading, and more to enhance their experience.
Bedtime Story These classic stories include options to hear about the story or to have the story read aloud.
Speak-A-Boos This awesome site brings fables, popular books, fairy tales, and more to life with celebrity readings, spot-on graphics, and upbeat music. Readers can follow along as they hear each story read.
StoryLine Online Members of the Screen Actors Guild introduce and read popular books while readers can follow along on the pages of the book.
Mrs. P's Magic Library Classic children’s literature is read aloud by actress Kathy Kinney, who is supported by an interactive Web site.
Book Builder Online The book builder features allows you to insert student names into the book and print a customized book for students to keep. For early readers and ESOL students.
Story Time For Me Word by word highlighting and narration to follow along-For early readers
Sites for Writing and Publishing for Kids!
Read Write Think With the rigors of the Common Core curriculum, this site helps students in grades 3-12 learn to take notes
Sites for kids to publish books as well as compete in writing contests
Kid Pub for kids by kids
First Edition Originals This site will take written work and illustrations and create hard cover books! These make great birthday or holiday gifts
Lightning Bug This site is geared toward grades 3 and up
Read Write Think This site links to other valuable writing sites
Contact
Mrs. Tharpe-Robinson would love to receive your email. If you have questions or concerns about our Reading/Language Arts program, grades K-5, please email her.