Kindergarten and First Grade

In this tab you can find activities, games, stories, and resources to engage your children according to different age levels. These resources can help your child get excited about reading and learning to read.

These activities are targeted for ages Kindergarten and First Grade.


Dolly Parton Imagination Library boosts bilingual literacy

Families in Ohio now have the option to receive a 100% bilingual English/ Spanish Imagination Library book collection. The option is available to all children from birth to age five in Ohio!

Learn More here


Third Grade Reading Guarantee Family Resources

    The ability to read is the foundation of learning. Research shows that children who are not reading at a third-grade level by the end of grade 3 are likely to have trouble learning in all classroom subjects in higher grades. 

    Learn more here.


    Supporting Your Child’s Literacy Development

    This toolkit helps parents and families take part in literacy experiences at home to develop children’s reading and language skills.

    Learn more here


    Read Together, Grow Together

    Did you know there are simple tips you can use when you read together?
    These tips are for every adult who shares the joy of reading with a child. They are based on best practices and can be used with any books that you have.

    Learn More


    Third Grade Reading Guarantee Family Resources

    The ability to read is the foundation of learning. Research shows that children who are not reading at a third-grade level by the end of grade 3 are likely to have trouble learning in all classroom subjects in higher grades. 

    Learn More here


    How to Make Summer Reading Effective

    We know learning never stops, and reading is a wonderful way for your family to continue to learn and have fun during summer break. Our staff loves reading individually and with our families. Did you know that reading with your children over the summer can help them prevent losing their reading skills? One study from Harvard found that reading with a parent or caregiver, especially reading aloud and talking about comprehension strategies, was particularly effective.

    Learn More


    2023 & 2024 Eclipse Series

    Find everything you need for the greatest show in the solar system!

    Explore the fascinating astrophysics of eclipses with astronaut Steve Bowen. Ever wonder why we don’t have an eclipse every month? What are the odds that the Moon perfectly covers the sun? Astrophysics is even more fascinating than fiction!

    We are excited to offer two age-appropriate book readings and one on-orbit science demonstration that will excite you and your students for the 2023 and 2024 eclipses!

    Learn More here


    We Can Learn English in Every Subject

    When we are learning a language, we do not segment academic and language information separately in our brains. Instead, we use our knowledge as an integral system to communicate with others and learn new content. In this set of activities, parents can find ways to help their children practice English and home languages while learning academic content. 

    Parents/caregivers: When you click on each grade level, a 5-page pdf document will download. You are free to practice as many activities as you can during 5 weeks. For each week, you will have 7 options to choose from: Daily Care Routines, Homework Routines, Mealtime Routines, Play and Leisure Routines, Outside Routines, Walking/Driving/Bus Routines and Anytime! 

    Teachers: Each set of activities has been developed to help you create opportunities for parent engagement beyond the classroom walls. These activities are thought to support multilingual children’s language and literacy development at home. Each set would be based on content from the All Ohio Literacy Learning Modules-Multilingual Series

    Click on the language to display the grade levels PreK, K-2 and K-5 and download a set of activities in English, Arabic, Somali, Chinese, Spanish or Japanese. 

    Learn More here


    Dyslexia Communication Tools for Schools

    Our Center partnered with the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio families, and educators to develop sample communication tools and guidance for schools related to Ohio’s Dyslexia Laws. These resources are aligned with Ohio’s Dyslexia Guidebook for schools, and can be copied/adapted for local use.

    Learn More Here


    Dyslexia Resource Guide for Ohio Families 

    What is dyslexia?
    Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities. People with dyslexia have many strengths, but have unexpected trouble learning to read. These difficulties are not related to a person’s intelligence or motivation. Children with dyslexia can learn to read. Families, early childhood teachers, or kindergarten teachers are often the first to notice children having difficulty with talking or learning at school. It is important to pay attention to potential signs that a child may have dyslexia. Children with dyslexia can show any mix of signs. While any one sign does not necessarily mean your child has dyslexia, it is important to talk with your child’s teachers if you have concerns.

    Read Full Article Here


    Unite for Literacy

    At Unite for Literacy, we picture a world where all children have access to an abundance of books that celebrate their languages and cultures and cultivate a lifelong love of reading.

    Unite for Literacy has developed the platform, publishing tools, and systems-based strategies that support our public and private sector partners to change the literacy landscape of their communities and optimize the future for all their young children. Our projects build home libraries and support families to develop a daily habit of reading, both of which are key factors in growing lifelong readers.

    To accomplish our vision, the Unite for Literacy team brings together expertise from the fields of literacy education, business innovation, strategic planning, and early childhood development. Team members include;

    Learn More


    Sesame Workshop Games and Storybooks


    Explore our Games and Storybooks. Help incorporate playful learning into your child’s early education through different kinds of games, storybooks, and interactives that will keep them curious, confident, and excited to explore more.

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    Read Aloud Resources

    ALL Ohio (Advancing Literacy Learning in Ohio) is a compilation of high-quality professional learning resources for Ohio’s P20 education system. ALL Ohio serves as a tool to strengthen educators’ knowledge and skills in evidence-based language and literacy practices grounded in the science of reading.


    Learn More


    Family Engagement Activities

    Animal Walks are simple and fun exercises that invite children to use their imagination to
    move their bodies to copy animals. They are an easy way to get a quick dose of gross motor
    play into your child’s day. These tasks get kids moving and active and allow them to release
    energy. Many of these movements develop core strength, balance, and agility which are
    wonderful for helping children control their sensory needs. Gross motor skills are a big part
    of children’s healthy development at all ages.

    Learn more here.


    Back To School

    Fall is on its way, and it’s time for the school year to begin — and not just for kids, but for parents and teachers, too. Parents can help their young children become acclimated to the newness of school and ease their older kids back into familiar school-day routines. If you’re a teacher — whether a novice or an old pro — Reading Rockets has ideas and resources to help you get ready for the best school year yet.

    Read full article here


    Why is it important to read over the summer?

    • Research shows that students can maintain or improve reading skills when they are out of school for the summer.
    • Access to books over the summer increases reading opportunities and enjoyment of books, and helps students be ready for next school year.
    • Students who read at least five books during the summer can maintain important literacy skills.

    Read full article here


    Ohio’s Dyslexia Guidebook

    Ohio’s Dyslexia Guidebook is available now. As required by Ohio law, Ohio’s Dyslexia Guidebook contains best practices and methods for universal screening, intervention and remediation for children with dyslexia or children displaying dyslexic characteristics and tendencies. Districts and schools should use the guidebook to access critical information for successful implementation of Ohio’s dyslexia support laws.

    Read more on Dyslexia Supports here


    The ABC’s of Teaching Reading at Home

    What we know about beginning readers

    Children progress as readers at different rates, but they pass through predictable stages of development. For typically-developing readers, the stages of reading can be mapped onto grade levels, but as a homeschool teacher you have the advantage of being able to provide the instruction your children need, regardless of their grade.

    Read full article here


    Resources for Families

    At Reading Partners we know the learning doesn’t begin and end in the classroom. Research shows that family involvement is the number one predictor of early literacy success and future academic achievement. We encourage family members to read at home with their kids every day and stay involved in their children’s educational experience.

    We want parents, guardians, and other relatives caring for children to become the best reading partners for their kids. Here are some resources to stay educated and informed about early literacy.

    Click here to read full article


    Where to Find Free Audiobooks and Digital Text-to-Speech Books for Your Child

    At a Glance

    • Audiobooks and digital text-to-speech books can be a good way to help kids with reading issues.
    • You can get these books for free from libraries, schools, and online sources like Bookshare.
    • Talk to your school and local library about what’s available for your child.

    Read full article here.


    Soar Into Summer Reading!

    Summer is the perfect time for children to relax, read, and get swept away to places near and far. Together, we can combat the summer reading slide and keep our nation’s children reading and thriving. RIF offers a variety of resources and activities to engage young readers all summer long.

    Read full article here.


    Interactive read alouds: tips for parents and caregivers for enriching reading experiences at home

    What are interactive read alouds?

    Research suggests the most effective read alouds happen when children ask and answer questions about the text, instead of just listening to the story—this is what’s called an Interactive Read Aloud (IRA). According to McGee and Schickedanzk (2007), the kind of talk that occurs is important too, and analytic talk is the most effective kind during an IRA. Two examples of analytic talk are predictions and inferences.

    Read Full Article.


    9 ways to build phonological awareness in pre-K and kindergarten

    There are a few ways kids in pre-K and kindergarten can get ready to read. One way is by noticing and playing with the words, rhymes, and syllables they hear in everyday speech. This called  phonological awareness .

    Kids also start to tune in to the individual sounds or phonemes in words. This is called phonemic awareness. The more you can build on these early “pre-reading” skills, the more prepared your child will be for the challenge of learning to read.

    Read Full Article


    Promoting Literacy

    with dinnertime storytelling, family conversation, and books about food. Regular family dinner may be a more powerful vocabulary-builder for young kids than reading.

    Read the full article here.


    Unite for Literacy

    Unite for Literacy projects build home libraries and support families to develop a daily habit of reading, both of which are key factors in growing lifelong readers. Read together and listen to books of your choice in a variety of languages.

    Start Reading Today!


    How Parents Can Instill Reading

    Boy and Girl reading book.

    How Parents Can Instill Reading. Parents often ask how they can help their children learn to read; and it’s no wonder that they’re interested in this essential skill. Reading plays an important role in later school success.  Parents often ask how they can help their children learn to read; and it’s no wonder that they’re interested in this essential skill. Reading plays an important role in later school success. 

    Reading full article here.


    Activities- Helping Your Child Become a Reader- Children Ages 3-5

    As a parent, you can help your child want to learn in a way no one else can. That desire to learn is a key to your child’s later success. Enjoyment is important! So, if you and your child don’t enjoy one activity, move on to another. You can always return to any activity later on.

    Helping Your Child Become a Reader
    Some ideas you will find here.



    A Child Becomes a Reader: Proven Ideas from Research for Parents Birth through Preschool

    Mothers, fathers, grandparents, and caregivers, this booklet is for you. It gives ideas for playing, talking, and reading with your child that will help him* become a good reader and writer later in life.

    Kindergarten (pages 9-18)
    1st grade (pages 19-25)


    Learning About Your Child’s Reading Development

    Learning to read is difficult. While spoken language develops in most cases naturally, reading requires explicitsystematic instruction.

    This page from The National Center on Improving Literacy, describes typical reading development from emergent through fluent reading. Sometimes we have concerns. This article offers a quick overview of the skills to look for and what to do if the child in your life seems to not be acquiring the skills.



    Development of Phonological Skills

    Basic listening skills and “word awareness” are critical precursors to phonological awareness. Learn the milestones for acquiring phonological skills. This page helps parents to understand the importance of developmental phonological skills through easy to understand definitions. There is also a table which notes the age where 80 to 90 percent of typical students have achieved each phonological skill.


    Parent Guide to Helping Your Child Learn to Read for Preschool through Grade Three

    Success in school starts with reading.  When children become good readers in the early grades, they are more likely to become better learners throughout their school years and beyond. Learning to read is hard work for children.

    Put Reading First – Parent Guide


    Defining Dyslexia

    Dyslexia is a brain-based learning disability that specifically impairs a person’s ability to read. For individuals with dyslexia, specific portions of the brain typically associated with important reading processes may not function in the same ways that they do in individuals without dyslexia. Individuals with dyslexia often have difficulty with phonological processing, spelling, or rapid visual-verbal responding. Importantly, dyslexia is related to reading difficulties, not difficulties that arise from intellectual functioning.

    • Defining Dyslexia
      Dyslexia affects about one in every five individuals, making it the most commonly diagnosed learning disability. Dyslexia affects the brain areas associated with detection and processing of sounds and their corresponding letters. These letter-sound linkages are fundamental to reading. When these brain regions do not function efficiently to make these connections, reading development is affected.

    Parents and Families- Explore by Topic-Dyslexia


    Family and Community Toolbox

    The purpose of the Family and Community Toolbox is to provide resources in order to build upon the natural learning opportunities that occur within a child’s daily routine in the home and community. The resources contained in this toolbox provide encouragement to families and caregivers in supporting the early language and literacy development of children in their care.

    Family and Community Toolbox


    Ohio Department of Education- Parents

    Active, involved parents are an essential resource for Ohio’s schools in making the most of every child’s educational experience, from pre-kindergarten all the way through high school. This page has information you can use to help guide your child’s education.

    My Child is in…Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, etc.