Literacy

Professional Development

August 3, 2020

Favorite K-2 Literacy Resources for Back to School

The top back to school literacy resources to engage and boost learners.

It’s finally here…back to school season! This is one of my favorite times of the year! With both the start of school and how school will look changing, I’m thinking you might have your hands full. So, I wanted to share my favorite back to school literacy resources all in one place to help you narrow down some top picks.

All of these back to school resources integrate literacy elements so you can make the most of your time, provide meaningful learning opportunities, and boost the level of learning. Check out my favorites that you can always find in my TpT store!

GUIDED READING MUST-HAVES

*NEW* Guided Reading Assessment Kit

This brand new resource is perfect for al kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers. Prior to beginning your guided reading groups, you’ll need to assess students to get a baseline and find their instructional reading level. This kit has everything you’ll need to do that accurately and efficiently. It includes:

  • 2 texts for each reading level A-M (a fiction and a nonfiction text) in both printable and digital format to easily share on your learning platform (26 texts total!)
  • Running records for each book, comprehension questions, and a grading rubric
  • Instructions for how to take and score the running record
  • Teacher instructions for giving the assessment for both in-person and digital teaching
  • Parent note/letter to send home or email for virtual assessing
  • Datasheet to record data for the beginning, middle, and end of the year

You’ll be able to assess students and find their reading level to reach every reader in your class. The digital versions of texts and teacher how-to guide make it super easy to do via distance learning. You can pick up the Guided Reading Assessment Kit HERE.

Guided Reading Kits: Kindergarten | First Grade | Second Grade

Each guided reading kit has everything you’ll need to implement guided reading. Each leveled kit has 6 texts in printable and digital versions, scripted lesson plans, all student materials (including word work), teaching posters, parent notes, and more! These were used by so many teachers in the spring during distance learning and they can’t wait to use them again this fall!

You can shop individual leveled kits for levels A-M or save and grab your grade level’s bundle: Kindergarten | First Grade | Second Grade.

Guided Reading Binder

Guided reading is my favorite time of day, but gosh it is a beast to organize! I created the Guided Reading Binder to have everything for guided reading groups all in one easy-to-organize spot. It has all of the organizational pages, student record forms, planning templates and forms, and tabs/dividers you’ll need to be totally prepared.

Grab your Guided Reading Binder HERE.

First Grade Guided Reading at Home Bundle

Equip parents to continue teaching their children at home through guided reading. This bundle has parent-friendly lessons for levels E-J. Each individual level has 4 texts in both printable and digital formats, scripted lessons, reference posters, and word work components. Parents easily learn how to extend reading instruction at home!

You can shop individual leveled kits or grab the bundle HERE!

SIGHT WORD MUST-HAVES

Kindergarten Sight Words & Data Tracking

Student data folder pages, a data wall display, sight word flashcards, student certificates, and teacher data binder materials with assessment checklists are all included in this top-rated resource. It is EDITABLE so that you can use ANY sight word list! Simply type, print, and you are set. The incentive system motivates and encourages students to master those sight words.

Kindergarten sight word data tracking doesn't have to be tricky! See how this teacher made it easy for herself and engaging for students!

Grab yours HERE!

First Grade Sight Words & Data Tracking

This super-hero themed sight word data tracking system uses Fry’s First 100 words. It makes it easy to keep up with students’ progress all year long. It includes:

  • 9 Week Sight Word Sets
  • Classroom Data Display
  • Teacher Data Binder
  • Student Data Folder Materials
  • Student Certificates

Grab yours HERE!

Sight Word Practice Pages

These quick and engaging practice pages help students master their sight words. It uses Fry’s First 100 Words and follows the same format so students know exactly what to do each time. You can use them during morning work, literacy stations, or even via distance learning.

Grab your set HERE!

Hands-On Sight Word Activities

If you’re looking for ways to jazz-up your sight word practice, these activities are a must! My students always loved them. There are seven different task cards that help students learn their sight words and keep them engaged.

Grab it HERE!

Writing Must-Haves

All Year Writing Crafts Bundle

One great way to assess writing conventions and squeeze in some arts and crafts is to do purposeful crafts during the day. I love to make one fun piece of art each month with students. It also shows me how well they are mastering their writing conventions.

Each monthly unit includes the craft pieces, writing paper, and grading rubrics. When students use correct writing conventions, they earn a piece of the craft. This is always a hit!

You can grab the bundle HERE to save or shop individual monthly units, too!

Grammar Morning Work Bundle

Looking for easy-to-implement morning work? Check out the Grammar Morning Word Bundle. It has a half-page each day for students to work on independently. Each monthly set includes:

  • Grammar Warm-Up Suggestions for Use
  • Grammar Warm-Ups Outline
  • Journal Covers
  • 30 Days of Grammar Warm-Ups
  • 30 Day Powerpoint for you to project 1 warm-up a day

For distance learning, you can upload the PDFs to your learning platform OR share your screen and have students record answers on plain paper.

Word Work Must-Haves

Word Work Bundles for Kindergarten and First Grade

The kindergarten word work set covers guided reading levels A-D, and the first grade set has levels E-J. Each leveled kit has 10 or more word work activities that teach the specific concepts important to that reading level. You can use these during guided reading groups, literacy stations, morning work, or intervention time.

Grab these bundles here: Kindergarten | First Grade.

Kindergarten Digital Word Work Bundle with Boom Cards

Easily assign your whole class, small groups, or individual students word work activities that can be done on any device. Plus, you can monitor their progress remotely! Find out how on THIS blog post!

You can pick up the Kindergarten Digital Word Work Bundle HERE.

OTHER LITERACY FAVORITES

First Grade Shared Reading Bundle

Have all 36 weeks worth of shared reading done for you! Each week has a teaching plan, two printable versions of the poem, a pocket chart phonics lesson, and two student phonics activity pages. You can also easily use weekly shared reading songs/poems and phonics lessons through Zoom or Loom.

Teaching shared reading in February is made a breeze with these shared reading poems. You can integrate science and teaching reading skills at the same time. Perfect for kindergarten and first grade!

Grab your shared reading bundle HERE and have one less thing to plan for all year long.

First Grade Close Reading Bundle

These science-themed passages make integrating science throughout the day easier. Students will practice vocabulary, comprehension, note-taking, writing, and more! These 14 weeks of passages were created with first graders in mind, but will work great with lower-level second graders, too!

Close reading for first grade is a breeze with these passages! Each passage covers a science topic and the routine is easy to implement for students!

Grab yours HERE!

Are you getting excited yet? Thinking about back to school literacy resources really gets me pumped for preparing for the new bunch of learners every year.

pin it

Head to my TpT store to find these engaging and effective back to school literacy resources as well as many others! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!

Happy Teaching,

Amanda

EASILY PLAN YOUR K-2 READING SMALL GROUPS​

Want to use the latest research to boost your readers during small groups? This FREE guide is packed with engaging ideas to help them grow!

Hi, I'm Amanda

I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your students love and that are easy to implement for teachers.  Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, you’ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!

Topics

Literacy
Math
Science
Writing
Digital
Soc St

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