Teachers

Tips and Tools

What's the best classroom setting for young children? What skills and development are normal for children of that age? What is a "phoneme" anyway? Get these answers and more with the articles and resources below.

Qualities of a Good Classroom for Preschoolers and Kindergartners
Kid-friendly conversations, letters, and writing opportunities -- these are all signs of a good classroom for young children. But before you get overwhelmed thinking of how to improve your learning space, use these 10 tips to make a great classroom for preschoolers and kindergartners.

Child Development Tracker: Literacy from Age 4-5
Young children's success at reading can vary widely. But some milestones and traits are common among most children of the same age. Check out our Child Development track to learn more about 4- and 5-year-olds experience literacy (you can explore other ages and topics as well).

From Reading Rockets
The resources below are brought to you from Reading Rockets, a national multimedia project that offers research-based and best-practice information on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle. It is an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C.

Reading Glossary
Learn the lingo of reading with this glossary.

Launching Young Readers Teachers' Guide
Created for preschool through second grade teachers, the Teachers' Guide [PDF] lists typical reading achievements by grade level and suggests how teachers can foster the development of phonemic awareness, fluency, spelling, writing, and comprehension skills.