The Literacy Center’s Back to Basics

Because learning to read is so fundamental to the success of students, many organizations have worked to develop beginning level online supports for the classroom.

Depending on the organization’s philosophy (i.e. whole language, phonics) or funding source, its online tools can present youngsters with strikingly different experiences.

The Literacy Center offers a reading readiness site that’s gone back to the basics.  They made a conscious decision, supported by usability studies, to keep the lessons direct and uncluttered with teddy bears, fluffy ducks, or any type of characters.  These educators did a test set of lessons using a character to push things around on screen, and discovered that students preferred the simple lessons.

We really like the clean-lined clarity and navigation at The Literacy Center.  On the site, you’ll find lessons in four languages:  English, French, Spanish and German.  In addition, students can click and learn about colors, shapes, numbers, words and writing.  The writing lessons include great animations of either crayons or pencils drawing the form — try this lower case lesson.

If you haven’t tried these pre-reading resources before, then don’t wait!  The Literacy Center is a non-profit and limits advertising to Google-type ads.  The site is popular, accessed more than 30 million times by students, parents, and teachers in over 220 countries (reported in 2009).