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A “wiki” is a website or other online resource which allows users to add and edit content collectively. By now, most of us are familiar with Wikipedia (opens in a new window), the online encyclopedia. But there are other wikis too.

There’s a wiki devoted specifically to early literacy. Have you seen it? It’s free-reading.net (opens in a new window). According to the site, free-reading.net is an open resource center and community for early literacy teachers. Because it’s a wiki, the content is continually being revised and changed. There is an advisory board for the site that “refines the ongoing research and development agenda of Free-Reading.” The advisory board includes well-known researchers Catherine Snow, Michael Kamil, and Barbara Taylor.

I feel like such a fuddy-duddy when I say it, but I’m a bit suspicious of wikis! I mean, how can I trust a site whose content can be changed by virtually anyone?? But, I have to say, there are some terrific resources that you should see:
[list]
[*]64 activities to teach phonological awareness (opens in a new window). Several of the ones I looked at included video too.
[*]Vocabulary lessons (opens in a new window) using popular children’s books. The sequence they recommend for teaching the words is a good one.
[*]A Chipmunk Rap (opens in a new window). Yes, that’s right. And as the mom of two young girls, this one was a BIG HIT.
[/list]

In addition to activities, guides, videos and rap, free-reading.net offers a full 40-week intervention program (opens in a new window) for K/1 students. I haven’t reviewed it yet, and don’t see any links to research done with it, but it might be worth looking over! Now, if I can just do something about the references to “tricks” on the site…..

About the Author

Joanne Meier has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education, including serving on the faculty at the University of Virginia for six years where she trained reading specialists and future classroom teachers. Dr. Meier was Reading Rockets’ research-to-practice consultant from 2002 to 2014, where she wrote the Page by Page (opens in a new window) blog — sharing best practices in supporting young readers at home and in the classroom.

Publication Date
January 2, 2008
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