EdTech Resource: ReadWriteThink

To visit this resource, please click: ReadWriteThink 

Mission Statement: "Here at ReadWriteThink, our mission is to provide educators, parents, and after school professionals with access to the highest quality practices in reading and language arts instruction by offering the very best in free materials."

This is the first time I have come across ReadWriteThink. So if you have any feedback on this resource that you would like to add - please let me know. 

ReadWriteThink has partnered with the International Literacy Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and The Verizon Foundation to help improve the literacy rates across the United States. 

Why is this helpful to Canadians you ask? Well it might not be in every case; but it is still a resource for helping improve literacy rates at your school. ReadWriteThink also has some of the highest standards for online lesson plans that I have seen. 

ReadWriteThink says that, "every lesson plan on ReadWriteThink has been aligned not only to the IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts but to individual state standards as well."  

If you want to read more about their Standards of Alignment, please see their webpage for details. 

ReadWriteThink has divided their webpage into four key sections, 

1. Classroom Resources 
2. Professional Development Resources
3. Videos
4. Parent and After School Resources 

I think the Professional Development and Parent Resources are some of the most important to teachers and parents alike. There are so many webpages out there that offer lesson plans, but very few that offer a good set of tools for Professional Development. 

The PD section offers a library suggestions, however the majority of its recommendations are just there as recommendations, they are not online publications, and you have to go elsewhere to purchase the book. The PD section also offers different strategy guides, and online meeting and events (again in the US - so for those of us North of the boarder, it doesn't help.) 

What I find most interesting about the PD section is it's exclusive online PD. While there are currently no planned online webinars, they do offer webinars on demand, as well as links to other online programs and courses.