Testmoz.com

One of my favorite resources is testmoz.  Teachers can create assessments on testmoz.com and the students can sign in to take them.  The tests can be multiple choice, true false, or fill in the blank.  The fill in the blanks must match exactly for grading purposes.  This resource saves time with grading and grouping.  The teacher can sign in as the administrator and the reports page will show exactly who missed what so that you can reteach to just a small group or one-on-one if needed.  Best of all it's FREE! :)

Storybooks online

I have been scouring the Internet again and I have found a few more great sites that every teacher should know about.  This year I have been doing some action research on the effectiveness of using listening centers to improve fluency.  I did not have a huge selections of books on tape or CD.  I used some that I purchased from scholastic and other book stores as well as some that I borrowed from my librarian.  But these still weren't enough.  I have found some websites with free or almost free audio books.  Here are a few that I have found.  Have you found more?  Feel free to post and share!

http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/library.htm

http://www.mightybook.com

http://www.wiredforbooks.org/kids.htm

http://storynory.com/

http://www.kidsaudiobooks.co.uk/mp3_downloads.htm

Story Bird!!!

I have been trying to create an account at storybird since November.  I finally succeeded!  Wish I had been able to create this account earlier.  As an educator you can create an account, add your students, give them assignments with or with out a due date and let them go to work creating stories.  Names are kept private only able to be viewed by the teacher and other students in class.  Another great thing about it, they just added fundraising.  The parents can get online and order their books and the class earns $5 off of every book sold. :)

www.storybird.com

Lexile

In preparing to transition to the Common Core standards I have been studying the lexile since I have used DRA levels.  I have found www.lexile.com to be a very useful resource.  New to lexile?  Remember that the lexile levels are determined from syntax complexity and sematic complexity.  Appropriatness of text must be monitored.    

Shelfari

Shelfari is a wonderful website that can be used in so many different ways.  Shelfari.com can be used to keep a personal reading list, an inventory of your books, you can do add friends and discuss books you have read.  You can have your students create a virtual reading log and write reviews of the books they are reading.  What about using it on the common core standard about writing opinion pieces in the review space the students can write their opinion of the book and state their reasons... 

 I use my shelfari as a sharing tool with other teachers.  I tag the books with what reading strategy or mini lesson I have used or could use that book to teach with.  I have not yet logged all of my books it really will be a summer project, but you can link your amazon account with shelfari and they will automatically load any new books that your buy!

So what is your favorite book?  What is your favorite book to teach with?  What do you like to teach with that book?

My hope...

I hope that you will find this site useful for ideas to use in your own classroom.  I first thought I would post some lesson ideas for literacy subjects to use espeically since we will be implementing common core standards next year and I know many of you will be also.  Now that I am getting up and going I am going to add to this many things that I use in my classroom and with other teachers that I work with.