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Reading Opens the World: A Community for Literacy
Reading Opens the World: A Community for Literacy
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Reading Opens the World: A Community for Literacy

Free preK–12 literacy resources, lessons and activities that spark a lifelong love of reading.

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About this Community

Reading Opens the World is a free library of preK–12 literacy resources from the American Federation of Teachers. Teachers and parents come here for lesson plans, read alouds, webinars and tip sheets that actually hold up in a real classroom or a busy home.

Reading is the skill almost everything else leans on. Kids who read well have an easier time in math, science and history—anywhere words show up, which is pretty much everywhere. The materials in this community are here to make that work a little more doable, whether you're planning a lesson or reading with a child at the end of a long day.

Why These PreK–12 Literacy Resources Help

Good reading instruction is more than sounding out words. It's helping kids follow an argument, sit with a character who isn't like them, and figure out what they think. That takes solid materials and a bit of time, and both can be hard to come by.

This community is part of the AFT's Reading Opens the World initiative, which puts research-backed tools in teachers' hands, gives families practical tips they'll use, and gets free books into kids' hands. You'll find that same practical spirit in the resources gathered here.

What You'll Find Here

  • Blogs and Research — Writing from educators and researchers on how reading is taught, including the science of reading.
  • On Demand Webinars — Free professional development you can watch whenever you have the time.
  • Resource Collections — Grouped sets of materials, including summer reading lists broken out by grade.
  • Teaching Resources — Lesson plans, activities and worksheets you can use as-is or adapt.
  • Read Alouds — Video read alouds of picture books worth sharing.
  • Literacy Events — Stories from AFT book giveaways and community reading events.
  • For Parents — Tip sheets and tools for supporting reading at home, many in Spanish.
Featured Literacy Resources
Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in Grades 6-8
Lesson

Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in Grades 6-8

Handout, Worksheet • Grades 6-8
Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in Grades 6-8

AFT
Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in Grades 3-5
Lesson

Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in Grades 3-5

Handout, Worksheet • Grades 3-5
Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in Grades 3-5

AFT
Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in K-2
Lesson

Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in K-2

Handout, Worksheet • Grades K-2
Parent Tip Sheets for English Language Achievement in K-2

AFT

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Reading Opens the World community on Share My Lesson? Reading Opens the World is a free community of preK–12 literacy resources from the American Federation of Teachers. Teachers and parents can find lesson plans, read alouds, webinars, research and parent tip sheets in one place, all free to use.

Who are these literacy resources for? They're for teachers, paraprofessionals, reading specialists and parents of kids from preK through 12th grade. The materials are sorted by grade band, so there's something whether you're working with an early reader or a middle schooler.

Do the resources cost anything? No. Everything in the community is free. A free Share My Lesson account lets you download materials, save what you like, and join the discussions.

What kinds of materials are in the community? You'll find lesson plans, reading activities, video read alouds, on-demand webinars, research, curated collections and parent tip sheets. Much of it reflects the science of reading, and several resources are available in Spanish.

How can parents help with reading at home? The parent tip sheets give simple, research-backed activities for each grade band, from reading aloud with young kids to comprehension strategies for older ones. They're available in both English and Spanish.

What is the AFT's Reading Opens the World initiative? It's a national American Federation of Teachers campaign that has given away more than 10 million free books and provides tools for educators and families to support reading. You can read more at aft.org/read.

Register for All Literacy Webinars

Register for all upcoming and on demand webinars in the Reading Opens the World series.

Register Now
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Free preK–12 literacy resources, lessons and activities that spark a lifelong love of reading.
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