Reading Resources

Reading 'Round the Clock

reading on computer

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These tipsheets include important information about what children are expected to learn and be able to do in reading at each grade level. They also include simple, fun activities you can do at home and on the go to encourage reading readiness and to support developing reading skills. Each tipsheet is a 2-page PDF download.

Early Literacy on the Web

These websites are all excellent early literacy resources for you to learn about early learning and reading readiness.

  • Zero to Three
    Resources for parents and others to learn about brain development, early language and literacy, and child development. The site includes special sections for many helpful topics including Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care and School Readiness.
  • Reading Rockets: For Parents
    Tools, tips, booklists, and other free resources for parents from Reading Rockets, a national multimedia literacy initiative offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.
  • Reading Rockets: Dialogic Reading
    This powerful, fun method of reading interactively with children turns books into opportunities for conversation and learning. In dialogic reading, the adult helps the child become the teller of the story.  Dialogic reading encourages social skills such as taking turns and listening; gives children practice in sorting and communicating their thoughts; and helps children understand that their input is important and meaningful.
  • Reach Out and Read
    Reach Out and Read (ROR) gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.  Local pediatric and family practice offices participate in ROR to integrate early literacy guidance with pediatric care for children birth through age five.
  • Books Build Connections Toolkit
    The American Academy of Pediatrics has collected numerous resources for caregivers and children to form positive attitudes about, and develop good practices for, sharing books and developing receptive and expressive language skills. Downloadable tipsheets help caregivers share books with their children at every stage from infancy to preschool.
  • PBS Parents: Reading and Language
    Learn how children become readers and writers and how parents can help them develop by talking, reading, and writing together every day.
  • Get Ready to Read screening tool
    This online, 20-question tool for 4-year-olds was designed to show where a child is on the path to developing pre-reading skills. It is free for parents and caregivers to use with children, and is available in English and Spanish.
  • Get Ready to Read!
    This website has many resources to help your child build literacy skills before kindergarten.
  • International Children’s Digital Library
    This quality collection of more than 4500 children’s books features stories in 61 languages from around the globe.
  • Reading is Fundamental
    Reading is Fundamental encourages reading through a wide variety of early literacy skill-building activities, and provides helpful resources for parents and child care professionals.

Recipe for Reading Success Cards

These recipe-style cards show you how to encourage your child's development of six important early literacy skills in fun and easy ways.

STEM Resources

These printable activity books from the South Carolina State Library include easy, age-approprate science projects and observation activities. Each is a PDF download.