Reading Rockets is 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.
Science Naturally wants to do what we can to support early childhood education and literacy efforts. As such, we thought it would be helpful to share resources that assist parents and educators with early education and literacy initiatives. This is the second article in a series of posts we will do on some of our favorites!
About Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets brings research-based strategies to teachers, parents, administrators, librarians, childcare providers, and anyone else involved in helping a young child become a strong, confident reader. Their goal is to "bring the reading research to life — to spread the word about reading instruction and to present 'what works' in a way that parents and educators can understand and use."
Reading Rockets provides hundreds of articles on teaching reading, classroom strategies, in-classroom video, parent tips in 11 languages, video interviews with top children’s book authors, a daily news service, and much more.
Free Reading Guides
Parents and Educators can access reading guides that are ready to download, print and share, including parent tip sheets in multiple languages and companion guides to their popular PBS series!
Literacy and the Sciences
There is a strong correlation between the skills that are needed to grow strong readers and writers and the core skills used in science and math. Predicting, understanding cause and effect, understanding sequence, acquiring a rich vocabulary, building background knowledge, and developing the ability to read and write informational text are some of the skills Reading Rockets addresses in the Literacy in the Sciences series.
Reading Rockets provides free tip sheets all about literacy in the sciences are written just for parents, available in both English and Spanish. Each tip sheet includes simple activities you can do with your child to build literacy and beginning science skills. Each tip sheet also includes a set of recommended picture books to extend the learning. These tips sheets include:
Science and Math Books for Children
Reading Rockets also has an extensive list of recommended science and math reading books for kids, including:
Science Naturally's Science and Math Books for Kids
Bilingual Science and Math Book Set/ Conjunto de libros bilingües is filled with entertaining, literature-based brainteasers that take just one minute to read! These books help kids see science, math, and new languages as approachable and learnable! Put on your Super Sleuthing cap and try solving these engaging and educational challenges!
The I Love A Mystery Book Set blurs the line between entertainment and education. Make math and science fun with these literature-based books. Each mystery takes just one minute to read and features real-world scenarios. The brain teasers challenge kids to use critical thinking skills. Perfect for a long car trip or quick errands.