Reading Aids for Kids Back-to-School Guide

Teachers: stock up on these 7 reading essentials to kick your school year off right.

Autumn – and the beginning of the school year – tends to sneak up when we least expect it. For teachers, that means thinking about lesson plans, stocking up on classroom essentials, and preparing to give students a positive start to the school year. This back-to-school guide covers reading aids for kids that make a smart addition to any classroom.

1. Alphabet Displays

It might seem old-school, but alphabet displays can add color to your classroom and help young learners connect vocabulary with the alphabet while providing a reference for transcribing letters and words. Put your creative skills to work with do-it-yourself ideas for crafting custom ABCs or incorporate a classroom effort into your first set of lesson plans.

2. Eye Lighters

These USA-made educational tools help students stay focused on their reading by keeping them on the right line. Particularly useful for dyslexia or eye tracking issues, Eye Lighters underline or highlight the text children are working with, so even if they have to pause to sound out a word or figure out a new phrase, they'll know exactly where to pick back up. 

3. Flashcards

They're simple, cheap, and effective, and you can make them yourself! Whether you're teaching the alphabet or more advanced vocabulary words, flashcards are one of the easiest ways to learn by memory. You could even prepare cards that students can complete with an illustration of the word or concept on one side. 

4. Check-A-Roos

The Check-A-Roo reading aid for kids connects readers to a task and are perfect for “checking” for understanding during partner reading exercises. Both budget-friendly and versatile, students can also use them to silently signal for help when they need it or indicate they're through with a task.

5. Word Walls

Set up a framework for a word wall you can make with students once the school year starts. Adding new vocabulary words to the word wall, changing it up frequently, and encouraging students to use the words on the word wall every day, creates an engaging literacy tool that helps kids read.

6. Toobaloos

Colorful and durable Toobaloos provide immediate auditory feedback so students can hear what they sound like when they're reading aloud. They are excellent fluency aids for beginning readers and especially beneficial for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexia, and other reading and speech learning disorders. 

7. "Get Caught Reading" Poster

"Get Caught Reading" campaigns are picking up speed both in and out of the classroom. To create one for your class, take snapshots of students, teachers, school administrators and other staff reading, then periodically print and add them to a poster or frame to promote reading for fun.

Our reading aids for kids back-to-school guide will ensure that your classroom is ready for a new influx of young readers and learners. For more classroom ideas or to purchase the Learning Loft tools featured in this post, contact customer service online, or call 877.819.2541 today.