Resources
A World of Resources at Your Fingertips
Welcome to our treasure trove of free resources, carefully curated to enhance your child's reading journey. At Steady Steps Tutoring, we understand the importance of diverse and engaging materials in nurturing a love for reading. From interactive apps and educational websites to printable activities and online libraries, each resource is selected to cater to different learning styles and reading leavels. Dive in to discover a world of reading adventures that await your child, just a click away!
Browse Our Blog
Here are materials we recommend to support your child's reading journey. These resources are a mix of free and some paid resources (few of which are affiliate links).
If you click pictures in this section it will keep you on this webpage and bring you to the recommended resources below given the category. Most of the links after this section will take you to another website altogether and some will want you to download files or apps.
Happy hunting!
Guides and Tips for Parents
Learn how to support your child's reading at home. This includes tips for reading aloud, strategies to improve reading comprehension, and ways to make reading a fun activity!
Book Lists and Recommendations
Here is a curated list of books suitable for different age groups and reading levels. These lists are to help you choose appropriate and engaging books for your kid.
Reading Challenges and Programs
Activities like summer reading challenges and read-along programs that motivate kids to read more.
Parent Forums and Support Groups
Online communities where parents can share tips, resources, and support each other in their children's reading journeys.
Explore, Discover, Grow
Here are materials we recommend to support your child's reading journey. These resources are a mix of free and some paid resources (few of which are affiliate links).
If you click pictures in this section it will keep you on this webpage and bring you to the resources we recommend given the category. The links after this section will take you to another website altogether and some will want you to download files or apps.
Happy hunting!
Interactive and engaging digital platforms. Including websites and apps that teach phonics, offer interactive reading experiences, or provide reading comprehension activities.
These include phonics worksheets, sight word flashcards, and reading comprehension exercises.
Managing Their Screen Time
Apps and resources to help manage their screen time and your peace of mind.
Reading Apps and Websites
The websites and apps below offer a diverse way to engage children in reading and cater to different learning styles and interests. These resources make learning to read fun and engaging, which is essential for keeping young learners motivated.
IXL, established in 2007, is a comprehensive learning platform designed to enhance the educational journey of students from pre-K through 12th grade across subjects like math, language arts, science, and social studies. It stands out for its adaptive learning technology that tailors questions to each student's skill level, promoting a personalized learning experience. With free and paid versions, IXL offers a vast array of practice questions, real-time diagnostic tools, and detailed progress tracking. It's particularly acclaimed for helping students master concepts at their own pace while providing parents and educators with insightful performance analytics. Additionally, IXL's mobile apps offer convenient on-the-go learning opportunities.
Educatino.com is a comprehensive learning platform offering a vast array of resources to support children's education, from preK-8th grade. It provides interactive games, lesson plans, and worksheets tailored to different grades and subjects, making learning engaging and effective. Ideal for reinforcing classroom learning or homeschooling, the platform covers key areas like math, reading, and science. Trusted by millions of teachers and parents, Education.com ensures a structured, fun learning environment for kids. With tools to track progress and new content added regularly, it's a reliable, enriching educational resource for every step of your child's learning journey. The educational games you can play on any device with filters for grade level as well as subject.
Epic, hailed as the world's largest digital library for kids, is an extremely well-rated, interactive reading app offering a vast selection of over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and educational videos, tailored to fuel curiosity and reading confidence in children. This multilingual platform, accessible on Apple devices with offline reading capabilities, features Read-To-Me books, audiobooks with engaging voice acting, and interactive learning tools like Reading Buddies and quizzes, making it a favorite among both families and educators for its effective and fun approach to reading. Available on the Apple App store and Google Play for free with in app purchases.
Created to inspire a lifetime of learning and discovery with their free, fun educational program for children ages two to eight. Khan Academy Kids was developed in collaboration with learning experts at Stanford and aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards. Their personalized learning path dynamically adapts, ensuring each child is presented with activities, books, educational videos, and creative lessons that allow them to learn at their own pace, creating an individualized experience for every learner. They also have a bunch of free printables if you'd rather have something on paper.
Secret Stories® is a transformative app for parents and kids, making phonics learning fun and intuitive at home. Instead of mere practice, it teaches phonics through engaging stories that explain letter sounds and their combinations, ideal for early and struggling readers. The Better Alphabet™ Song fast-tracks letter sound mastery, while "Secret" stories make complex phonics patterns understandable and memorable. Features like sound-symbol connections, targeted practice, and playful narratives like AU/AW in love or the sneaky letter Y, turn reading challenges into a joyful journey. Parents witness significant improvements in their child's reading and spelling skills, replacing frustration with confidence and love for reading. Secret Stories® is a unique, parent-approved approach to phonics that brings letters and sounds to life. The app itself is a bit pricey but it is directly correlated with the curriculum we use and a wonderful supplement. Here is the Apple download link.
Starfall, launched in 2002 by Dr. Stephen Schutz, is an interactive educational platform that excels in teaching reading, language arts, and math to preschool through fifth grade students, including those with learning challenges like dyslexia. It combines free resources with a membership option starting at $35 per year, offering expanded content such as animated songs and math activities, and is known for its effectiveness with emergent readers, special needs children, and ELL students. They also have quite a few apps worth checking out on the app store!
ABCmouse.com provides a detailed learning program for early reading, encompassing over 850 lessons in ten levels, covering fundamentals like letter recognition, phonics, and sentence structure, up to reading complete books. While it lacks a free version, the platform, priced at $45 per year, offers a holistic educational experience, including comprehensive lessons in math, science, and social studies.
Reading Eggs is a dynamic online platform that enhances reading skills for children aged 2 to 13 through interactive games, activities, and a vast collection of over 2000 digital books. Tailored to individual learning styles and progress, it provides an effective reading education with a 30-day free trial for families to experience its benefits before subscribing.
Raz-Kids website provides hundreds of interactive, leveled eBooks spanning 29 levels of difficulty. It's a comprehensive reading resource for students, allowing them to listen to books for modeled fluency, read books for practice, and then record themselves reading so teachers can monitor progress. They have a few apps which are a mix of mostly positive ratings depending on the platform and operating system, click this link for a list of their app store links.
Printable Worksheets and Activities
Here are several websites where you can find free printable worksheets and activities suitable for elementary grades. These sites are a great starting point for finding diverse and educatinoal materials for young learners.
Great Schools offers a wide range of free printable worksheets, especially focused on literacy and math skills for various grades. When you click the link you're put directly in their search area for worksheets that you can get detailed for grade level as well as subject. They have a bunch of additional resources for parents in their blogs and around their website.
While they offer a premium membership, there's also a substantial collection of free worksheets available, covering a variety of subjects including reading and writing. You can sort through worksheets based off of grade and subject. The worksheets themselves have a short explanation of skills the worksheet teaches and what to watch for when working with your kid.
This platform has a free section where teachers share resources they've created. You can find numerous worksheets and activities for all grades, some of which are free. It is also a great resource for other subjects in all grades for worksheets as well as other materials in general. The nice part about this website is that anything you buy gives the teacher that created it a little bit of money so they can buy a coffee.
This website does not have much for a free section, however, their yearly subscription is extremely affordable if you are looking for any additional worksheets. You can find numerous worksheets and activities for all grades. The hardest part about using this website is figuring out what to choose that your child needs help with. This website seems to have any subject you might need from simple phonics to fractions to electricity. We use this regularly and highly recommend it.
This website provides free reading comprehension worksheets, spelling word lists, grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and reading skills. The website is spammy when it comes to its ads so do be mindful of it but the resources are free and they can be narrowed down to be grade-specific.
This site offers a variety of free printables for phonics, sight words, and sentence structure, along with other educational resources for elementary grades. There are also some resources you can purchase from their shop.
Online Libraries and eBooks
Websites posted below provide a vast collection of age-appropriate books (many that are free), that help develop reading fluency and comprehension in elementary grades and beyond. These digital libraries often have books categorized by reading level, making it easier to select suitable materials.
Oxford Owl offers a free eBook collection, primarily focusing on phonics and reading skills for children aged 3-11. It's a great resource for parents as it not only provides eBooks but also offers tips and advice on how to support your child's learning at home.​
Run by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, Storyline Online features well-known actors reading children’s books. Each book comes with a supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners.​
​Part of the Internet Archive, Open Library provides access to over 1.7 million free eBooks. It's an online library where you can borrow books digitally for a set period, much like a physical library, making it an excellent resource for a wide range of children's literature.
ICDL offers a diverse collection of children's books from around the world, available for free. This platform is ideal for expanding your child's cultural horizons and finding unique stories beyond the usual offerings, with books available in multiple languages.​
TumbleBook Library specializes in animated, talking picture books which help children learn and develop a love for reading in a format they'll love. It's an excellent resource for interactive eBooks, and it includes language learning books, read-along chapter books, non-fiction books, and exciting games and puzzles.​
A treasure trove of classic literature, Project Gutenberg provides free access to over 70,000 eBooks. While it's best for older children due to its collection of classic texts, it can be a wonderful resource for timeless stories and novels that can enhance your child's reading experience.
Educational Videos
These video resources offer a range of educational content that can enhance the learning experience of elementary students, making them great supplements to traditional learning methods.
This resource features well-known actors reading children's books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Storyline Online is excellent for developing listening and comprehension skills, as the expressive readings help to bring stories to life, enhancing the overall learning experience. I found their website linked above a bit tricky to find their videos so here is their youtube channel as well which was easier for me to use.​
PBS Kids offers a vast array of educational videos that cover a range of subjects from reading and science to social skills. These videos are not only engaging but also align with educational standards, making them an excellent supplemental resource for reinforcing classroom lessons. Shows like "Arthur" and "Wild Kratts" combine storytelling with educational content in a child-friendly format.​ They also have a free app where you can watch these videos on any device of your choosing.
National Geographic Kids provides videos that are perfect for curious young minds interested in nature, animals, and the world. These videos are informative and visually captivating, making learning about the world around us fun and engaging. They have some games but they don't seem all that educational.​
TED-Ed provides educational videos on a wide range of topics. While some content may be for older audiences, they have a variety of videos suitable for elementary students, often paired with lesson plans and quizzes.​
Tailored for younger students, BrainPOP Jr. offers educational videos across subjects like science, health, reading, writing, and more. Its content is character-driven and animated in a way that appeals to children, making learning enjoyable and relatable.​
While primarily a yoga channel, Cosmic Kids Yoga incorporates storytelling into its routines. This unique approach can be particularly beneficial for children's physical health and their listening and comprehension skills. Their website offers a paid version and a free trial although their YouTube channel is free.
Educational Games
The apps below offer a diverse way to engage children in reading and cater to different learning styles and interests. They start with the youngest ages and work their way up.
ABCmouse, an award-winning program perfect for preschool to 2nd-grade learners. Start a 30-day free trial and dive into a vast array of 10,000+ activities across reading, math, art, and more. Crafted by educational experts, ABCmouse offers a full curriculum on your iPad or iPhone, promoting early literacy and math skills. Witness significant reading skill improvement with just 45 minutes a week. Enjoy a kid-friendly environment filled with books, videos, puzzles, and 900+ Spanish activities. Personalize your learning with avatars and track progress easily. Praised by teachers and parents alike, ABCmouse accelerates learning, ensuring kindergarten readiness and beyond. Choose from convenient subscription options and make learning an engaging, interactive journey for your child with ABCmouse! Find their app downloads here.
Reading.com is an engaging and parent-friendly platform designed to teach children aged 3-8 how to read. Created by educational experts, it offers a research-backed, phonics-based curriculum that transforms parents into super teachers without needing special training. With just 15-20 minutes a day, you can guide your child through 99 step-by-step lessons, from letter recognition to confident reading, complemented by interactive storybooks, fun videos, and digital games. The program covers letters, blends, long vowels, and digraphs, aiming for a late 1st-grade reading level. It's a comprehensive, ad-free experience with printable materials for offline learning, allowing up to 3 child profiles per family subscription. Join Reading.com to embark on a co-play journey, turning reading into a joyful and bonding experience. You can find links to their different app stores here.
Unleash your child's potential with Lingokids, a fun learning app for kids aged 2-8! Dive into 1200+ interactive activities blending academics with essential modern life skills. Developed in collaboration with Oxford University Press, this 100% ad-free app is trusted by 50M+ families. Lingokids offers a comprehensive, STEM-focused curriculum, including reading, math, science, and art, enhanced with life skills like empathy and resilience. The Playlearning™ method ensures fun, engaging learning, helping kids become confident, curious learners. Monitor progress with detailed reports and join a global parent community. Upgrade to Lingokids Plus for unlimited access, exclusive content, and an ad-free experience, ensuring your child learns and grows anywhere, anytime. You can find their app store downloads here.
Kiddopia is a vibrant and nurturing educational app designed by parents for children's early learning for ages 2-7. Offering a 7-day free trial, it provides over 1000 play-based activities aimed at fostering creativity, math skills, language development, and life skills in young minds. The app, created with a child-first approach and endorsed by teachers, promotes independent learning in a safe, ad-free environment, certified by COPPA as kidSAFE. It's designed to be intuitive for kids, allowing them to learn and explore without adult supervision. Regular content updates keep learning fresh and exciting, with activities ranging from underwater adventures to space exploration. In Kiddopia, children learn through play, taking on roles like doctors, chefs, or astronauts, and developing skills from academic to creative thinking and self-expression. You can find their app store links here at the bottom of their webpage.
Speech Blubs is a leading, fun speech learning app. Best for ages 1-8 and trusted by over 5 million parents. It's a child-safe, ad-free app offering engaging speech therapy activities to enhance your child's speech and language skills. Developed with experts, it features video modeling with real children as guides, boosting learning through mirror neurons. The app includes a vast array of over 1500 exercises across 28 interactive sections like "Animal Kingdom" and "Sing-Along." Plus, it provides a Parents’ Academy with 350+ articles and video tips from professionals. Enjoy a 7-day free trial with personalized insights and full access to activities. The app supports multiple languages and offers a new reading app, READING BLUBS, with your subscription, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience for your child. Download here from Apple or Google.
IXL is a dynamic learning platform trusted by over 1 million educators and parents, helping over 14 million students excel. It offers an expansive curriculum with over 8,000 skills across math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Designed for preK-12, IXL adapts to each student's level, providing immediate feedback, personalized recommendations, and a diverse range of interactive question types. The Real-Time Diagnostic tool assesses students' knowledge in math and English, guiding them on what to learn next. On the IXL app, features like handwriting recognition and graphing tools enhance the learning experience. Parents and educators can track progress and milestones through detailed reports. With proven results and a kid-safe, COPPA-compliant environment, IXL offers 10 free daily questions and membership options for a full-access, engaging learning journey. You can find their download links for the app stores here.
Word Tag, a dynamic app designed for 7-13-year-olds, turns vocabulary building into an adventure, boosting test scores by up to 43%. It offers up to four tailored profiles with detailed progress tracking, all in a 100% ad-free and KidSAFE Coppa approved environment. Children can learn 1,000 new words annually with just 20 minutes of daily play, thanks to engaging minigames that employ spaced repetition, a core principle of the Science of Reading. The developers don't recommend more than 20 minutes a day as the game was developed with input from literacy experts. Word Tag not only improves vocabulary and reading skills but also offers a captivating world filled with creative challenges and rewards. The app covers a wide spectrum of words, from creative writing to STEAM subjects, catering to various learning needs, including US exam preparation. Dive into this scientifically-backed learning journey with a weekly free trial, followed by a cheap monthly subscription. Click the link to find on Apple or Google.
Super Teacher, crafted for all ages, revolutionizes learning by offering 24/7 access to personalized tutoring across diverse subjects for a small monthly subscription. It's designed to mimic a private tutor's tailored approach, engagingly adapting to your child's unique learning pace. The platform ensures a safe, ad-free learning space, focusing on individual progress and mastery. With Super Teacher, your child gains an educational ally, ready to support and enhance their learning journey at every step, making it as effective as having a dedicated tutor on call. Only available on the Apple app store.
Epic, hailed as the world's largest digital library for kids, is an extremely well-rated, interactive reading app offering a vast selection of over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and educational videos, tailored to fuel curiosity and reading confidence in children. This multilingual platform, accessible on Apple devices with offline reading capabilities, features Read-To-Me books, audiobooks with engaging voice acting, and interactive learning tools like Reading Buddies and quizzes, making it a favorite among both families and educators for its effective and fun approach to reading. Available on the Apple App store and Google Play for free with in app purchases.
Managing Their Screen Time
The websites and apps below offer a diverse way to engage children in reading and cater to different learning styles and interests. These resources make learning to read fun and engaging, which is essential for keeping young learners motivated.
Word Tag, a dynamic app designed for 7-13-year-olds, turns vocabulary building into an adventure, boosting test scores by up to 43%. It offers up to four tailored profiles with detailed progress tracking, all in a 100% ad-free and KidSAFE Coppa approved environment. Children can learn 1,000 new words annually with just 20 minutes of daily play, thanks to engaging minigames that employ spaced repetition, a core principle of the Science of Reading. The developers don't recommend more than 20 minutes a day as the game was developed with input from literacy experts. Word Tag not only improves vocabulary and reading skills but also offers a captivating world filled with creative challenges and rewards. The app covers a wide spectrum of words, from creative writing to STEAM subjects, catering to various learning needs, including US exam preparation. Dive into this scientifically-backed learning journey with a weekly free trial, followed by a cheap monthly subscription. Click the link to find on Apple or Google.
Reading.com is an engaging and parent-friendly platform designed to teach children aged 3-8 how to read. Created by educational experts, it offers a research-backed, phonics-based curriculum that transforms parents into super teachers without needing special training. With just 15-20 minutes a day, you can guide your child through 99 step-by-step lessons, from letter recognition to confident reading, complemented by interactive storybooks, fun videos, and digital games. The program covers letters, blends, long vowels, and digraphs, aiming for a late 1st-grade reading level. It's a comprehensive, ad-free experience with printable materials for offline learning, allowing up to 3 child profiles per family subscription. Join Reading.com to embark on a co-play journey, turning reading into a joyful and bonding experience. You can find links to their different app stores here.
ABCmouse, an award-winning program perfect for preschool to 2nd-grade learners. Start a 30-day free trial and dive into a vast array of 10,000+ activities across reading, math, art, and more. Crafted by educational experts, ABCmouse offers a full curriculum on your iPad or iPhone, promoting early literacy and math skills. Witness significant reading skill improvement with just 45 minutes a week. Enjoy a kid-friendly environment filled with books, videos, puzzles, and 900+ Spanish activities. Personalize your learning with avatars and track progress easily. Praised by teachers and parents alike, ABCmouse accelerates learning, ensuring kindergarten readiness and beyond. Choose from convenient subscription options and make learning an engaging, interactive journey for your child with ABCmouse! Find their app downloads here.
Unleash your child's potential with Lingokids, a fun learning app for kids aged 2-8! Dive into 1200+ interactive activities blending academics with essential modern life skills. Developed in collaboration with Oxford University Press, this 100% ad-free app is trusted by 50M+ families. Lingokids offers a comprehensive, STEM-focused curriculum, including reading, math, science, and art, enhanced with life skills like empathy and resilience. The Playlearning™ method ensures fun, engaging learning, helping kids become confident, curious learners. Monitor progress with detailed reports and join a global parent community. Upgrade to Lingokids Plus for unlimited access, exclusive content, and an ad-free experience, ensuring your child learns and grows anywhere, anytime. You can find their app store downloads here.
Speech Blubs is a leading, fun speech learning app. Best for ages 1-8 and trusted by over 5 million parents. It's a child-safe, ad-free app offering engaging speech therapy activities to enhance your child's speech and language skills. Developed with experts, it features video modeling with real children as guides, boosting learning through mirror neurons. The app includes a vast array of over 1500 exercises across 28 interactive sections like "Animal Kingdom" and "Sing-Along." Plus, it provides a Parents’ Academy with 350+ articles and video tips from professionals. Enjoy a 7-day free trial with personalized insights and full access to activities. The app supports multiple languages and offers a new reading app, READING BLUBS, with your subscription, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience for your child. Download here from Apple or Google.
Kiddopia is a vibrant and nurturing educational app designed by parents for children's early learning for ages 2-7. Offering a 7-day free trial, it provides over 1000 play-based activities aimed at fostering creativity, math skills, language development, and life skills in young minds. The app, created with a child-first approach and endorsed by teachers, promotes independent learning in a safe, ad-free environment, certified by COPPA as kidSAFE. It's designed to be intuitive for kids, allowing them to learn and explore without adult supervision. Regular content updates keep learning fresh and exciting, with activities ranging from underwater adventures to space exploration. In Kiddopia, children learn through play, taking on roles like doctors, chefs, or astronauts, and developing skills from academic to creative thinking and self-expression. You can find their app store links here at the bottom of their webpage.
IXL is a dynamic learning platform trusted by over 1 million educators and parents, helping over 14 million students excel. It offers an expansive curriculum with over 8,000 skills across math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Designed for preK-12, IXL adapts to each student's level, providing immediate feedback, personalized recommendations, and a diverse range of interactive question types. The Real-Time Diagnostic tool assesses students' knowledge in math and English, guiding them on what to learn next. On the IXL app, features like handwriting recognition and graphing tools enhance the learning experience. Parents and educators can track progress and milestones through detailed reports. With proven results and a kid-safe, COPPA-compliant environment, IXL offers 10 free daily questions and membership options for a full-access, engaging learning journey. You can find their download links for the app stores here.
Super Teacher, crafted for all ages, revolutionizes learning by offering 24/7 access to personalized tutoring across diverse subjects for a small monthly subscription. It's designed to mimic a private tutor's tailored approach, engagingly adapting to your child's unique learning pace. The platform ensures a safe, ad-free learning space, focusing on individual progress and mastery. With Super Teacher, your child gains an educational ally, ready to support and enhance their learning journey at every step, making it as effective as having a dedicated tutor on call. Only available on the Apple app store.
Epic, hailed as the world's largest digital library for kids, is an extremely well-rated, interactive reading app offering a vast selection of over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and educational videos, tailored to fuel curiosity and reading confidence in children. This multilingual platform, accessible on Apple devices with offline reading capabilities, features Read-To-Me books, audiobooks with engaging voice acting, and interactive learning tools like Reading Buddies and quizzes, making it a favorite among both families and educators for its effective and fun approach to reading. Available on the Apple App store and Google Play for free with in app purchases.