New Jersey Tiered System of Supports for Early Reading
Resources for Parents and EducatorsActivity PagesContact Information
Beth Cosentino, Project Director
bcosentino@spanadvocacy.org
Ijjou Hammouch, Family Literacy Specialist
ihammouch@spanadvocacy.org
Ellen Woodcock, Family Literacy Specialist
ewoodcock@spanadvocacy.org
Winter Fun Activity, English→
Winter Fun Activity, Spanish→
Winter Fun Activity, Arabic→
Winter Fun Activity, French→
Winter Fun Activity, Haitian Creole→
Building Strong Parent-Educator Partnerships
New Jersey Tiered System of Supports for Early Reading (NJTSS-ER) Project’s purpose is to engage families in science-based reading instruction and intervention and promote partnerships between parents and educators.
NJTSS-ER Projects’ Resource Collection for Parents & Educators includes a variety of ways to learn about best practices and effective strategies for early literacy, including tip sheets, recorded presentations, activity pages, articles, and more!
SPAN’s NJTSS-ER Project is a partnership between the New Jersey Department of Education and SPAN Parent Advocacy Network.
NJTSS-ER, English→
NJTSS-ER, Spanish→
NJTSS-ER, French→
NJTSS-ER, Arabic→
Highlighted Event
Family Workshop Series: Understanding Universal Screening & NJTSS-ER Supports
This three-session virtual workshop series is designed to help families understand how universal screening within a New Jersey’s Tiered System of Supports for Early Reading (NJTSS-ER) identifies student literacy needs and provides effective, research-based reading instruction and intervention.
Register for the workshop
Resources for Parents & Educators
Literacy: Activities and Tip Sheets
Activities for Learning Anywhere
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- Games | PBS KIDS
- International Children’s Digital Library
- Free Children’s Stories
- Read Write Think
- Reading is Fundamental
- Storytime from Space
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
- Khan Academy Kids
- Nat Geo Education
- Read Theory
- Storyplace
- ABCYa
- Read Works
- Storyline Online
- Starfall
- Reading Bear
- Reading Buddies (PBS)
- Project Gutenberg
- Start with a Book
- Kids Read to Kid
Tip Sheets
- The Five Pillars of Reading
- Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Tips for Back-to-School Night
- Milestone of Early Literacy Development
- Scarborough’s Reading Rope
- The Simple View of Reading
- The Five Big Ideas of Beginning Reading
- Tips to Get Your Child to Read More
- Tips for Parents of Preschoolers
- Tips to Help Your Child Become a Better Reader
- Helping Your Child Become a Future Reader
Literacy: News and Updates
The NJ Literacy Framework and NJ Literacy Bills
- The New Jersey Literacy Framework: Connections to Preschool
- The New Jersey Literacy Framework: A Guide to Evidence-Based Literacy Practices & Universal Screeners
- The New Jersey Literacy Framework: A Guide to High Quality Instructional Materials
- NJDOE Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery (LEAR)
- The Working Group on Student Literacy Recommendation Report
- P.L.2024 Chapter 52
- Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Bolstering Literacy Education for New Jersey Students
- Governor Murphy and Education Commissioner Dehmer Advance Literacy Education Initiatives: Grants and Guidance Now Available to School Districts | NJ
- Early Literacy: State Systematic Improvement Plan (SSIP)
- NJ Dyslexia Handbook
Additional Information
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- NJTSS-ER Rutgers site – Training site for educators and districts
- New Jersey Family Engagement Hub
- Archived Webinars: Webinars | New Jersey Family Engagement Hub
- World Reader BookSmart site
- Worldreader Article – SPAN’s START Project.pdf
Literacy: Building Knowledge and Skills
National Center on Improving Literacy
- National Center on Improving Literacy
- How Families Can Partner With Schools on Literacy Development
- 10 Ways to Support Your Child’s Literacy at Home
- Phonological Awareness: What Is It and How Does It Relate to Phonemic Awareness?
- Features of Structured Literacy Instruction
- Fluency with Text: An Overview
Learning Challenges
- NJDOE’s Literacy Resources and Interventions for Students with Disabilities
- Is Your Child Having Trouble Reading? Warning Signs and a Checklist | NCIL
- Recognizing Reading Problems | Reading Rockets
- Explicit Instruction for Struggling Readers Explained | NCIL
- Common Types of Reading Problems and How to Help Children Who Have Them | Reading Rockets
- Screening for Reading Risk: What Is It and Why Is It Important? | NCIL
- RTI and MTSS | Reading Rockets
- About Reading Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, and Reading Difficulties | Reading Rockets
- 10 Steps in the Special Education Process | Reading Rockets
- Defining Dyslexia | NCIL
- Developmental Language Disorder | Reading Rockets
Reading Partners
Reading Rockets
The Reading League Compass Resources
Podcasts
Other Literacy Resources
Videos
- The Reading Rope Key Ideas Behind the Metaphor – The Reading League
- Epic Phonics – Short Videos for Learning
- Scratch Garden – Phonics – Digraphs – Short Videos for Learning
- LEARning about Literacy – NJDOE Professional Learning Series Video Sessions
Presentations and Webinars
Resource Folders for Presentations
- 7/22/25 Resource Folder for Early Reading: Connecting the Dots for Every Student to Succeed
- Part I, What Every Parent Needs to Know about Early Reading Resource Folder
- Part II, What Every Parent Needs to Know_ Resource Folder
- Part III, What Every Parent Needs to Know_Resource folder
- 11/2/23 RESOURCES NJTSS-ER: Preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences
- 1/30/24 RESOURCES, NJTSS-ER: Teachers and Parents Working Together
- 3/21/24 RESOURCES NJTSS-ER: Early Reading Resources & Activities
view our playlist on youtube