Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for your interest in ReadWriteThink. We have compiled a list of the questions most frequently posed to our staff. Just click on the questions below to read the related answers.

If your question is not listed or you need further information, please contact us.

How can I find materials on ReadWriteThink?

There are several ways to find materials on the ReadWriteThink site. The Search Resources tool is available on the left-hand side of every page and allows you to filter what you see by a variety of different categories, including grade level and resource type.

You can also use the keyword box at the top of the Search Resources tool to search using a specific term or phrase. When you do this, you will see results from the ReadWriteThink site.

You can also browse each of the main sections of the ReadWriteThink site using the buttons that line the top of every page. You'll find content as follows

Classroom Resources contains lesson plans, student interactives, printouts, and calendar activities.

Collections features curated sets of lesson plans, teaching materials, and professional learning resources on topics frequently taught in classrooms.

Professional Development contains information about professional development opportunities online and in your community, as well as instructional strategy guides and a professional library listing books and journals from NCTE.

About Us is where you'll learn about the ReadWriteThink site, including our partners, our staff, our authors, our advisors, and our community.

I can’t open PDF printables. Can you help?

You are probably experiencing technical difficulties with the PDF links because you do not have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer. You can download it for free by clicking here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/
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If you're having difficulties downloading or installing the Acrobat Reader plug-in, please visit the Acrobat Support Center: https://helpx.adobe.com/support.html.

The student interactive tools won’t open on my computer. How can I fix this?

We have recently updated our student interactive tools to work since the discontinuation of Flash. They should work on all computers, tablets, phones, and other devices. If that is not the case, please contact us and let us know what browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) and operating system (Windows 10, Mac OSX, etc.) you are using, including version numbers, so we can investigate the issue further. Please also let us know if you are using a computer, tablet, or phone to access the tools.

What about devices that don't run Flash?

We realize that some devices do not run Flash. Therefore we have created a number of Mobile Apps that can be used on tablets. We are also working to make some of our other tools to be platform agnostic.

Why can’t work be saved in your interactive tools?

Currently, work can be saved only in some of our interactive tools. Issues of student privacy, passwords, server space, and cost have prevented us from offering this service widely. However, some tools have been revised to safely include saving of work. We will continue to update more over time as we can!

Are you COPPA compliant?

In order to maintain strict privacy measures, we do not save any user information on our servers, including any artifacts the user makes. We also don’t use logins on our site.

Can I link to the ReadWriteThink site?

We welcome links to ReadWriteThink.org from school, classroom, educational, and personal websites that are freely available to the public. You do not need to formally request permission for these links, but we ask that you abide by the terms below.

  1. Acknowledgement: Please acknowledge us as the provider of the resource (e.g., "See the ABC Bookmaking lesson by Laurie Henry, provided by ReadWriteThink.org, a website powered by the National Council of Teachers of English.")
  2. Terms of use: The resources on our site may only be linked to – not copied, reproduced, or modified in any way, nor placed within a frame.
  3. Cost: Since the organizations that sponsor ReadWriteThink.org feel strongly that all of our materials should be freely available to teachers, ReadWriteThink.org does not link to websites that require paid subscriptions, nor do we wish the managers of these websites to link to our materials. No one should have to pay a fee to access ReadWriteThink.org's resources.
  4. Access/review: Please reply with the specific URL(s) where our information will reside so that we may review the context and confirm the purpose.  

Will you link to my website?

ReadWriteThink is very selective of the sites chosen to be included as links in our activities and lesson plans. We do not link to any websites that contain numerous advertisements, require a subscription, or are not related to literacy education. If you believe that your website meets ReadWriteThink's rigorous criteria, please contact us with your URL and a description of where you think it might best go on our site.​​​​​​​

The link will be examined by our staff and advisors, who will determine whether it will be included. All decisions are final.

 

May I reprint ReadWriteThink materials?

ReadWriteThink materials may be reprinted for use in K-12 or higher education classrooms or for out-of-school educational settings. Please feel free to photocopy the materials for student portfolios and to share with your colleagues.​​​​​​​

Note, however, that ReadWriteThink integrates the internet into the teaching and learning process. We spend a considerable amount of time updating links as external websites reorganize or remove content from the internet. A hard-copy reprint from ReadWriteThink would therefore be dated before long. Rather than reprint the entire resource, we encourage you to print the title, author, overview, and URL, along with a copyright line citing ReadWriteThink.org as the publisher.

You need not seek permission to print the suggested items, but we would appreciate it if you would contact us with your curriculum guide title and the districts in which it will be distributed.

Authors of upcoming professional books who wish to reprint ReadWriteThink materials or include screenshots of our materials should contact us to request permission.

 

May I adapt ReadWriteThink materials?

ReadWriteThink materials (e.g., lessons, rubrics, and handouts) may be adapted as needed to serve students' needs in and out of school.

ReadWriteThink's student interactive tools are proprietary items and are copyrighted by the National Council of Teachers of English. These tools are not available for sale or adaptation.​​​​​​​

What is the RWT/NCTE Advertising Policy?

NCTE reserves the right to refuse, reject, or cancel any ad for any reason at any time without liability, even though previously acknowledged or accepted.

It is assumed that advertisers have read the rate card (see https://ncte.org/advertisers/) and agree to its conditions without any further contract or notice.

NCTE endorses equal employment opportunity practices and accepts only ads that are not discriminatory on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical handicap.

The acceptability of an ad for publication will be based upon legal, social, professional, and ethical considerations.

Ads must be in keeping with the published professional guidelines (policies, position statements) of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Conferences attached to NCTE (e.g., CCCC, CEL, ELATE, LLA, TYCA) follow NCTE’s advertising policies and procedures.

Acceptance of an ad does not imply NCTE’s endorsement or guarantee of the product or service advertised. 

NCTE is not responsible for any claims made in an ad.

NCTE staff review all ads for claims and use of person-first language.

Statements about and illustrations of all products must meet professional standards. They must not be deceptive or misleading by either statement or omission, must not disparage others in the ad or on their website, and must not make unsupported claims.

Advertisers making claims are expected to have research data that substantiates these claims and that is easily accessible via a website and/or made available upon request.

Products must be in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws, and they must meet applicable FDA regulations and FTC requirements. Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements concerning the content of advertising is the advertiser’s responsibility.

NCTE does not accept ads for job sites.

Advertisers and advertising agencies assume responsibility for all contents of advertisements published, and each represents that it is fully authorized and/or licensed to publish the entire contents and subject matter contained in its advertisements, including:

  • the names, portraits, and/or pictures of living persons;
  • any copyrighted material;
  • any testimonials contained in any advertisement submitted to and published by NCTE.

Advertiser and agency will also indemnify and save harmless NCTE, as publisher, against all loss, liability, damage, and expense of any nature arising out of the copying, printing, or publishing of its advertisement, including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims or suits for libel, violation of rights of privacy, plagiarism, copyright, and trademark infringement.

The fact that an advertisement for a product, service, or company has appeared in an NCTE publication shall not be referred to in collateral advertising.

Position specifications stipulated on insertion orders will be treated as requests only and will not be binding on the publication.

The word Advertisement will be placed with copy that in the publisher’s opinion resembles editorial matter.

Failure to make insertion orders corresponding to the rate schedule is regarded as a clerical error. Publication and charges will correspond to the schedule in force without further notice.

Advertising agency agrees to pay charges for advertising published at its direction.

Rates, conditions, editorial calendar, and space units may change without notice.
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If you are interested in advertising on the site, please contact our partner Liz Barrett of The Townsend Group at (202) 367-1231 or by email (ebarrett@townsend-group.com) for additional information.

How do I submit materials to the site?

ReadWriteThink seeks classroom-tested, evidence-based lesson plans, printouts, and strategy guides for our Classroom Resources and Professional Development sections. If you are interested in submitting materials to the site, please visit Contribute to ReadWriteThink and fill out the form to sign up. Please note: If you are a teacher educator, please contact us before assigning your students to submit lessons.

Where else can I connect with ReadWriteThink online?

You can find updates on the newest ReadWriteThink resources as well as timely materials at any of these sites:

Visit ReadWriteThink.org on Facebook and Like us: https://www.facebook.com/ReadWriteThink.org

Follow @RWTnow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWTnow

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Follow us on Pinterest, RWTNow: https://www.pinterest.com/rwtnow/.