Hello Literacy, founded by educator Jen Jones, offers a range of free educational resources and professional development opportunities for teachers and literacy advocates. The organization focuses on evidence-based literacy instruction, Science of Reading principles, and providing tools for classroom use. Based on the provided source material, access to these resources is available through various channels, including membership libraries, Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) store downloads, direct website offerings, and on-demand professional development recordings. While the content is primarily educational rather than consumer product samples, these resources function as freebies accessible to eligible educators and interested parties.
Hello Literacy Membership and Freebie Library
Hello Literacy provides access to a "freebie library" through its membership program. According to the organization's website, an annual or quarterly fee grants members exclusive access to free products for classroom use and free professional development (PD) sessions that can be watched at any time and location. The website notes that, "For now, membership is free," encouraging users to click a provided link to become a member. The specific plans and pricing details are referenced on a separate "Plans and Pricing page," though the current free status of membership is highlighted as a key feature for accessing the library of resources. Users are directed to the Hello Literacy website to initiate the membership process.
Free Resources on Teachers Pay Teachers
A significant portion of Hello Literacy's freebies is distributed through its Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) store. The source data identifies several specific free resources available for download:
- HOTS Cheat Sheets: Created for the three highest levels of Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (Analyze, Evaluate, and Create), these cheat sheets include thinking verbs and question stems. They were developed in response to user requests.
- Letter Formation Assessment: A free assessment tool designed for whole-group use to help identify students who may be struggling with proper letter formation.
- Prefixes and Suffixes Reference Sheet: A quick reference sheet for 25 of the most common prefixes (ordered by frequency) and suffixes (ordered by parts of speech). The resource emphasizes the importance of understanding how affixes change word meaning rather than just reading them.
- Author's Craft Cheat Sheet: A reference sheet of Author's Craft terms and examples, intended for daily classroom use, student reference, and home sharing.
- Poetry Stop & Jot Sheet: A companion sheet for use with the Author's Craft Cheat Sheet, designed to help students analyze and appreciate poetry.
- Fluency Data Graphing Sheets: Quarterly pages allowing students to graph their own fluency data. The resource is based on the principle that student ownership of learning data increases effort and achievement.
- Hello Fonts: A collection of 262 fonts available for personal and non-profit use. Download requires leaving a short comment or feedback.
Additionally, a free "intervention menu" and "Critical Thinking Language Frames" are mentioned as being selected for inclusion in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Digital Library. This resource is described as a 10-page, research-based RTI (Response to Intervention) treasure compiled from three years of implementation experience.
Free Professional Development Recordings
Hello Literacy offers free pre-recorded and on-demand professional development courses. These recordings are accessible after purchase (even if the price is listed as free) and include lifetime access for the purchaser only. Sharing the recordings is prohibited under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Upon accessing a free course, users are enrolled in a Coassemble course module which houses the video and any associated resources.
The available free PD recordings listed in the source data include:
- PB&J: The Invisible Boy: A session focused on unpacking the picture book The Invisible Boy to identify reading, writing, and language standards and learn how to turn picture books into mini-lessons.
- Stream Deck PD: An interactive 1-hour course about the Stream Deck gadget and its utility for teachers.
- PB&J: Rosie's Glasses: Similar to the Invisible Boy session, this PD unpacks Rosie's Glasses to find hidden standards and demonstrate how to use picture books for instruction.
- PB&J: I Dissent: Ruth B. Ginsburg: A session analyzing the picture book I Dissent for literacy standards and instructional strategies.
Direct Website Freebies and Blog Content
The Hello Literacy website (helloliteracy.com) hosts additional free resources and informational content. A specific mention is made of a "Free CVC Template in Canva," which requires a free Educator account to open and edit. The organization's blog features articles on literacy topics, such as "Word Learning in the Brain," "Jen's Science of Reading Text Recommendations," and "The Five Pillars of Early Literacy." These blog posts serve as informational freebies for educators seeking to deepen their understanding of literacy instruction.
Social Media and Pinterest Presence
Hello Literacy maintains a significant presence on Pinterest under the handle @hellojenjones. The profile describes the account as focusing on "Science of Reading. Evidence-based literacy instruction. Staff developer. K-12 Reading Specialist. Author of Hello Decodables." The Pinterest boards cover various topics including general Literacy, Raising Readers, Best of Preschool, and Free design resources. While the source data lists board names and pin counts, it does not detail specific free samples or offers available via Pinterest beyond the general curation of literacy resources.
Eligibility and Access Requirements
Based on the source data, access to Hello Literacy freebies varies by channel:
- Membership: Requires signing up for the Hello Literacy membership program. Currently, membership is free.
- TpT Freebies: Generally available to anyone with a Teachers Pay Teachers account. Downloading many resources requires leaving feedback or a comment.
- Free PD Recordings: Requires "purchasing" the free course through the Hello Literacy website, which results in enrollment in the Coassemble course module. Access is for the purchaser only.
- Direct Website Freebies: May require a free Educator account (e.g., Canva) or simply visiting the website to access blog content.
There is no mention of geographic restrictions or specific eligibility criteria beyond the requirements listed for each specific resource type.
Conclusion
Hello Literacy offers a variety of free educational resources, primarily targeting educators and literacy professionals. Access is facilitated through a currently free membership program, the Teachers Pay Teachers platform, direct website downloads, and on-demand professional development recordings. The freebies range from classroom tools like cheat sheets and assessments to comprehensive PD sessions on using picture books for instruction. Users interested in these resources should visit the Hello Literacy website or TpT store to access the specific download links and enrollment pages.