A handful of excellent resources are freely available online. The U.S. Department of Education provides videos, slideshows, and tools for teaching at "Doing What Works," a website that offers research-based teaching strategies. Literacyworks.org and the Literacy Information and Communication System's website also provide research and tools for educators. The BBC's Skillswise website is filled with literacy and numeracy learning resources as well. Finally, ESL Galaxy and Skills Workshop both offer hundreds of free worksheets, lesson plans, and exercises for literacy teachers.
Dozens of books are dedicated to the subject of literacy learning, but three that come highly recommended include Guilford Press' "Teaching All Children: Strategies for Developing Literacy in an Urban Setting," Johanna Riddle's "Engaging the Eye Generation: Visual Literacy Strategies for the K-5 Classroom," and Marina Spiegel and Helen Sunderland's "Teaching Basic Literacy to ESOL Learners" for students who are new to the English language. These books are only a small selection of those that are available, however, and many libraries and bookstores will have entire sections dedicated to literacy teaching and learning.
One of the most effective teaching strategies involves making the subject fun for the learner. If the student is engaged and entertained by the learning process, it encourages further learning and assists with retention. A number of free games are available for printing at ESL Galaxy's website. Additionally, websites such as Vocabulary.co.il and FunBrain.com make available free, computer-based literacy and language games. Other literacy-building games include the board game Scrabble, the creative-thinking game Scattergories, and the word game Mumble-Jumble.
In most cities, there are also community organizations that assist with literacy learning, or offer tutoring opportunities and workshops. Visiting your municipal or county government website is certainly worthwhile, to see what sort of education opportunities they may provide. Many universities also offer language tutoring, and their student body can be a good place to find private tutors.