10 TOOLS

10 Best ELA Tools for High School

Analytical skills come to the forefront in high school ELA -- boosting independent and informed thoughts, encouraging appreciation for literature, and allowing for creative self-expression through writing and discussion. High school students need tools that challenge them to dig into text and media for deeper meaning, produce college-ready writing, and improve their organization skills. These 10 great ELA apps and websites accentuate all these areas and more, equipping high school students with the communication skills they'll need to become critical citizens and to succeed in college, careers, and life.

Newsela

Great stories, just-right leveled reading; now mostly by subscription

Bottom Line: While pricey, Newsela has ascended into an all-in-one destination for leveled, non-fiction reading.

Grades: 2–12
Price:
Free, Paid

Writable

Stellar program scaffolds the writing process with peer review and feedback

Bottom Line: This is an intelligently structured tool for teaching writing and review that focuses on process as much as product.

Grades: 3–12
Price:
Free to try

ThinkCERCA

Structured literacy program inspires deep analysis, thoughtful writing

Bottom Line: This is an expertly scaffolded and pedagogically sound resource for developing critical reading and writing skills.

Grades: 3–12
Price:
Paid

CommonLit

Feature-rich literacy resource offers superb support for readers

Bottom Line: Access a hefty collection of reliable, ready-to-print, leveled passages that allow you to tailor lessons, assign online reading, and track progress.

Grades: 3–12
Price:
Free

Actively Learn

Empowering reader invites students to read with purpose

Bottom Line: Far beyond the average e-reader, this tool helps students connect with texts and each other while giving teachers useful insight into student thinking.

Grades: 3–12
Price:
Free, Paid

Kami

Versatile annotation tool helps users critically connect with content

Bottom Line: Kami is an effective way to promote student interaction with texts, authentic documents, and pictures.

Grades: 4–12
Price:
Free, Paid

ZoteroBib

Fewer clicks and less clutter equal a new go-to site for citing sources

Bottom Line: An intuitive site that takes the stress out of citing sources, but students will still need instruction to tweak auto-generated citations.

Grades: 5–12
Price:
Free

Glose for Education

Interactive ebooks and web content make reading a social experience

Bottom Line: Build collective reading experiences to make challenging texts more approachable and get kids excited about books.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

StudySync

Superb ELA resource features engaging activities, stellar support

Bottom Line: An exceptional, ever-growing resource for helping your students become close readers, careful writers, and critical thinkers.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free to try

The Learning Network

High-powered news site offers daily resource to process current events

Bottom Line: Backed by a world-class news team, this stunning free resource can fuel daily topical discussions.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

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