TOP PICKS | 10 TOOLS
10 Best ELA Tools for Elementary Schoolers
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ReadWriteThink
Excellent free resource for all things reading and writing
Bottom line: A language arts teacher's dream; lesson plans, professional development, and all-around quality support.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free
BrainPOP Jr.
Top-notch educational videos a boon for elementary school teachers
Bottom line: BrainPOP Jr. sets the bar for top-quality online learning supplements.
Grades: K–3
Price: Paid Classroom access is $175 per year for up to 3 devices. School access is $1,450 per year and District access varies based on the number of schools.
Epic! - Unlimited Books for Kids
Free, expansive digital library unlocks treasure trove of books
Bottom line: This large collection of books and videos on a wide variety of topics is an easy -- and free -- enhancement to any classroom library.
Flocabulary
Schoolhouse Rock meets Tupac in this delightful hip-hop-based platform
Bottom line: Flocabulary has the goods: It's savvy enough to keep kids focused, and teachers will be tapping their toes to the unorthodox learning method.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free to Try, Paid Free 14-day trial, $96 per year for individual teacher or $2,000 per year for full school (other quotes available).
ReadWorks
Differentiate reading instruction with high-quality texts and lessons
Bottom line: The quality and scope of texts, lesson plans, assessments, and supports on this platform can help facilitate targeted reading instruction in any classroom.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
News-O-Matic for School, 2016-17 Nonfiction Reading
Flexible, interactive daily stories for elementary school students
Bottom line: Engaging, high-quality news stories help students learn about the world.
Pixton
Popular comic creation tool well-tuned to classrooms
Bottom line: Students will be motivated to share subject knowledge using the fun language of comics.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free to Try, Paid Free 15-day trial. Pricing varies, starting at $8.99/month for 25 students and increasing from there. School or district pricing available.
Shadow Puppet Edu
Resource-rich video slide-show maker a gem for a variety of classrooms
Bottom line: Easy-to-use free tool is a must-have for elementary classrooms; just keep an eye on sharing and privacy.
StudySync
Superb ELA resource has comprehensive coverage, tons of supports
Bottom line: StudySync offers a complete core literacy program for secondary schools, making it easy to recommend, especially for teachers new to digital platforms.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free to Try A one-year subscription is $16.47 per student. The student reading and writing companion bundles cost $111.24 and are available per grade level as a 6-year subscription.
ThinkCERCA
Well-structured lessons encourage deep analysis, thoughtful writing
Bottom line: This is a ready-to-go, research-backed resource that focuses intently on CCSS-aligned and AP-level critical reading and writing skills.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free, Paid Free Basic version limited to four grade band-based differentiation levels, short reading lessons, and multiple-choice assessments. Paid Premium version adds 10 levels of differentiation (grades 3-12), more in-depth and varied lessons, writing benchmarking, rubrics, data dashboards, and more. Contact for a quote.