TOP PICKS | 29 TOOLS
Elementary School Reading Apps and Websites
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Connect Students with Other Readers
Bookopolis
Cute social network lets kids log books and connect with other readers
Bottom line: Kids-only social network gives students a safe space to connect, allows students to showcase and share their reading progress.
Biblionasium
Site for reviewing and sharing books makes reading a social adventure
Bottom line: This safe, simple social network lets kids share their reading success with friends, creating healthy competition and confidence.
Harry Potter Reading Club
The fun and fantasy of Harry's world plus literary discussion
Bottom line: With activities, discussion questions, and lots of free access to the books, this site is a great place for Harry Potter fans new and old.
LitPick
Tweens' reviews of YA literature great for classroom use
Bottom line: LitPick is a safe, fun environment for YA lovers to read their favorite books while learning how to discuss literature.
Explore Current Events
Smithsonian: TweenTribune
Trustworthy tween news site has cool classroom component
Bottom line: TweenTribune's questions, quizzes, and educator tools can help kids follow and understand the news; its content may work best with younger users.
News-O-Matic: School 2018-2019
Flexible, interactive daily stories for elementary school students
Bottom line: Engaging, high-quality news stories help students learn about the world.
News-2-You
Draw kids into weekly news with powerful symbols and voice narration
Bottom line: Students can expand literacy skills, learn about the world, and get involved with discussion questions and activities.
Newsela
Absorbing daily news stories offer kids just-right learning content
Bottom line: Up-to-date, high-interest articles meet students right at their level: Use this robust tool to bolster students' nonfiction reading practice.
Target Reading Comprehension and Fluency
Homer: Kids Learn to Read App
A captivating, comprehensive beginning reading resource
Bottom line: Concrete phonics learning alongside books, songs, storytelling, and art.
Hooked on Phonics
Well-known curriculum adapts well to fun, easy-to-use app
Bottom line: Thorough phonics program offers a nice mixture of learning, practicing, and reading.
Bookshare
Unique digital library gives access to those with print disabilities
Bottom line: This fantastic digital library service provides a powerful sense of independence for students with print-related disabilities.
LeVar Burton Kids Skybrary School
Thorough lesson plans help teachers utilize an amazing digital library
Bottom line: Though it could use some updates, Skybrary School has a set of top-quality resources with great value worth checking out.
Raz-Kids
Solid choice for leveled readings and progress-tracking
Bottom line: Trusty -- if a tad dated -- tool for helping younger students become proficient in many aspects of reading.
Lexia Reading Core5
Interactive reading program promotes targeted, individualized growth
Bottom line: A good blended reading platform that offers students some choices, and teachers actionable data and useful offline resources.
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.
Literably
Simple and useful reading fluency assessment tool frees up teacher time
Bottom line: Some districts may find this to be a cost-effective, time-saving option for reading records.
Read With Me Fluency
Make assessing, tracking students' reading fluency a breeze
Bottom line: Easy-to-use paperless reading records work great but could use a few updates.
Read&Write
Useful text-to-speech app and extension unlocks the written word
Bottom line: A valuable tool to make classroom use of websites and digital documents more accessible to all students.
ReadTheory
Useful, adaptive tool for assessing, tracking reading ability
Bottom line: It's very utilitarian, but what it does it does well: getting students test-ready by effectively assessing and tracking reading ability.
LightSail Education
Robust, full-featured reading app measures meaningful literacy gains
Bottom line: A powerful, well-designed literacy platform for developing engaged readers.
Words With Friends EDU
Super-fun school version introduces preset list of academic words
Bottom line: Kids can have fun learning new words, though it'll probably take more to really cement these terms into vocabulary.
Accelerated Reader 360
Boundless, flexible tools promote instructional, independent reading
Bottom line: A stellar literacy platform for assessing student reading levels and promoting further reading.
Rewordify
Text-leveling tool gives every student access to complex readings
Bottom line: This utilitarian differentiation tool is useful enough to be in every teacher's toolbox.
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.
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.
Whooo's Reading
Innovative take on independent reading ditches multiple-choice quizzes
Bottom line: A convenient, well-intentioned tool for supporting a quality, interest-driven independent reading program, but make sure to tweak the auto-generated scores and questions.
Find Lesson Plans, Activities, and Resources
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.
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.
TeachingBooks.net
Dense site collects resources on authors and books in one place
Bottom line: With time and effort, this database of literary resources can extend learning experiences with books and their authors.
