How to address violence in the news with your students.
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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.
Grades: 1–8
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 2–8
Price: Free, Paid
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.
Grades: 3–7
Price: Free
LitPick
YA review site gives students a real-world, although ad-driven, outlet
Bottom line: LitPick is a decent place for YA lovers to discover and discuss books, but the site is in need of a refresh and features a lot of promotion/ads.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Explore Current Events
Kid Scoop
News magazine features standards-aligned activity packs for kids
Bottom line: The print version of the magazine, or a printed-out digital version, offers a nice -- if rather typical -- collection of activities.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free, Paid
Smithsonian: TweenTribune
News site features human interest articles with useful classroom tools
Bottom line: This is a helpful and well-designed supplemental resource for reading development, but not necessarily a go-to news site.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
News-O-Matic EDU
Daily news stories and supplements keep elementary schoolers current
Bottom line: This highly useful current events platform can be a daily fixture of elementary school classrooms.
Grades: 2–6
Price: Free to try
News2you
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.
Grades: 2–6
Price: $219.65 per year
Newsela
Great stories, just-right leveled reading; now mostly by subscription
Bottom line: Up-to-date, high-interest articles will meet students right at their level, and help teachers bolster students' nonfiction reading skills.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free, Paid
Target Reading Comprehension and Fluency
HOMER Learn & Grow
Early learners follow an individualized path of skills and interests to gain literacy skills and more
Bottom line: Top-notch phonics program effectively balances and guides students, but isn't as strong in non-literacy-related topics.
Grades: Pre-K–2
Price: Free to try
StoryWorld
ELL-friendly reading program gives students support, independence
Bottom line: This is a good specialized program for small-group instruction, especially for ELLs, with a great teacher dashboard and a pedagogical approach informed by research.
Grades: Pre-K–2
Price: Free to try
Lexia Core5 Reading
Blended reading program offers individualized growth
Bottom line: This is a research-backed blended reading platform that builds literacy skills and helps teachers plan and deliver targeted instruction in the classroom.
Grades: Pre-K–5
Price: Paid
Raz-Kids
Leveled readings with progress-tracking enhances differentiated reading program
Bottom line: It's worth considering as a supplement to your reading program thanks to the good variety of leveled books, easy assigning and assessing, and detailed progress reports.
Grades: Pre-K–5
Price: Free to try
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.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free, Paid
Lalilo
K–2 literacy program offers comprehensive, adaptive activities
Bottom line: An easy-to-recommend tool thanks to its broad coverage of key skills and nice balance of student-driven and teacher-differentiated learning.
Grades: K–3
Price: Free, Paid
Skybrary for School
Thorough lesson plans help teachers utilize an amazing digital library
Bottom line: Though it could use some updates, Skybrary for School has a set of top-quality resources with great value worth checking out.
Grades: K–3
Price: Free to try
Headsprout
Detailed, adaptive literacy program goes from basics to analysis
Bottom line: This is a comprehensive resource that's worth a look for teachers needing help getting students to actively engage with reading material.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free to try
ReadingIQ
Great looking, free library has a reasonable diversity of titles
Bottom line: This is a reading app that focuses primarily -- and successfully -- on the reading; don't expect many bells and whistles though.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free, Free to try
Epic! - Kids' Books and Videos
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.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free, Free to try
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.
Grades: K–7
Price: Contact for pricing
Learning Ally Audiobooks
Digital library offers handy supports for readers
Bottom line: This is a great option for students that need extra support, and, while the library is smaller than competitors, the human-voiced narration is a serious upgrade.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free, Free to try
Read&Write
Useful text-to-speech extension unlocks the written word
Bottom line: This handy set of accessibility tools helps students get the access they need when they need it, promoting independence and building confidence.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free, Free to try
ReadTheory
Useful if not exciting adaptive tool for assessing 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.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
LightSail
Powerful, flexible reading tool measures meaningful literacy gains
Bottom line: A powerful literacy platform for developing and empowering readers, with useful customization features for both teachers and students.
Grades: 1–12
Price: Free to try
RocketLit
Leveled history and science articles easy to assign, come with quizzes
Bottom line: If teachers find topics that fit their curriculum, this easy-to-use collection works best in elementary and middle school classrooms.
Grades: 3–8
Price: Free to try
Accelerated Reader
Boundless, flexible tools promote instructional, independent reading
Bottom line: A stellar literacy platform for assessing student reading levels and promoting further reading.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Contact for pricing
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.
Grades: 3–12
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
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
Whooo's Reading
Read, write, and share with innovative independent reading platform
Bottom line: With a few thoughtful tweaks on the part of teachers, this can be a useful tool for building a classroom culture of active independent reading.
Grades: 4–8
Price: Free, Paid
Find Lesson Plans, Activities, and Resources
ReadWriteThink
Free hub for literacy lessons aims to deepen learning, engagement
Bottom line: This is a trustworthy site that teachers of all grades/subjects could find a way to use weekly for lessons or professional development.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Reading A-Z
Package of leveled texts and supports can fuel reading development
Bottom line: Reading A-Z offers much of what teachers need to support tried-and-true instructional strategies, but the pricier packages add in digital reading experiences.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free to try
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 online or offline targeted reading instruction in nearly any home or classroom.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
TeachingBooks.net
Comprehensive site collects resources on authors and books in one place
Bottom line: This rich database of literary resources is a must-bookmark for teachers looking to extend learning experiences with books and their authors.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free, Paid
