Online Reading Resources
Unite for Literacy Library is filled with original free books for beginning readers. The books are written in English and are about the real world. There is an audio component, so you can listen along in English or in one of many languages options including Arabic, Chinese, French, Hindi, and Japanese. This is helpful for children learning English or another language. The library works on smartphones, tablets and computers. No registration is required.
|
Epic Books for Kids permits teachers to create a free education account and access high quality and popular books such as Scaredy Squirrel and Big Nate. For students age 5-12. Teachers can set up student accounts where students earn varied badges for reading. Books can be read offline and some have an audio component. Available as an app.
|
CommonLit is a free collection of fiction and nonfiction for 5th-12th grade classrooms. Search and filter the collection by lexile, grade, theme, genre, or literary device. Paired texts are suggested to support themes. Texts have audio and can be highlighted while reading. Lesson guides and other teaching materials also available upon creating a free account.
|
Wonderpolis: Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease website supports inquiry-based learning. This K-12 resource features a Wonder of the Day, complete with a short nonfiction text and video clip. Teachers can look up catalogued wonders by topic or by grade.
|
OWLconnected features short nonfiction articles and videos on a range of science and social studies topics.
|
Read closely. Think critically. Be worldly.
Newsela is an innovative online resource that provides short and current nonfiction text (accompanied by an image) that can be adjusted to students' approximate reading levels (5 Lexile levels can be toggled). These projectable and printable articles are on the topics of War and Peace, Science, Kids, Money, Law, Health, Arts, and Sports. Teachers who sign up for an education account can access annotation features and quizzes, too. |
Time for Kids website features free nonfiction articles on current and engaging science, social studies, and health topics. Articles are written by both professional writers and "Kid Reporters." Suitable for intermediate and middle-school students. |
National Geographic Kids website features free nonfiction articles and videos on various subjects. There's a useful search engine for locating information.
|
Popular Science is a good resource for intermediate, middle, and secondary nonfiction articles on many interesting and current science topics. The Kids page features engaging yet easier to read text.
|
Our Little Earth website features current events articles and offers to email a new article every two weeks.
|
Highlights Kids website has stories and nonfiction articles on various topics. See Read It for great stories, articles, interactive comic strips, jokes, and projects; many have audio:
Animated Stories Stories Articles Poetry Player The Arizona Zone The Timbertoes |
Storynory is a British website that features about 100 stories and poems, complete with text and audio. The site is intended for intermediate students.
|
In Poetry4kids.com children's author Kenn Nesbitt, features funny poems, classic children's poetry, games, and more. Poems can be projected or printed. Poems can be useful short texts for guided reading lessons and for developing fluency. |
GigglePoetry.com has fun poems that students can vote on with a Giggle Meter. Poetry Theatre has poetry plays that can be used for Readers' Theatre. There are poetry lessons, too.
|
Poetry In Voice is a non-profit organization founded by Scott Griffin and trustees Margaret Atwood, Carolyn Forché, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson, and David Young. Poetry In Voice offers a national poetry recitation contest for high school students in Canada. This website is a good secondary English teacher resource with printable and projectable poems, classroom resources, and lesson plans.
|
Encyclopaedia Britannica has informational articles on diverse subjects. Use the search function to identify content. The reading level is more challenging, so the articles are better suited to middle school and up.
|
History features videos and articles on historical events and people, as well as current events. The topics page lists categories and there's also a search function. The reading level is more challenging, so the articles are better suited to middle school and up.
|
Biography has several sections including History and Culture. There is a search function. The reading level is more challenging, so the articles are better suited to middle school and up.
|
ReadWorks provides research-based units, lessons, and leveled non-fiction and literary passages directly to educators online. Please note that the lessons align to American Common Core State Standards.
Teachers need to create an account to register in order to access reading passages. Passages may be searched by keyword, grade, lexile level, topic, genre, and/or skill/strategy suitability. Nelson Education's Levelling Comparison Chart correlates lexile and DRA levels. |
Short Stories East of the Web: You can browse the library by genre or search it for a title, author or keyword. See All Stories Ordered by Author for short fiction along with further information and links. Stories and nonfiction text can be read online, printed, or projected.
|
Center for Urban Education Resources has one-page fiction and nonfiction readings for grades 2-10. The simple format may work well for teacher-modeled lessons and/or guided reading.
|
2Learn.ca is an Alberta-based website sponsored by educational and community partners that aims to assist technology-enriched teaching and learning.
|
K12 Reader Reading Instruction Resources is a website that provides free materials to support reading, writing, and vocabulary-development. There is an efficient search tool, word lists, and projectable or printable text materials that can be used to focus on determining importance, text features. inferring, making conclusions, and more.
|
PBS LearningMedia website offers K-12 student informational videos. Areas include:
|