To engage struggling readers, we need to provide interesting content written at their level. Unfortunately, most articles in the mainstream news don’t meet these criteria. Does this mean struggling readers won’t be able to read about current events? Not anymore.

Launched this past June, Newsela is a website that rewrites major news articles at five different levels of text complexity, allowing readers of various abilities to understand and enjoy the content. The Newsela team selects two articles per day, usually one feature story and one breaking news article, and rewrites them in different ways for students in grades 3 – 12.

Teachers are pleased at how well Newsela aligns with Common Core standards for literacy. As the creators assert, “Newsela develops nonfiction fluency and critical-thinking skills necessary to master the Common Core standards for informational text.” Articles include a quiz designed to promote text analysis, and the website platform allows teachers to track student progress over time.

Check out the Newsela website for more information, articles, and details on how to register your classroom. We’d love to hear how you intend to use this great resource.

Do you know of other resources that align well with the Common Core standards for literacy? Leave a comment below, or send an email to info@readnaturally.com to let us know your favorites.