Shared Resource: NewsELA

Although it seemed like a busy week in every other way, it was a "quiet" week in the world of education news, policy, and politics. Admiringly, I was very bogged down with work at school, clear credential coursework, and other precuts that took my attention away from the news.

In debating about what to write for this week's post, I decided to share a resource that I use in the classroom to facilitate student awareness of current events and world news. If you are already not aware of it, the NewsELA website is a great tool to do just that. The NewsELA site is loaded with current events articles from various major news sources including the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, The Washington Post, etc., that cover a range of topics. What's great about NewsELA is that the site allows you to customize the Lexile range of the article to math your students' reading levels. Additionally, the site comes with pre-suggested reading comprehension quizzes and various writing prompts aligned to each article. 

Screenshot of NewsELA. Note the Lexile and quiz menu on the right-hand side.

Even better, the site has crated various "text sets" that are aligned to various topics including specific literary novels, historical events, social studies themes, articles in Spanish, specific reading standards (CCSS, of course), and articles specific to individual states. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the site is completely free to use. Teachers can create an account and have students join their classroom--where they can assign different articles for students to read and complete. 

Screenshot of NewsELA. Note the various text sets.

NewsELA is easily a resource that I use on a weekly basis and could not avoid sharing. Definitely check it out!

Newsela | Nonfiction Literacy and Current Events