Are you looking for online articles for your Language Arts/ELA classroom that are age-appropriate, reading-level appropriate and best of all, free? I have reviewed some common websites that allow your students to access a wide variety of reading materials online that are matched to their reading and age level. They are able to access different types of literature from informational text to fiction articles. Many of the free websites for students come with comprehension questions for assessment purposes. Teachers can also assign specific readings for homework.
Readworks
This website is available for K-12 teachers online and free. Teachers have access to an extensive library of articles. This website supplements the literature with reading comprehension questions, vocabulary lessons, formative assessments and teacher guidance. What is most beneficial about this website is the amount of assistance provided to both students and teachers in the form of supplemental materials and assessments.
This website allows students to take a pretest upon registering for a student account to determine an appropriate, independent reading level. The program assigns the reading passages to the students based on their reading level. Students progress to higher reading levels based on their grades on their reading quizzes. This website is also free to use.
Front Rowed
Teachers have access to over 400+ nonfiction reading passages that can be assigned out to their students. The articles assigned will be delivered to the student at their specific reading level. Students answer reading comprehension questions and have the option to provide a written response as well. The website has a program called Word Study which helps students who are struggling with spelling, reading, and writing.
This website offers the largest variety of literature free for students and teachers. There are more than 25 different genres to choose from. The genres include everything from historical documents, to science fiction to poems. Teachers can assign the literature and track the progress of their students. The website also offers assessment methods which include multiple choice and written responses.
Epic!
This website is designed for students 12 years of age and younger. There are over 25,000 different types of books for students to choose from. For teachers, a reading challenge can be set up for each classroom. The books are available in an audio format, and are also offered in Spanish. There are also reading comprehension quizzes available as well.
These five free websites for students are widely used and teachers have found great success in using them. The progress tracking and the ability to give assignments such as written responses and reading comprehension quizzes have really had an impact on the increase in reading abilities in classrooms today.
Hope you enjoyed reading about how I use free websites for students through technology in the classroom. Comment below to let me know how you will use this in your classroom. Then click the image and read about another way to add digital learning into your classroom. You must comment on each post to be entered into the giveaway.
