Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Access high-quality math and language arts resources on Open Up Resources. Register on the site to view and gain access to course materials. Select the grade level and choose the teacher, parent, or student materials. The math curriculum supports grades 6-8 and high school content; English language arts (ELA) is available in grades K-8. Content is divided into units and lessons and includes all materials except assessments. Provide additional information related to your school affiliation to gain access to available assessments. Other options include downloading resources as a print file or import into a Microsoft OneNote Class Notebook.

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Whooo's Reading is an alternative to traditional reading programs by offering short response options to book quizzes instead of multiple choice answers. After reading, students answer three quick higher-level questions, that are automatically scored, and earn coins for correct responses to spend on personalized "owlvatars." Teachers receive scores in real-time and have the option to provide feedback through conversations with students within the program. In addition to quizzes, Whooo's Reading also offers standards aligned journal activities for use in between quizzes and book recommendations upon completing quizzes. Teachers can choose what type of quiz their students take. The choices are Open-ended only, Mixed quiz (2 fill in the blank, one open), and Advanced Quiz (3 fill-in-the-blank and 2 open).

tag(s): classroom management (124), reading comprehension (144), reading strategies (92)

Not just for summer! Enjoy learning at home all year-round with PBS Kids Summer of Adventure. Download the free Summer Activity Book for new daily adventures, such as using bath time to explore math or learn how to make a bird feeder. Scroll through the site to find reading charts, map skills, activity booklets, collections such as Observing Nature, Sharing Your Creativity Through the Arts, and much more. Did you find this site too late for summer? No worries, there are plenty of activities throughout the year. Be sure to check the bottom of the page for the "What's On Today" PBS shows.

tag(s): calendars (35), literacy (124), preK (301), reading lists (76), seasonal (35), summer (28)

Story Share is the perfect solution for finding relevant and readable content for older students unable to read above the elementary level. Digital content provides interesting material that doesn't condescend to teen readers. Use the drop-down menu tab for Explore at the top of the page to find Education and the eLibrary and filter the correct reading and interest levels. Login is required to read books, and it allows you to add books to a reading list and to bookmark the stopping point while reading books. Be sure to check out the The Blog to find books on current topics and ideas for reading nooks, etc.

tag(s): book lists (160), differentiation (82), digital storytelling (158), ebooks (48), multilingual (74), reading comprehension (144)

Newsela offers four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher to access four pre-selected news articles, select and lock reading levels for students, see alignment to state standards, schedule assignments and set due dates, access students' quiz scores, and respond to students' writing prompt submissions and annotations. Many of these features were on the "premium" account until the 2023-2024 school year.

In case you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in various formats tailored to different reading levels. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times, resulting in a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles feature embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that align with reading levels, allowing for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and students. However, students sign up using a teacher- or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level-specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (125), differentiation (82), guided reading (32), independent reading (81), news (221), reading comprehension (144), remote learning (32)

Find high interest, leveled news articles (and lessons) for English language learners. Although this site was designed for ENL/ESL it could be very useful in any elementary classroom looking for informational texts that can be differentiated for various reading levels (great for meeting Common Core standards). This tool could be used with any readers to increase comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary skills. There are three difficulty levels. Complete a reading test by selecting the Test tab on the far right of the top menu bar and find out what level will be best for you. Many of the lessons include audio and practice exercises. In addition, interesting pictures pique the students' interest. The same story is presented in all of the various levels. The vocabulary at lower levels repeats at the higher levels with more vocabulary added as the level increases. Definitions for the vocabulary words, below the reading, assists with English meanings. The audio is hosted on YouTube. At the time of this review, most of the news story content was fine for all ages. However, please preview the story before you share it with your class to be certain it is appropriate.
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tag(s): differentiation (82), guided reading (32), multilingual (74), news (221), reading comprehension (144)

ABCya.com, created by a web developer turned computer teacher, provides educational games, videos, and activities for elementary students. Choose from six free games that change frequently. Be sure to preview the games before sharing them with the class to ensure the one you want to use is still available. Nearly every subject is included. Simply click on your grade level (K-6+) and find what is available under language arts, math, and other subjects. Specific topics range from basic typing activities to creating word clouds to grammar games (at all levels) and so much more. The interactives are teacher approved and offer colorful and attention grabbing ways for learning. Opportunities for sharing on Facebook, tweeting, and sharing on social bookmarking sites are incorporated. This is a MUST SEE site for elementary teachers looking for some great practice sites for basic skills!

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Check out this site offering FREE learning courses to students in science and math, including environmental skills and health and life skills. Students will travel the world learning about the topic in addition to more about the continents, countries, and oceans. Choose from a wide variety of different learning experiences in the subject areas for learning in a fun and engaging way. Each subject area has countless interactives ready to go! Detailed instructions are provided for each activity. You can control sound easily from the screen.

tag(s): body systems (45), continents (32), countries (71), cultures (270), fractions (179), human body (97), matter (50), measurement (126), money (113), nutrition (136), sorting (4)