1.

The Common Core puts nonfiction, informational texts at the forefront

of students reading in high school. Fiction is so far deemphasized that
by twelfth grade, students are expected to devote only 30% of their
reading time to fictionthus, 70% of their reading time should be spent
reading nonfiction. Quite a change from pre-Common Core days.

2.
Then too, now more than ever, as teachers aim to make their teaching
more student-centered, there is a need to differentiate instruction as
much as possible. The need is especially acute in reading. The 30
students in a single classroom may span a broad spectrum of reading
levels, and no single textbook or novel can accommodate that spectrum.

3.
Enter Newselaif not quite the Holy Grail of differentiated reading
instruction, pretty darn close to it. Up and running since 2013, Newsela
was founded by Matt Gross, a parent and techie who was inspired to act

by the experience of his young son, who struggled in reading in the New
York City public schools.

4.
Newsela takes current news articles from top-notch newspapers and
general-interest magazines, all originally written at an eleventh- to
twelfth-grade reading level, and hires professional journalists to rewrite
them at four additional reading levels, ranging from third to tenth
grade. It then makes each article accessiblefor free onlineat each of
these five different reading levels.

5.
With an easy-to-use Lexile bar at the head of each article, teachers or
students can change the reading level of any article at the touch of an
electronic button. If a student finds the text too difficult, he or she can
make it easier. If the text is too easy, the student can make it more
complex. And regardless of reading level, the substance of the article
remains the same.

6.
So all students in a single classroom can read the same content, each at
his or her own reading level. Because all students have the opportunity

to absorb the same information, the teacher can guide a whole-class

discussion on the main ideas, evidentiary bases, and implications of an
article, more confident that all students will be able to follow along and
contribute their own voices.

7.
Whats more, Newsela accompanies each article with a short, readymade multiple-choice comprehension quiz that students can take online,
immediately after theyve read the article. The quiz itself is also tailored
to the selected reading level. And if a student is acing these quizzes at a
certain reading level, its a good sign that his or her reading level has
improved, and the student can change to a higher Lexile text.

8.
Newsela doesnt leave teachers and students with just comprehension
quizzes either. To activate students higher-level thinking and analytical
skills, each article also comes with on online writing prompt that asks
the students to dig deeperto engage in a close reading of the article, or
to make connections between the article and the material theyre
learning in their own classroom.

9.
There are now thousands of articles on Newsela. Several are added each
day. Almost all of them are no more than a couple years old. Ordinarily,
they coverand are readily grouped intoeight categories: war and
peace, science, health, kids, money, law, arts, and sports. But in this
presidential election year, Newsela has added a ninth category: election
2016.

10.
A paid, PRO subscription to Newsela is also available. With it come even
more useful features: Teachers can keep track of individual and classwide achievement. They can assign specific articles and run individual
and class-wide progress reports. They can also edit and change the
writing prompts. In addition, Newsela PRO allows teachers and
students to directly annotate the article.

11.

Ease of Use

- 5 Easy Ways to Use Newsela

o Getting to know your students lessons within site
o Newsies annotations lessons for students and teachers

o Vocabulary annotations features as vocabulary aid

- Attend Webinar option through website
- Quick Guides resources for both teachers and students to
familiarize themselves with various features of the site
- Write Toolkit guides users on how best to utilize the feature
- Brief and informative tutorial videos highlighting features

12.

Lexile Levels

- Newsela is adaptive. Over time, Newsela creates customized

reading levels for each student. These reading levels are
determined based on a combination of factors:
o Grade level (set for the class by the teacher)
o Lexile level (set for each article by the student)
o Student performance data
- Teachers specify a grade level for each of their classes. When
articles are assigned to the class, Newsela automatically delivers a
version of the article appropriate for the grade level.

- Students choose the lexile level of each of their articles

- Newsela tracks and adapts to students, customizing their

experiences over time.

13. Beyond English Language Classrooms

- NGSS and Common Core State Standards mandates technical
reading and writing for all classrooms
- This means reading and writing assignments in the science and
art classrooms
- Newsela enables this transition by enabling teachers less versed in
incorporating extensive literacy lessons and assignments

14. Every Classroom Reading Differentiation

15.
with

Language Arts Classroom Connecting Literary Fiction

the Real World

16. Foreign Language Classroom Teaching Spanish

17. ESOL & Inclusion Classroom Differentiated Reading

Instruction in Language Diverse Classrooms

18. Science Classroom This Week in Science Project &

News

Board

19. Flipped Classroom Turning the Classroom Upside Down

20. Differentiation & Summary