CommonLit is a free digital library of leveled texts including news articles, poems, short stories, and historical documents for students in grades 3–12. Parents or teachers can choose lessons, share with a student, and track their progress online. Texts have a variety of accessibility and learning tools. There’s a text-to-speech button that reads passages aloud, translation for over 13 languages, and a highlighting/annotation tool for active reading.
COST: Free.
PROS
- Numerous resources for teaching reading and reading comprehension to older students.
- Meaningful reading passages by well-known authors.
- Complete free curriculum for grades 6–10 will be released in the academic year 2021–22.
- Parents can make adjustments for students with learning differences.
- Resources may be used online or printed out.
CONS
- Some texts are culturally based in the United States.
- Students will need help setting up learning. Parents/teachers set up lessons and assign them to students.
Why it’s helpful for families living internationally
Older students who need supplementary instruction in reading and/or for families using home education will benefit from CommonLit. The site is accessible nearly anywhere in the world and aligns with U.S. educational standards in language arts. Offering resources in multiple languages is a big asset of this site.
