Literacy Resources

  • John Handley High School recognizes the importance of reading and writing in every content area. We believe that every student should read and write in every class, every day. Our hope is that teachers will use the resources on this page to plan instruction that will empower students to read, write, listen, and speak the language of their discipline.

Reading Levels

  • Free Online Readability Test Tool 

    The Readability Test Tool provides a quick and easy way to test readability. You can test all or part of a web page or simply type in your text. 

     

     

Reading Resources

  • ReadWorks.org 

    Free resource for finding reading passages. Searchable by grade level, lexile, content area, text type, and skill/strategy.

  • Newsela

    Newsela is an innovative way to build reading comprehension with nonfiction that's always relevant: daily news. It's easy 
    and amazing.

  • ReadingVine

    "Reading Vine is helping to Improve Reading Skills with free, personalized reading skills practice to use with students of all ages. Search. Select. Share. See skills grow."

  • Smithsonian Tween Tribune 

    A free online educational service offered by the Smithsonian for use by K-12 grade teachers and students. TTribune consists of daily news sites for kids, tweens, and teens, and includes text, photos, graphics, and audio and/or video materials prepared by the Smithsonian and others about current events, history, art, culture, and science.

  • News in Levels 
    "We prepare short news articles every working day. Everybody can use them. All students can use them. All teachers can use them. We believe that these articles will help you have better English and understand more."

  • Wonderopolis

    "With multi-disciplinary content that purposefully aligns to Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the STEM Educational Quality Framework, and Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, we've earned a place in K-12 curriculum and in classrooms worldwide. Teachers can use the daily Wonder to jumpstart their students' critical thinking, or dip into our ever-growing collection of Wonders for content that relates to specific themes and student interests.

  • CommonLit
    A collection of poems, short stories, news articles, historical documents, and literature for classrooms.

  • Actively Learn 

    Allows teachers to embed notes, questions, videos directly into text to encourage thinking, writing, and collaborating as students read.  It also can measure students' effort and see where comprehension breaks down.

  • Accessible Materials for Special Education & Students on a 504 Plan (Including Popular Audio Books):

           AIM-VA

           Learning Ally

         

Teacher Resources

  • Teaching Channel 

    A video showcase of inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools. 

  • Newspapers in the Classroom

    Newspaper in Education Resources

    Over 300 instructional resources are provided, including high-quality teacher guides, serial stories, student supplements, bullying/character education materials, numerous subject-specific resources, video & audio teacher training modules, and the popular NIE Instructional Calendar. 

    News literacy curriculum for educators

    Educators can use these lesson plans and activities to involve news in the learning process and to teach students of all ages about how to be smart consumers of media.

    The Learning Network 

    Provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content. Teachers can use or adapt these lessons across subject areas and levels or contribute their own ideas.