{"id":4328,"date":"2015-04-04T16:00:34","date_gmt":"2015-04-04T16:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/learningaloud.com\/blog\/?p=4328"},"modified":"2015-12-01T21:35:23","modified_gmt":"2015-12-01T21:35:23","slug":"individualizing-literacy-instruction-with-newsela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningaloud.com\/blog\/2015\/04\/04\/individualizing-literacy-instruction-with-newsela\/","title":{"rendered":"Individualizing literacy instruction with Newsela"},"content":{"rendered":"

The individualization of learning experiences is one of those educational goals that sounds so logical, but ends up being difficult to implement in a practical way. Finding or generating learning materials suited to individual needs can be quite time consuming. What could be ideal in many situations is combining individualization with group discussion. Discussion and sharing can be an important social and learning activity, but learners must share at least some background in order to have something to offer.<\/p>\n

Newsela<\/a> is an online service suited to these circumstances. The benefits of the service have been described in several different ways depending on the reviewer. Newsela offers news articles within several topical areas ranging from science to world events. Each article offered on multiple reading levels – the claim is from 3rd grade through high school. To be clear – this means students reading at different levels can be reading about the same specific topic. Each article connects to a writing prompt and comprehension questions.<\/p>\n

It seems that Newsela could be used to completely individualize the learning experience. One strategy would be to differentiate the experience for each level based on interest and reading level. I like the alternative of having students read a similar article suited to their level of functioning and then having the opportunity to discuss the article in a group context.<\/p>\n

Newsela comes in a free and a pro version. Newsela requests that educators or administrators contact the company for a bid. EdSurge<\/a>\u00a0suggests the cost for the pro version is approximately $2000 per classroom. The pro version offers features such as an annotation tool for teachers allowing teachers to highlight content within articles to guide students and advanced data tracking features. It seems that the free version might be a great way to supplement\/diversify literacy instruction and the pro version would appropriate if one wanted to make these resources a core part of instruction.<\/p>\n

As the year winds down and educators are seeking a few new things to spice things up, it might be an ideal time to explore Newsela.<\/p>\n

\"newsela2\"<\/a>\"newsela1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Comparison of free and pro versions<\/a><\/p>\n

Setting up an account for your classroom<\/a><\/p>\n

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The individualization of learning experiences is one of those educational goals that sounds so logical, but ends up being difficult to implement in a practical way. Finding or generating learning materials suited to individual needs can be quite time consuming. What could be ideal in many situations is combining individualization with group discussion. Discussion and … Continue reading Individualizing literacy instruction with Newsela<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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