Keep Kids Current! News Resources for Kids

Reading non-fiction is great practice for kids, and many young people are genuinely interested in current events. But most print news outlets publish articles that are too tough for developing readers to handle. Here are three of our favorite kid-friendly news sources:

National Geographic for Kids  (3rd – 5th grade)

Just like the beloved yellow-bordered magazine prized by adults, National Geographic for Kids makes for great reading, too. Their website is also a useful resource, though there are not quite as many articles to choose from as you’ll find through our two other recommendations (below). Still, the wonderful pictures and international bent to their coverage will motivate travel- and animal-loving students to read.

 

Time for Kids  (4th – 6th grade)

Time for Kids offers articles about a wide range of current events, including international news, sports stories, and articles with a cultural focus. We also like the TFK Mini-sites, where topics like Women’s History Month, book reviews, video game guides, the Sochi Olympics, and more are explored through collections of articles. The site also features articles written by “kid reporters”; aspiring journalists can visit the site in March for information about the application process to join them. Lots of resources are available on the site for free; buy a subscription to get issues of the magazine in the mail and to access quizzes and worksheets about the stories

NEWSELA  (3rd – 12th grade)

We are big fans of this fantastic site, which allows parents or teachers to change the language of any article to fit a student’s reading level. By clicking on various Lexile levels* in a field to the right of an article, it’s possible to adjust the difficulty of the text. For example, a December article about Nelson Mandela’s death can be modified so that it reads as a 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, or 12th grade-leveled piece; the content is essentially the same, but the vocabulary and sentence length are adjusted to make it easier or harder. (Not sure how to use Lexile levels? Don’t worry; the site displays the grade level of the text underneath the title and adjusts it every time a different Lexile level is selected. See our footnote for more information.) This is great news for parents of children who want to read about a current event but can’t find an appropriately leveled article. It’s also wonderful for teachers of classes with a wide range of abilities represented; NEWSELA allows the whole class to read the same article at different levels, then discuss it together. Registration to the site is free.

Many NEWSELA articles are accompanied by quizzes – take them off the screen or print them out – to check students’ understanding.


*A text’s Lexile Measure is based on the difficulty of its syntax and vocabulary. MetaMetrics can analyze a piece of writing, and the more complex the language, the higher the Lexile level. Texts below 200L are best for very young readers, and the most advanced readers can tackle texts higher than 1600L. There is no direct correspondence between a student’s grade and her Lexile Measure, but this site provides a table of typical Lexile ranges by grade.

Parent Resources from Pediatricians

We were recently reminded of the many resources for parents available through our colleagues at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). While many of the features of the main AAP website are only available to pediatrician members, there is no such restriction on the AAP sponsored website HealthyChildren.org.

The Healthy Children website, which is available in both English and Spanish language versions,  features information for parents on each stage of child development, in a section called "Ages and Stages". It also has timely information on current issues, such as flu prevention and treatment and winter safety tips. There are links to new research findings and a "find a pediatrician" feature.

We were also pleased to see the website information available in a new free app for iPads and iPhones as well as android phones. A web based magazine, also titled Healthy Children, seems excellent but has not been updated since it was launched in the fall of 2012.

Friday Favorites

SchoolBook
The School Book pages of the New York Times are an excellent "go to" resource for what is going on in the world of New York City education. They include links to helpful guides and websites, a school search feature, and articles, blogs, and conversation threads about current issues.


Education Week
We liked the article in the May 23rd issue of Education Week about how introverted children may be overlooked by their teachers -- and how their more thoughtful nature can be an asset in other situations, such as taking standardized tests.


Inside Schools
We have recommended the InsideSchools website before (a project of the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School), but haven't mentioned their presence on YouTube, where they have posted excellent instructional videos on how to choose a school and special education services. In the complex New York City public school maze, these video guides help provide clarity. For a sampling, check out the video below about specialized high schools in New York City.

Photo: Josh Pesavento/Flickr Creative Commons

Reading Beyond Books to Build Vocabulary

Studies repeatedly show that the best way to build vocabulary is through exposure to new words, and the best way to find new words is to read. People who read a lot, especially if they choose texts that span topics and genres, will encounter new words more frequently. Paired with the context provided by sentences and paragraphs, new words are more likely to stick than they are if studied in isolation or accompanied only by a definition on a flashcard.

Students averse to reading may balk at the idea that reading is the best way to improve their vocabularies. However, reading novels is not the only way to expose their minds to new vocabulary. There are an abundance of valuable reading options available that go beyond chapter books. Newspapers, for example, are a great way to pick up new vocabulary. Most newspapers are written at a level accessible to students in middle and high school, and the variety of topics covered throughout the various sections mean that there will almost certainly be something to interest just about anyone in an issue. (It should be noted that engagement is critical; an unengaged reader is unlikely to maintain the level of focus needed for vocabulary acquisition, so students should read about topics that genuinely interest them.)

Magazines can also make for great, educational reading. Check out some of the following options for:

Upper Elementary and Middle School

• Odyssey – variety of science topics
• Girl Zone – substantive reading material for girls
• Time for Kids – current events, local and world culture
• Sports Illustrated for Kids – various sports, featuring both young athletes and professionals

High School

• Teen Voices– substantive magazine for teenage girls
• Cicada– literary magazine for middle and high school students
• Teen Ink– online magazine containing fiction and non-fiction on a variety of topics
• Upfront– news magazine for teenagers published by the New York Times
• Time/Newsweek – written on a level most high school students can understand
• iaam.com – tips on money management, career options, college, etc.
• NextStepU – college and career advice

Photo: Robert Wallace/Flickr