A Match Made for ELL Students: ReadWorks ​Article-A-Day and Spanish-English Paired Texts

A Match Made for ELL Students: ReadWorks Article-A-Day and Spanish-English Paired Texts

3/12/2026

Now you can build background knowledge for your English Language Learners’ (ELLs) and English-proficient students simultaneously—without doubling your prep time!

You can now use the Article-A-Day routine with ELLs alongside their English-proficient peers in any classroom setting. We’ve added a full-year Spanish-English Paired Text alignment for Grades 3, 4, and 5. This means every Article-A-Day set now includes a Spanish passage to build background knowledge before students tackle the English texts.

ReadWorks Spanish-English Paired Texts support reading comprehension by helping learners make connections between Spanish- and English-language passages. They develop Spanish-speaking ELLs background knowledge on a topic in their home language before they read an English-language passage on a similar topic, easing language barriers. All pairs also use the same key vocabulary words in both articles.

Article-A-Day Set	Spanish English Paired Text
Inspiring Athletes	Famous Tennis Players
Structures Built by People	Building Famous Bridges
The Human Body	How Your Skin Protects You

Doing the Article-A-Day routine with aligned Spanish-English Paired Texts equips all students in a classroom with background knowledge on the same topic, regardless of differences in language proficiency. Additionally, it supports classroom discussion and oral language development, especially in blended classrooms. Best of all, this alignment doesn’t take additional planning time.

Adjusting the Article-A-Day Routine

Support your ELLs alongside their English-proficient peers with two simple adjustments to your existing Article-A-Day routine.

Differentiate the Reading: On Day 1, assign the Spanish passage to your ELL students while the rest of the class reads an English passage. This builds essential background knowledge in their home language.
Bridge to English: On Day 2, assign the English-paired article to the entire class. Because your ELLs were introduced to the concepts on Day 1, they have support for reading and understanding the English passage with confidence.

Continue the standard Article-A-Day routine throughout the week and have students record their learning in their "Book of Knowledge" each day.

Check out the full routine and Scope & Sequence, here.