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Back-to-school planning is here. As you prepare lesson plans, organize your classroom, set instructional goals, and think about how to keep students engaged with reading throughout the school year, a little planning can go a long way. That’s why ReadWorks created the 2026–27 K-12 Reading Planner, a FREE downloadable calendar designed to help educators seamlessly integrate more meaningful reading experiences into instruction all year long. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, reading specialist, interventionist, librarian, or instructional leader, the Reading Planner can help you plan ahead and connect students with high-quality, knowledge-building texts throughout the school year. 📒 Link to the Free K-12 Reading Planner (Canva Version) 📒 Link to the Free K-12 Reading Planner (.pdf Version) 
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 This post contains affiliate links. ReadWorks may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Every August, we hear from teachers gearing up for the first weeks of school — organizing classroom libraries, prepping Article-A-Day routines, and yes, making that trip down the school supply aisle. Anyone who has stood in front of a wall of folders and pencil boxes in early August knows the feeling: it's equal parts exciting and overwhelming. That's exactly the kind of stress Staples has spent the last two decades trying to take off everyone's plate — with school supplies starting as low as $0.25, and every supply you grab from our list also helping keep ReadWorks' literacy resources free for teachers and students everywhere. Staples has built its brand around one simple idea: getting what you need shouldn't be complicated — the whole promise behind their iconic Easy Button. Teachers may be reaching for paper over screens a bit more this school year, making Staples the ideal partner to bring you these Back-to-School essentials. Stock up on these supplies today because every purchase supports free literacy resources from ReadWorks. Here's what's on our list this year: Stay OrganizedVertical Divider
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Write, Journal, and ReflectVertical Divider
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Spark CreativityVertical Divider
On the GoVertical Divider
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Shopping Helps Support Free Literacy Resources Here's the best part: any purchases made through these links help generate funds that go directly back to ReadWorks. That means every folder, crayon box, and pencil pack you pick up doesn't just prepare a student for the school year — it also helps us keep our research-based reading passages, tools, and lesson resources free for teachers and families everywhere. We're grateful to the ReadWorks community that shows up for literacy in so many ways — in the classroom, at home, and yes, even in the school supply aisle. Happy shopping, and happy reading! Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, ReadWorks may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. These funds support our nonprofit mission to provide free, high-quality reading instruction to millions of teachers and students. Thank you for supporting literacy through ReadWorks. Staples Products Disclaimer: Offers valid through 9/12/26. Exclusions apply. Chloe Flower is an internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, and producer who single-handedly redefined classical music with her signature "Popsical" style. A trailblazing sensation following her show-stopping 2019 Grammy performance with Cardi B, she has collaborated with legends like Celine Dion, Nas, and Babyface, and is a fierce advocate for music education and human rights. Vertical Divider
In this role, Flower will champion the deep intersection of reading comprehension and arts education, specifically advocating for under-resourced schools where both literacy gaps and music budget cuts are high.
To launch this partnership, Flower has curated a special collection: "Chloe Flower’s Top 10 Music Articles on ReadWorks." This free, high-quality list of articles is designed to help reading and music educators seamlessly integrate reading comprehension with musical history, from the legacy of classical composers to the cultural roots of music from around the world. ReadWorks is highlighting their library of more than 6000 articles, 500 of which are music-centric texts curated across K-12 grade levels. ReadWorks resources are built to systematically target the two key drivers of reading comprehension: background knowledge and vocabulary acquisition. Rather than sporadic reading exercises, educators can leverage ReadWorks' research-backed Article-A-Day music sets as well! This is a proven instructional method that drives exponential comprehension gains through short, daily non-fiction reading cycles. Completed by built-in text-dependent question sets and active learning exercises, this completely free routine that aligns with any curriculum gives any teacher—regardless of their district's funding levels—the direct tools needed to improve reading comprehension. Unfortunately, in under-resourced communities, access to high-quality resources and music programs are limited. That’s why we’re partnering with pianist and composer Chloe Flower to bring the harmony of reading and music back into the classroom. Flower has personally selected 10 of her favorite ReadWorks articles that explore the magic, history, and science of music. Perfect for standard ELA blocks, cross-curricular lessons, or the music room! From the kindergarten article "Making Music with a Piano" to the 7th-grade article "Getting in Tune,"students are sure to build background knowledge and expand their vocabulary with this special collection. Print or Assign Chloe Flower's Top 10 Music Articles My students love learning, but they come to me with very different starting points. Some have rich experiences and vocabulary. Others need more support building background knowledge before they can truly engage with text. That gap sometimes feels impossible to close. When my students do not have the background knowledge, vocabulary or personal experiences that help them learn about new concepts, I love using ReadWorks to close those gaps. Let me give you a concrete example. I showed my students a video of baby sea turtles hatching and making their way to the ocean. They were captivated. But here's the thing: watching a video was only the beginning. They needed to read about it, to anchor those images in language and build real vocabulary and comprehension.  That's where ReadWorks came in. I used the passage "Sea Turtles Find Their Beach" right after the video. The experience wasn't just something they watched—it became something they better understood. One thing I appreciate about ReadWorks is that it is accessible to any student at any level. The differentiation built into ReadWorks meant every student could access that same passage at their level. My struggling readers got scaffolding. My advanced readers got challenge questions. Everyone was reading about sea turtles, AND everyone was learning. And then—this is crucial—I got immediate feedback on their progress. I could see exactly which students understood the vocabulary, which ones grasped the concept, and which ones needed me right then. Not tomorrow. Right then. So I could pull a small group aside and reteach. Or celebrate with a partner who nailed it. Or give independent practice to students who were ready. All in the same lesson. That flexibility is everything. ReadWorks works in whole group. Small group. Partners. Independent work. And if I want to print it? I can. Not every family has technology at home, and that reality does not stop me as a teacher from utilizing ReadWorks for every student. This is why keeping ReadWorks free matters so much. When resources like this are free, every teacher can use them. Not just teachers in well-funded districts. Every teacher gets access to passages that build vocabulary, reinforce science and social studies concepts, and develop real reading comprehension. Every student gets a chance to grow and be successful—whether they're watching baby sea turtles or reading about them, whether they're in a wealthy suburb or an under-resourced school. Written by: Roberta ShiverEver since I was 6 years old, art has been my favorite hobby. I love trying different kinds of art, like pencil sketches, acrylic paint markers, fine liners, and markers. Drawing is how I express my ideas, and I enjoy creating everything from nature scenes to abstract art and anime. When I was 8, my parents told me about an Earth Day art contest. The theme was about how nature helps protect our planet. I was excited to draw, but I realized I didn't know enough about the science behind the topic. That's when my parents introduced me to ReadWorks.  I started reading the articles ReadWorks suggested about nature, the environment, and climate. After I finished one article, I noticed there were more recommended readings about similar topics. I kept clicking on them because each one taught me something new. As I read, I learned new words and interesting facts that helped me understand the world better. I even turned many of those ideas into drawings in my sketchbook. Even after the contest ended, I didn't stop using ReadWorks. For more than two years now, I have continued reading articles and book suggestions on many different topics. I've explored science, history, animals, inventions, and stories from around the world. Every time I finish reading, I discover new vocabulary, improve my reading skills, and become more confident when I write and speak. It even helped me to get a good score on my ELA end of year test. If someone asked me what ReadWorks has done for me, I would say it helped me become a stronger reader. I know more vocabulary, I understand bigger ideas, and I even enjoy reading more now. The best part is that the things I read often turn into ideas for my artwork. I'm glad I started using ReadWorks, and I still enjoy it today. Written by: Kavinandhan Karthik |
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