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We are thrilled to thank all our ReadWorks teachers and users throughout the nation this Thanksgiving season with a simple and clear-cut statement about how our high-quality resources fit directly into the science of reading and into your daily teaching. Many teachers, schools, districts, and communities are currently working to ensure that the reading resources they use are based on the scientific study of reading, and we want to make it easy for you to know how ReadWorks can support you in this incredibly important work. We remain the leaders in building background knowledge and vocabulary for improving reading comprehension, and we want to continue to be your go-to high-impact resource with a low lift! Easily download our official statement and fun poster for free! Hang on your wall, share with a colleague, or post on social media. Together we can ensure students can steadily expand their background knowledge, vocabularies, and reading comprehension—helping them become the confident readers they deserve to be.
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Partner Highlight for Native American History Month - Q & A with the International Quilt Museum11/13/2023 As a nonprofit, ReadWorks is in a distinct position to easily partner with organizations, museums, and universities to provide more than 6,000 FREE, high-quality texts and resources to build background knowledge, grow vocabularies, and strengthen strategic reading. Please enjoy this Q & A with the International Quilt Museum (IQM), located in Lincoln Nebraska and check out all the IQM content within the ReadWorks library!  1. Can you share a brief introduction to the International Quilt Museum? Nebraska natives Robert and Ardis James’s decision to start a quilt collection was a personal one – to save quilts and the information that could be learned from one. Realizing what could be lost, the Jameses decided to build a collection that would save the whole picture of quilt history – time, place and workmanship. In 1997, after much discussion, the Jameses offered their collection, which consisted of nearly 1,000 pieces, to the University of Nebraska with the caveat that a State-of-the-art storage facility would be built to house it and an academic program in the Department of Textiles, Fashion Design and Marketing would be built around this unique resource. Initially the collection was stored in a renovated climate-controlled space and was known as the International Quilt Study Center. The Center used the quilts to create exhibitions displayed in galleries on campus and around the world. It was a dynamic center of formal and informal learning for students, teachers, scholars, artists, quilters and the public. In 2008, to accommodate the growing collection, the International Quilt Study Center, now known as the International Quilt Museum, moved into a 37,000 square foot building with three exhibition galleries and state-of-the-art storage. The Museum was expanded in 2015 and now has five formal galleries and two public spaces for community and educational exhibitions. The Museum welcomes over 20,000 visitors from all 50 states and an average of 38 countries visit the museum annually. Visit the IQM from anywhere, anytime! View their digital galleries. 2. When student groups come to the Museum, how do they typically engage with exhibits? Student groups are always led by a docent, which is a professional member of our team or a trained volunteer. Upon welcoming student groups to the museum, the docent provides sample pieces of a quilt that students can touch. These touch pieces help students be able to see the three layers of the quilt, feel the fabrics that might make a quilt, and have a better understanding of how a quilt is designed and created. The touch pieces also help to satisfy students’ desire to feel the objects they see, since there is no touching of the objects on exhibit. During a museum tour, docents have two main goals for their student groups: Look and Engage. We want students to feel comfortable looking closely at something in order to study or understand it. We also want students to engage in discussion based on their observations. Docents provide guiding questions about color, design, construction, and other concepts of art, and students are given opportunities to discuss their thoughts with a partner, or to share them with the group. Quilts are familiar to students; many have seen them before or have a personal connection to a particular quilt or quilt-maker. Quilts are a great vehicle for discussion about various art concepts, because quilts are non-intimidating and something that many students have already have some level of exposure to. Quilting also ties to so many other topics of study: history, math, art, design, and social studies. You can quickly discover a student’s interests in talking about quilts; there is always something to relate to. We host a variety of student groups. We see every 4th grader in Lincoln Public Schools annually on a field trip to the International Quilt Museum, as well homeschool groups, summer campers, collegiate interns, and classes of university students.  Creating a complex mola design like this takes days of expert hand stitching. 3. Quilting can be tied to nearly all cultures, histories, and traditions - we’d love to walk through some of the content IQM & ReadWorks have worked together to provide for free to millions of students: What importance does quilting play in Native American/Black/Hispanic History and Heritage? As the International Quilt Museum, we put a lot of intention into how we describe and celebrate quilts from a variety of cultures. Each quilt is as unique as its creator. We are honored to house quilts from sixty-six countries around the world, including quilts made from Black and indigenous artists and makers, as well as other artists and makers of color. Within each culture and heritage, there is an amazing variety of artistry, intention, and style. Quilts vary from person to person, and are an expression of each individual's experience. The function of every quilt is also unique to its creator. Quilts from around the world have been made for religious or spiritual ceremonies, for protection, to celebrate a birth or wedding, or to mourn a death. Quilts have also been created as part of a social or community event, to document history, to send a message, to evoke emotion, to inspire awe, to showcase creativity, to raise funds, and as a means of providing for one’s family. A quilt is not culturally defined, but rather each individual’s choice. Use all the IQM texts for Native American History lessons and more. Available on ReadWorks right now. Written by: Lindy Clausen, Education Coordinator and
Leslie C. Levy, J.D., Ardis & Robert James Executive Director, International Quilt Museum  This fall, follow Manuel’s five-part journey as he works to lift his family’s curse after a ghostly visit from his great-great-great-great grandfather, José in ReadWorks new fiction series Our Family Ghost. Then, have students bring this story to life in our 2023 national illustration contest! Entries are due Friday, November 10th, 2023.
One contest winner will have their illustration published on ReadWorks.org alongside its respective installment. The winning educator will receive a package of ReadWorks goodies and a $100 gift card for classroom supplies. Read Contest Details In addition to Our Family Ghost, we are excited to bring new, 4th-8th grade cliffhangers created by an array of talented and diverse authors that will engage and delight your students! A Dodgeball Mystery [Her BFF's Big Secret, #1] - 4th Grade A Shadow at the Celebration [Our Family Ghost, #1] - 5th Grade The Fence [Alien Kids, #1] - 6th Grade The Assignment [The Riverkeepers, #1] - 6th Grade Crystal's Powers [The Weird Ones, #1] - 7th Grade The Run [The Run Series, #1] - 7th Grade Danger Arrives [Hacked!, #1] - 8th Grade The Forest and the Trees [Lee's Mountain, #1] - 8th Grade Written by: Melissa Calder, Director of Marketing and Engagement
Partnering with Districts Nationwide As part of our strategic plan, ReadWorks is collaborating with districts nationwide, especially those serving primarily low-income students, through thoughtful engagement, professional development, and marketing plans. This year, we’ve launched partnerships across Philadelphia and New York City, including providing customized professional development for Harlem Community School District 5. If you know of a district that may be interested in tailored support from the ReadWorks team of experts in reading comprehension, email us today. Explore Our Newest ContentSeen on Social Media
Missed an issue of our newsletter? See an archive of all our supporter updates here. Have ideas for what you would like to see in our updates? Please email engagement@readworks.org.  The month of October is often filled with anticipation of Halloween and all the fall festivities surrounding it. Build background knowledge and curiosity, while enhancing reading comprehension, in your classroom by assigning Halloween-themed texts and question sets to your students! ReadWorks comprehension-monitoring text-dependent question sets provide students with scaffolded practice as they follow a consistent template. They also help readers engage more deeply into the content that they are reading. Additionally, research shows that students benefit from regularly working on our question sets, as their multiple choice question correct-rate increases as they keep completing them. Use our filters on the content page to start assigning these spooky texts to your students:
 Also check out these exciting passages!
Written by: Tamika Reece, Educator Support Project Manager
“Thanks for sharing your new partnership with News-O-Matic. I really appreciate the opportunity to integrate News-O-Matic's current event articles with ReadWorks knowledge-building texts to help my students develop critical thinking, media literacy, and global awareness.” -Bailey, North Carolina
Explore Our Newest ContentSeen on Social Media
Missed an issue of our newsletter? See an archive of all our supporter updates here. Have ideas for what you would like to see in our updates? Please email engagement@readworks.org.
Written by: Becca Vaughn, Director of Development Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15th to October 15th, is a time to honor the cultures and influence of Hispanic and Latinx individuals in the United States. Educators can play a pivotal role in promoting diversity and inclusivity among students, and ReadWorks offers valuable ways to integrate Hispanic Heritage Month into classrooms. Aligned with the principles of Hispanic Heritage Month, ReadWorks' core values seamlessly reinforce the importance of diversity and inclusion. With a focus on Impact and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Community, Quality, and an Empathetic Mindset, ReadWorks is dedicated to providing resources to effectively blend Hispanic Heritage Month into a learning environment. Educators can leverage ReadWorks texts in the following ways: 1. Assign from ReadWorks' wide array of content exploring Hispanic cultures to spark discussions that foster cultural understanding.  Chilli Peppers 2. Search the library to find passages that spotlight influential Hispanic figures who have made significant societal contributions.  Roberto Clemente 3. Initiate post-reading reflective discussions about the histories of Hispanic countries, cultures, and communities.  El Castillo Pyramid You can find all of our resources related to Hispanic Heritage Month for all grade levels and topics using the search tool on our website. We hope you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with ReadWorks this September! Written by: Heidi Alkoutami, Marketing and Technology Intern
Ignite student learning and spark even more curiosity in the classroom! We're excited to introduce an additional free resource through a new partnership with a fellow learning resource News-O-Matic. Through this new partnership, we will prepare a selection of knowledge-building texts that align with News-O-Matic's news articles to teach students 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, media literacy, and global awareness. In line with ReadWorks’ mission and the scientific study of reading, this routine will build background knowledge and enhance vocabulary to improve reading comprehension. Each week, we will provide, free through our partnership, a hand-selected and timely News-O-Matic article with levels for grades 2-8. We will also curate nonfiction ReadWorks passages to help students build background knowledge and vocabulary to support the comprehension of the news article. Teachers can choose to print or digitally assign the related ReadWorks' texts to support explorations and discussions of the news article. The Book of Knowledge tool is also a great tool to continue the post-reading reflection process. Check out the first paired articles and texts about the President’s Visit to Maui after Fires. Download our easy one-page guide for linking reading, writing, and speaking! Written by:
Melissa Calder, Director of Marketing and Engagement
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Missed an issue of our newsletter? See an archive of all our supporter updates here.
 The month of August means back-to-school time. It also means that it’s time for Week 1 in our topical Scope & Sequence set, and it’s a popular one – Animals! Across all grades, animal passages are the most popular among ReadWorks students. We have more than 1000 texts on or about animals within the ReadWorks library. The subjects of the texts range from a bird’s connection to life science to animals around the world. The texts were written for K-12 reading levels and include multiple Lexiles. Many were conceived by our expert content learning partner The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). NFWF is dedicated to sustaining, restoring and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. With guidance from ReadWorks on classroom and reading accessibility, NFWF tapped into the deep knowledge of their scientists to create original content for Article-A-Day learning routines. Explore NFWF’s passages:    During this busy back-to-school season, save time by assigning engaging daily reading with just a few clicks. Log on to ReadWorks, click Scope & Sequences, click on the month of August and choose the grade level, then you will see Week 1: Animals for each grade! Students who are interested in the topic read and comprehend at a higher level, and so many students of all ages are interested and familiar with animals! Written by:
Melissa Calder, Director of Marketing and Engagement |
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