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Transforming Reading Instruction in a Title I Dual Language Classroom
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For more than 20 years, ReadWorks and New York City Public Schools have partnered to bring free, evidence-based reading resources to students. What began with print resources for classroom use has evolved into an award-winning educational technology platform offering over 6,000 reading passages for grades K-12, Spanish-English Paired Texts, differentiated StepReads™, and more—all free for educators. Today, the number of educators in NYC public schools signing up to use ReadWorks’ free reading comprehension resources continues to grow, increasing by 10% each year. More than 80% of educators return to use the platform each year as well. This year, ReadWorks has made access for NYC educators even easier by rolling out a direct integration with NYC’s Department of Education Single Sign-On (SSO) platform, ensuring that every NYC teacher can seamlessly bring ReadWorks into the technology that they are already using in their classrooms. ReadWorks is proud of the continuous effort to strengthen reading instruction these past years in New York City schools, especially during this pivotal time when New York City is evaluating their reading scores and growth. Recent reports show the city’s students are making their strongest gains in literacy in over a decade. According to new statewide test results, 56.3% of NYC students in grades 3–8 scored proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA) in 2025, up from 49.1% the previous year — a 7.2% increase. (Source: NY Times, August 2025) “These scores are a win for everyone, because it’s really the result of great collaboration and the hard work that our kids put in,” The New York Times reported that much of this growth reflects the city’s NYC Reads initiative and the adoption of new, research-based English Language Arts (ELA) curricula. ReadWorks partners with NYC teachers and leaders, listening closely to understand where support is most needed. There is a growing need for resources that support background knowledge and vocabulary, which is often called “the other side of learning to read, beyond phonics” on Scarborough’s reading rope. ReadWorks responded by creating curriculum alignments tailored to NYC’s ELA curricula. These alignments provide curated, grade-level texts by topic, along with vocabulary exercises and question sets. For example, when 3rd graders study the ocean in their Wit and Wisdom ELA October unit, teachers can quickly access free ready-to-use passages that deepen understanding and build vocabulary about oceans. In Harlem’s District 5, 24 schools have spent the past two years deepening the use of ReadWorks resources to strengthen reading instruction. Educators and paraprofessionals have embraced the ReadWorks Article-A-Day™ routine, a daily practice that builds background knowledge, vocabulary, and reading stamina. Starting in Fall 2023, District 5 staff participated in customized professional development sessions from ReadWorks, focused on using Article-A-Day in small-group interventions. This hands-on training gave paraprofessionals the tools and confidence to support students effectively. A few weeks later, PS 175 reached its ambitious goal of having students read a ReadWorks article daily to expand knowledge and vocabulary. “ReadWorks has become an essential companion to our reading block, providing Article-A-Day and differentiated, high-quality texts that align with the Science of Reading and deepen comprehension practice. In schools where educators use ReadWorks consistently, we are seeing notable gains in student engagement and reading growth. Its ease of use and accessibility for all staff have made it an invaluable tool in advancing our district’s goals.” District 5 is now among the top three districts in NYC for ELA progress in the 2023–2024 school year, with three schools reporting double-digit gains. This success reflects the dedication of teachers, paraprofessionals, families, and school communities working together to create joyful, knowledge-rich classrooms filled with confident readers.
ReadWorks remains deeply committed to supporting one of the largest and most dynamic school systems in the world, ensuring that every educator and student, especially those in under-resourced schools, has free access to the high-quality reading materials and support that ReadWorks is known for and that are proven to strengthen reading comprehension. As the city continues to make meaningful progress in reading, we are excited to build on this district collaboration and expand our work to even more NYC school districts.
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At ReadWorks, we make space to look back, seeking the broader picture of our efforts. Education is a years-long process for the students we serve. We’re asking: how have our efforts to support teachers over the years added up? This year’s reflection feels especially meaningful as ReadWorks focuses on what it means to build authentic partnerships with under-resourced communities and the impact that grows from them.  What Are Authentic Partnerships?As nonprofits, we all exist to serve unmet community needs. Yet, our tendencies can sometimes lean to following what experts, funders, and we feel are the right solutions. This work is often called “partnering,” but really, the community becomes a “receiver” rather than a partner. Authentic partnerships flip this model: the partner communities drive the relationship. Two women have done ground-breaking work in what it means to partner authentically. First is Kim Smith, the founder of the Center for Inclusive Innovation, who defines truly inclusive innovation as “listen[ing] to and honor[ing] the perspective of the communities who have been most impacted by barriers in education systems.” The second is Heather Krause, the founder of We All Count, who leads a community dedicated to ensuring the voices of those being studied are elevated in data science. Our Mission: Our PartnersAt ReadWorks, we name our authentic partners in our mission: With a deep commitment to under-resourced communities, ReadWorks supports teacher instruction that builds the knowledge and vocabulary that drive students’ reading comprehension. The value of partnering with these under-resourced communities then runs through our core values:
Authentic Partnerships, Authentic ImpactOur work of living into our commitment to under-resourced communities by building authentic partnerships has taken many years. Building the trust that leads to honest conversations takes time. We began our efforts in the fall of 2020 with our first Educator Advisory Council, seeking to put into practice the tenets of inclusive innovation. Nearly five years later, we have had the honor of open and honest dialogue with 26 educators, resulting in changes to our products, such as adding the option of adult educator in our teacher profiles, and the development of new resources, such as our Spanish-English Paired Texts to support English language learners. We also have focused on developing research-practice partnerships with under-resourced communities to ensure that we know how our offerings support, or don’t support, their needs. This work has tested us most deeply in our commitment to authentic partnerships. Thank you to our school research partners!
As we look back on the years of this work, ReadWorks is so honored by the partners who have trusted and collaborated with us to help us achieve a major milestone: for the first time in ReadWorks’ long history, all of our research projects for next school year are authentic partnerships with under-resourced communities. Under-resourced communities have truly become the foundation of our work. Through intentional efforts to welcome educators in these communities as an extension of our team, we are proud to have built authentic partnerships that have led to high-impact resources and research. We are forever indebted to our partners because they are why and how we can continually deepen our impact and meet the real needs of educators. Written by: Dr. Susanne NoblesChief Academic Officer, ReadWorks
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Important Dates to Remember
For full contest details, submission guidelines, and to access the Earth Day passages, visit our Earth Day 2025 Contest Page. We can’t wait to see the incredible artwork your students create!  This March 8–15, 2025, the Special Olympics World Winter Games will unite 1,500 athletes from over 100 countries in the Piedmont Region of Italy. These inspiring games promote inclusivity, courage, and community for athletes with disabilities.
At ReadWorks, we’re proud to feature stories created in partnership with The International Quilt Museum like the The Special Olympics: Building Champions and Having Fun! — This passage is about a quilt that was created in 2010 to support free participation for athletes’ families. It is a great reading supplement for Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety for grades 4,5,6 or 7. The audio support with this article helps support those who not at grade level or Lexile level 840L. Check out the virtual programs offered by the International Quilt Museum located in Lincoln Nebraska. Learn more about the athletes that are part of this big Special Olympics Winter, and build background knowledge and vocabulary with our ReadWorks article. Celebrate the power of sports, art, and education with ReadWorks! Black quiltmakers have played a vital role in the illustrative expression of Black history and the development of American quiltmaking. In collaboration with the International Quilt Museum, we aim to share these important Black stories with all readers. Over the past 200 years of American history, Black quiltmakers have channeled their creativity into works of art that focus on all sorts of topics. Quiltmaking has been a way to acknowledge and remember hardships, connect with communities, and celebrate Black joy! Explore a range of topics in the Black History Month reading passages contained in the reading comprehension lessons from ReadWorks & the International Quilt Museum. International Quilt Museum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 
You can visit the International Quilt Museum virtually or in Lincoln, Nebraska this Black History Month. Incredible collections, like Uncovering Black History: Quilts From The Collection Of Carolyn Mazloomi, are on display now! Written by:
Samuel Siegel, Marketing & Development Specialist |
