Finding high-interest, informational text is an important part of locating just right resources for your classroom. If you’re on the hunt for digital reading material for your students, there are a few different websites and apps that have science reading passages for kids. The resources on the list below include text appropriate for a range of readers. Many of these resources let you search by grade level, reading level and topic to find a science reading passage that connects to your learning goals.
When introducing digital text to students you can point out some of the connections to reading traditional informational text – like captions, headings, etc. You may also decide to introduce students to digital text features. This includes the ability to click on certain words to hear them read aloud. Or when to pause to watch a video embedded in the online article.
Science Reading Passages
You’re probably familiar with the paper version of the popular Scholastic Magazine. The companion website includes plenty of free content and many reading passages on science topics. There are also video highlights that can help readers of any age access the content they’ve just read.
The TIME for Kids website includes a section focused on science topics. This link will take you straight to all of their science articles. Like many webpages you can navigate on the sidebar to find the topics that are of most interest to you.
If you’re a regular reader of ClassTechTips.com you know how much I love Newsela. On Newsela’s website you can search for articles by keywords and grade level. There is a section for science articles that will bring you to the most recent articles on a range of science topics.
Websites and Apps for Science
Just like Newsela, you can search Readworks for short texts in different genres and reading levels. You have to create a free account to access the comprehension questions and passages in Readworks.
Britannica Kids has lots of different apps with reading materials for science classrooms. Designed for iPads, these apps include on one Volcanoes and another on Snakes. The encyclopedia entries are great for students who want to learn more about a topic they find interesting. You can access a full list of their apps here.
There are a few other apps for reading comprehension that focus specifically on science. Earth Science Reading Comprehension is designed for elementary readers and includes short passages. Trees PRO is another iPad app that includes reading material on science topics.
If you’re working in a classroom with Chromebooks (or any device with a web browser) another great place to go for science reading passages is DOGO News. This website shares current events articles and highlights key vocabulary words for readers.
When would use science reading passages?
Science reading passages can come in handy for lots of different reasons:
- Independent reading passages for informational text units
- High-interest reading materials to capture your students’ attention
- Cross-curricular connections to reinforce ELA and science concepts
- Curated reading resources to help with research projects
These reading materials can be used in lots of different ways! You might incorporate #FormativeTech strategies like digital exit slips to check for understanding as students read these texts. Or you might decide to have students reflect on their reading with some of my favorite creation tools to show off what they’ve learned.
Share your ideas and favorites in the comments below!
