Newsela Platform & ELA Instruction – Key Vocabulary

Teaching Challenge: Parts of Speech & Writing Foundations

• Teacher (Jasmine) struggles teaching parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, conjunctions).

• Students reach 10th grade still lacking basics, making writing instruction difficult.

• Principal notes test scores are actually good – students listened but did not apply in class.

• Need for engaging, scaffolded resources that reinforce grammar while teaching content.

Newsela Introduced as a Remedy

• Newsela = digital content platform with adaptable nonfiction & fiction texts.

• Goal: provide differentiated reading, vocabulary, grammar practice, and writing prompts within authentic articles.

• Built-in focus areas ("reading skills") target standards such as word meaning & choice, text structure, What the text says.

Accessing Newsela

• Login ➜ top-right avatar menu ➜ verify institutional subscription includes:
  • Newsela ELA, Science, Social Studies curricula
  • Additional collections (novel studies, curriculum partners).

• Skip initial setup if already rostered via admin system.

• Rosters import later via ClassLink / Clever / manual CSV (August PD will finalize).

Article & Reading-Level Architecture

• Each article exists at up to 5 Lexile® levels (plus “Max” = original).

• Levels are human-adapted, NOT AI-generated.

• Many texts also fully translated to Spanish (again, human translators).

• Lexile dropdown always visible at top of article.

• If Spanish available, equivalent 5 levels appear.

Searching & Filtering Content

• Global search bar (top of homepage): queries titles, topics, keywords (e.g., “dogs”).

• Left-side filters:
  • Language (English/Spanish)
  • Reading level = grade-band of text complexity
  • Maturity level = appropriateness of subject matter
  • Instructional features: Power Words, quizzes, write prompts, interactive videos
  • Reading skills focus, standards, topics, text type, etc.

• Filter “Grade 6” reading level but maintain High-School maturity if sophomores read below grade while studying mature themes.

Understanding Article Cards

• Metadata icons:
  • ⚡ Lightning = Power Words vocabulary quiz included.
  • ES (purple) = Spanish version exists.
  • Bookmarks = Save to Content Library.
  • Colored bands show maturity & Lexile.

In-Article Supports & Accessibility Tools

• Toolbar (bottom of header):
  • 🎧 Listen = Read-Aloud (highlights synced text; adjustable speed).
  • ¶ Paragraph count toggle – numbers paragraphs for citing evidence.
  • "Presenter mode" – enlarges text, hides side panel for class display.
  • Text-size slider (XS → XXL).
  • AI Translation (Luna) per-paragraph → >30 languages (Vietnamese, Arabic, etc.); teacher can enable/disable.
  • Auto-defined words:
  – Question-mark underline = on-the-fly vocab (AI).
  – ⚡ underline = Power Word (Tier-2 term + separate quiz).

Checks for Understanding (CFU)

• Short multiple-choice gates that lock subsequent text until correct.

• System-generated; teacher can toggle on/off but cannot yet author custom CFU.

Annotation Workflow

• Highlight word/phrase/sentence → click Annotate.

• Choose color codes (teacher creates conventions: yellow = questions, blue = unknown words, green = evidence).

• "Share" toggle:
  • Off = private to creator.
  • On = visible to students (only teacher ➜ class; student ➜ visible only to self + teacher).

• Unlimited annotations per article; stored & viewed in Assignment panel.

Assignment Builder Essentials

• Right-side panel in any article controls activities.

• Activities list: Annotations, CFU, Quiz, Write Prompt, Power Words. Toggle each.

• Add custom instructions (rich-text, links, bullets).

• Title defaults to article name; editable.

Quizzes

• Usually 5 questions aligned to 1–2 reading-skill foci.

• Shows standard code (e.g., \text{TEKS 9.6E}) & correct answer in preview.

• Drives adaptive "Newsela Recommended Level" algorithm:
  • Correct ➜ student Lexile increases; incorrect ➜ decreases.
  • About 5 completed quizzes needed for accurate baseline.

Write Prompts

• One prompt per Lexile level by default; teacher can:
  • Refresh (AI generates alternates).
  • Edit (add sentence stems, rubric, keyword bank).
  • NOTE: Editing locks single prompt across all levels & cannot revert.

Additional AI Tools

• "Generate AI Prompt" button produces alternative higher-order question.

• Coming features: teacher-authored CFU, formatives, etc.

Assigning to Students

• Click Assign ➜ choose:
  • Lexile option:
  – "Newsela Recommended" (differentiates per student)
  – Fixed (all get same).
  • Allow students to change levels after finishing activities (toggle).
  • Whole-Class vs Small-Group (checklist of students).
  • Schedule later (date/time) or post immediately.
  • Settings toggles:
  – Listen, Show quiz answers, Language switch, AI vocabulary, AI paragraph translation.

• Hit Create Assignment → receives unique URL; link into Canvas, Google Classroom, etc.

Monitoring Progress & Data Analytics

• Assignments tab houses all tasks.

• For each student:
  • Lexile read, time-on-task, quiz % score, writing submission.
  • Annotation count clickable – view each highlight & note.
  • Power-Words quiz breakdown.

• Scores manually adjustable for writing; rubrics exportable.

• Data guides remediation groups & informs Lexile adjustments.

Integrations & Collaboration

• Share any article/assignment via teammate’s email.

• Compatible with Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom (link or LTI).

• Departments can co-create & reuse novel-study sets.

Collections, Curriculum Bundles & Special Sets

• Top navigation ➜ ELA → subsections:
  • Novel & Book Studies (e.g., “Canterbury Tales”, “Fire on High”).
  • Curriculum partner maps (HMH, Amplify, Savvas, HMH Into Literature).
  • Decodable Texts for Older Readers (3 text sets – fiction & informational).
  • Interactive video lessons (Ed-Puzzle style, plus full transcript).
  • Implementation guides / Lesson Sparks with graphic organizers.

Classroom Implementation Ideas

• Bell-ringers: one Newsela article/week; Day 1 vocab (Power Words); Day 2 content comprehension; Day 3 grammar focus; Day 4 write prompt; Day 5 discussion.

• Use paragraph numbering + annotation colors to teach citation (“In paragraph 7, the author states…”).

• Mixed-ability class: assign same topic, allow Newsela to deliver 5 levels, hold common Socratic seminar.

• STAR test prep: turn off translations & vocabulary, force single Lexile, mimic exam conditions.

• Grammar mini-lesson: students highlight nouns blue, verbs red, adjectives green in article, reinforce parts-of-speech gap.

Practical Tips & Best Practices

• Always preview article & questions before assigning.

• Save frequently used texts to Content Library for quick reuse.

• When editing write prompt, copy original prompt first in case you need it.

• Use "Present Mode" + paragraph numbers during whole-class close reading.

• Encourage students to finish at least 5 quizzes early semester to calibrate reading level.

• Color-pencil/highlighter analog technique can be mirrored digitally with annotation colors to maintain continuity.

• Balance print & digital: print article first week, migrate to in-platform annotations week 2.

Ethical & Philosophical Considerations

• AI translations (Luna) labelled to alert potential inaccuracies—remind students about verification.

• Differentiation respects privacy: individual Lexile invisible to peers, reducing stigma.

• Emphasize human-edited adaptations & translations to counter AI-generated misinformation.

Key Numerical / Technical Facts

• Up to 5 adapted Lexile renditions + 1 original.

• "Magic number" = 5 quizzes → reliable Newsela reading recommendation.

• Read-aloud highlights text in real-time; speed adjustable (≈ 0.5\times to 2\times).

• Data fields captured: Time-on-task (min:s), Quiz % (0–100), #Annotations, Writing score (0–?), Power-Words %.

Recap & Next Steps

• Newsela supplies multi-level, standards-aligned, grammar-friendly content to close parts-of-speech gaps.

• Teachers will receive further PD in August (with rosters) to refine small-group assignments & analyze authentic student data.

• Immediate actions:
  • Login, save 3–5 relevant articles.
  • Experiment with annotation sharing.
  • Build one differentiated assignment and share link in Canvas.
  • Plan weekly routine integrating Power Words & quizzes to move Lexiles.

A 10th-grade teacher, Jasmine, faces challenges in teaching parts of speech and writing foundations, as students lack basic grammar application despite good test scores. Newsela is introduced as a digital content platform to address this by providing differentiated nonfiction and fiction texts with built-in features for reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing practice.

Newsela articles are available at up to 5 human-adapted Lexile® levels (plus original) and are often human-translated into Spanish. Users can access it via login, verifying subscriptions (ELA, Science, Social Studies), with rostering handled through systems like ClassLink or CSV.

Content can be found using a global search bar and filtered by language, reading/maturity level, instructional features (e.g., Power Words, quizzes, write prompts, videos), and reading skills. Article cards display metadata like Power Words (⚡), Spanish versions (ES), and save options.

In-article supports include a read-aloud tool (🎧), paragraph numbering, presenter mode, text-size adjustment, and AI translation (Luna) for over 30 languages. Vocabulary is supported through AI-defined words and dedicated Power Words with separate quizzes.

Assignments can include Checks for Understanding (CFU), quizzes (which drive an adaptive Lexile recommendation after approximately 5 completions), and write prompts (which can be edited or AI-generated). Teachers can also use annotations with custom color codes for student highlighting and sharing.

Assignments are highly customizable, allowing teachers to choose Newsela Recommended (differentiated) or fixed Lexile levels, enable or disable student level changes, assign to whole classes or small groups, and schedule posting. Progress monitoring provides data on Lexile read, time-on-task, quiz scores, and writing submissions.

Newsela integrates with LMS platforms like Canvas and Google Classroom. It offers curriculum bundles, novel studies, decodable texts, and interactive video lessons. Practical implementation ideas include using articles for bell-ringers (focusing on vocab, comprehension, grammar, writing), teaching citation with paragraph numbering and annotations, and supporting mixed-ability classes.

Key practices include previewing content, saving frequently used texts, using Presenter Mode for class, and encouraging students to complete quizzes early for accurate reading level calibration. Ethical considerations include labeling AI translations and respecting student privacy regarding individual Lexile levels.