Free Reading Resources for Beginning Level US-Born Adult Education Learners

US-born learners who read at a kindergarten to third grade level are sometimes forgotten in adult education, because they are a relatively small subset of the whole. Therefore, it can be challenging to find reading resources for these learners–especially free ones–but here are a few: 

Reading Skills for Today’s Adults is my number one pick because it was designed for adults, there is no log-in is required, and it was created right here in Minnesota! Texts in levels 1-6 on the site are appropriate for adults reading at a K-3rd grade level. Refer to the site’s placement chart for specifics on levels. Here are a few texts of interest:

• Fall is Here 
• Madge is Stressed Out
• Raising a Good Reader

The next two resources offer free, level-appropriate texts, but they require a free log-in and they were designed with kids in mind. Nevertheless, they contain several texts appropriate for adult readers. 

ReadWorks

All of ReadWorks’s content is free! After you create a free log-in, click on Educator/Teacher and then “Content” at the top of the page. Filter by grade level and look for articles that might interest your learners. Here are a few examples:

• Shirley Chisholm (K-1st grade)
• Fighting for Clean Water (2nd grade)
• Climate Change (English-Spanish text) 3rd grade

Newsela Lite

Newsela Lite is the free version of Newsela. It provides access to four free news articles per month, adapted for lower grade levels, with accompanying quizzes and writing prompts. To reduce the reading level of the text, after clicking on an article, look for the “Max” button at the top left and click on a lower Lexile (reading) level. Here are a few of the articles available now; create a free log-in to view them:

• Analysis: Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris: Do celebrity endorsements matter in politics? (590L / 2nd-3rd grade)
• How to Give Your Worn Out Sneakers a Second Life (480L / 1st-2nd grade)
• Analysis: Shohei Ohtani sets new record with 50 home runs, 50 stolen bases in one season (520L / 1st-2nd grade)

Keep your US-born beginning readers engaged with interesting texts with these free resources!

For questions or comments regarding this Tutor Tip, contact Training Coordinator Meghan Boyle at mboyle@literacymn.org.