Allie Liotta

10 Short Stories Elementary School Teachers Love (and What to Teach With Each)

Ten free CommonLit short stories for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, from a goldfish named Dog to a marbles championship, plus what each one teaches best. A girl asks for...

Allie Liotta

October 2, 2026 7 min read

Boy looks up from CommonLit reading lesson in a classroom.

10 Free Short Stories for Middle School Students (and What to Teach With Each)

A roundup of 10 free CommonLit short stories for grades 6-8, with what each one is best for teaching. A good short story can get a room of 12-...

Allie Liotta

October 2, 2026 6 min read

A teacher helping their student on their laptop.

10 Inspiring Texts to Start the New School Year

Start the new year with these inspiring texts about education. For students, coming back from summer vacation means getting back into the swing of things with school routines, teachers, and...

Allie Liotta

June 1, 2026 5 min read

10 Fascinating Informational Texts for Elementary

These texts about famous figures, sports, art, and more are sure to engage your students! It can be challenging to find really engaging, exciting informational texts to hook your students...

Allie Liotta

October 16, 2025 5 min read

Two teachers conversing with their laptops open.

Young Adult Fiction Writers: Call for Submissions!

About CommonLit CommonLit is a teacher-founded, award-winning nonprofit dedicated to closing the global literacy gap. Our digital literacy platform is research-based and proven to accelerate reading growth...

Allie Liotta

October 3, 2023 2 min read

Smiling teacher working with a student on a Folktale Story from CommonLit

10 Popular Myths and Folktale Stories With Moral Lessons from Around the World

Travel through stories with these ten exciting myths and folktales from around the world! In the past, myths and folktales were how people explained natural phenomena and dispensed wisdom from...

Allie Liotta

August 31, 2023 5 min read

Analyzing Individual Student Performance with CommonLit

Diving into an individual student’s data is a great way for teachers to develop a deep understanding of the student’s strengths and areas for growth. By analyzing different...

Allie Liotta

August 23, 2023 4 min read

Teacher pointing out information to students

3 Ways to Use CommonLit in Social Studies Classrooms

Check out these strategies for effectively using CommonLit in social studies classrooms! Literacy is an essential component of social studies classes, but it can be really hard to find relevant,...

Allie Liotta

February 7, 2023 3 min read

Students and teacher are in a classroom reading an engaging, diverse story from the CommonLit website.

CommonLit Originals: Engaging, Diverse Stories only Available on CommonLit!

Check out dozens of high-interest and timely short stories, available only on our library. CommonLit’s library is home to over 3,000 digital lessons on a wide range...

Allie Liotta

January 30, 2023 7 min read

Girl smiles at classmate while working on CommonLit lesson.

Short Stories To Get Your Students Excited About Reading

These short stories from amazing authors like Gary Soto, Amy Tan, and Ralph Fletcher will help your students fall in love with reading! A love for reading begins with captivating...

Allie Liotta

August 18, 2022 3 min read

Exciting CommonLit Additions for SY 22–23

Canvas integration, 360 Units for grades 11 and 12, and hundreds of new lessons! At CommonLit, we’re always thinking of new ways to support teachers and students. That’s...

Allie Liotta

July 17, 2022 2 min read

Teacher and student laugh while looking at laptop.

9 Texts to Help Teens Develop Social-Emotional Skills

These articles dig into important topics like happiness, stress, failure, and resilience. Some of the most important learning that happens in middle and high school goes beyond reading, writing, and...

Allie Liotta

March 15, 2022 3 min read

Presenting CommonLit's New Target Lessons

Check out our new easy-to-use, highly engaging lessons that build specific reading skills! At CommonLit, we’re always thinking of new ways to support students and teachers. That’...

Allie Liotta

February 22, 2022 3 min read

7 Inspiring Texts About Influential Figures in Black History

These meaningful texts about Black heroes are sure to engage your students! Reading about influential figures in Black history is a powerful way to inspire your students. Learning about people...

Allie Liotta

January 10, 2022 4 min read

Students work on CommonLit reading lesson.

6 Powerful Poems by Black Authors for Elementary Students

These thematically rich poems by Black authors are sure to engage your elementary students! There is nothing quite like the magic of reading a beautiful poem. Descriptive imagery, figurative language,...

Allie Liotta

January 6, 2022 3 min read

A teacher pointing and smiling, sitting next to two smiling students.

3 Ways to Maximize Student Learning with CommonLit

Engage students in meaningful learning with these three purposeful strategies! As teachers, we always want to make sure students are engaged in meaningful learning. It’s important to provide them...

Allie Liotta

December 23, 2021 3 min read

Teacher holds papers while typing on laptop.

11 Elementary Short Stories for Social-Emotional Learning

These meaningful texts for grades 3–5 teach important life lessons and social-emotional strategies. Reading stories is a meaningful way to engage students in social-emotional learning. Great stories...

Allie Liotta

December 20, 2021 7 min read

12 Engaging Myths and Folktales from around the World

Explore different cultures with these stories from around the world! Reading myths and folktales is a great way to engage young learners. Since these tales were originally told to convey...

Allie Liotta

December 13, 2021 6 min read

Students complete CommonLit lesson on laptops.

11 Seasonal Texts to Kick off Winter

Here are eleven engaging texts about winter weather and holiday celebrations! The holiday season has just begun, and these last few weeks leading up to break can just fly by!...

Allie Liotta

November 22, 2021 5 min read

Two students sitting at desks and looking at each other.

10 Texts about World-Changing Individuals

Use these texts to teach your students about the incredible ways people have changed the world. Reading about amazing people who have changed the world helps students envision the changes...

Allie Liotta

November 19, 2021 4 min read

A teacher standing next to their student, lecturing.

10 Meaningful Friendship and Conflict Stories for Students

These ten texts will teach students about friendship and conflict in relationships! Adolescence is a time of change. As kids get older, they may find their friendships change with them....

Allie Liotta

November 18, 2021 5 min read

Heartwarming Lessons About Holidays and Traditions from Around the World

These texts for grades 3–5 teach students about a variety of celebrations around the world. We know that children love finding reasons to celebrate, whether it’s for a...

Allie Liotta

November 16, 2021 4 min read

Three teenage students complete CommonLit lesson on laptops.

Easy Tips for Data Analysis with CommonLit

Analyzing student performance is easy with CommonLit’s data tracking tools for teachers and administrators! Developing a deep understanding of student data is critical for all educators. It helps teachers...

Allie Liotta

November 16, 2021 3 min read

5 Ways CommonLit Helps Teachers Monitor Student Understanding

CommonLit’s technology helps teachers understand how students are growing. Providing students with targeted feedback is critically important. It helps to hold students accountable, makes them realize that you care...

Allie Liotta

November 15, 2021 5 min read

Teenage student smiles at his laptop in classroom.

Encourage Students to Embrace a Growth Mindset

Use CommonLit’s library and data tools to help students learn from their mistakes! Creating a classroom culture where mistakes are celebrated is a great way to promote student progress....

Allie Liotta

November 15, 2021 5 min read

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