Secondary Classrooms

10 Texts to Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in Your ELA Classroom

These engaging texts help students explore identity, culture, and belonging through Asian American and Pacific Islander voices and experiences. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an opportunity to...

The Science of Reading: What It Is, What It Demands, and How CommonLit 360 Delivers It

Learn how CommonLit 360 is aligned to the Science of Reading’s best practices for teaching reading comprehension to secondary students. What the Science of Reading Actually Is The “science...

9 Impactful Texts for Arab American Heritage Month

These engaging texts help students explore identity, culture, and belonging through Arab American voices and experiences. Arab American Heritage Month offers an opportunity to center stories and perspectives that reflect...

10 Engaging Poems to Teach for National Poetry Month

These engaging poems help students explore voice, identity, imagination, and the power of language. National Poetry Month is the perfect time to bring poetry into your classroom in ways that...

Why Teachers Love the CommonLit Text Library

With engaging texts, built-in supports, and flexible lesson options, the CommonLit Text Library makes it easier for teachers to plan meaningful reading instruction. Teachers are always looking for texts...

Powerful Women’s History Month Speeches for Middle and High School Classrooms

These influential speeches help middle and high school students explore women’s leadership, equality, and social change through powerful primary sources. Women’s History Month is an opportunity to examine...

10 Spring Poems and Stories for Your ELA Classroom

These spring-themed poems and stories for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms help students explore nature, change, and the season ahead. As the weather warms and signs of new...

4 Ways to Use CommonLit for Standardized Test Prep

CommonLit has thousands of practice lessons, a free reading assessment, and targeted skills-based lessons teachers can use for standardized test prep. Educators are always looking for ways to build...

CommonLit 360 Edition 2.0 for grades 9-10 is here!

CommonLit 360 is a comprehensive, full-year ELA curriculum for grades 6-12 designed to support student growth in reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Our curriculum provides teachers with...

How to Advocate for CommonLit 360 at Your School

Learn how to confidently advocate for CommonLit 360 at your school or district. Teachers know what works. Every day, you see what motivates your students, what supports real growth, and...

CommonLit Provides Cross-Curricular Support

Selections that can be used across content areas When a student struggles to read grade-level texts, this challenge impacts performance in all academic classes, not just in English Language...

Announcing New CommonLit 360 Units for Grades 9 and 10

CommonLit 360 is a comprehensive, full-year ELA curriculum for grades 6-12 designed to support student growth in reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills. Our curriculum provides teachers...

9 Spooky Stories for the Eeriest Time of Year

This October, haunt your classroom with thematically rich horror, suspense, and spooky short stories! CommonLit’s array of horrifying ghost stories and haunting dystopian tales are guaranteed to send shivers...

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...

Five Ways to Help (older) Students Build Reading Skills

Simple strategies to improve students’ reading comprehension abilities and build their reading engagement According to the 2022 NAEP Reading Assessment, only 32% of 4th grade students are proficient in reading,...

Everything a Secondary Teacher Needs to Get Started with CommonLit

Everything a secondary teacher needs to get started with CommonLit: Class creation, selecting a text, using our digital tools, and more! CommonLit’s digital literacy program has high-quality and...

6 Native American Stories and Poems for Middle and High School Students

Honor National Native American Heritage Month in your classroom with authentic short stories and poems from CommonLit’s online reading program! Our extensive library collection includes plenty of Native American...

How a CommonLit Teacher Ambassador Empowers all Students

Leigh Pafford teaches special education as well as English as a Second Language (ESL) in New York City, and she was also one of CommonLit’s founding Teacher Ambassadors for...

CommonLit Can Assist With ACT/SAT Test Prep

The testing season is here! No, not the end-of-year testing that schools across the country gear up for each spring. Instead, this is the annual “rite of fall”...

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...

10 Short Stories Middle School Teachers Love

These compelling short stories for middle school are sure to engage your students! When it’s time to plan a new unit, it can be daunting to find high-quality,...

CommonLit’s Summer Reading Challenge 2023

CommonLit’s Summer Reading Challenge is back for 2023! Explore our reading lists full of engaging stories for all grade levels. CommonLit’s Summer Reading Challenge is back with new...

8 Poetry Lessons to Help Your Students Become Well Versed in Verse

This April, celebrate all forms of poetry in your classroom with curated lessons for grades 3-12. Poetry comes in many shapes and sizes. From Shakespearean sonnets to free verse...

7 Texts to Celebrate Ramadan in Your Classroom

CommonLit is committed to providing students with a wide range of texts that showcase cultures from all over the world. In these seven texts, students will learn about the traditions...

10 Short Stories High School Teachers Love

These compelling short stories for high school are sure to engage your students! When it’s time to plan a new unit, it can be daunting to find high-quality,...