12 of 99 results for "reading"
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Alphablocks Letter Play: Fun Early Reading Activities for PreK–2

Meet the Alphablocks — 26 living letters who discover that when they hold hands to make a word, something magical happens. Celebrated for its innovative approach to teaching reading, Alphablocks makes learning joyful, active, and engaging for early learners. This free collection of Alphablocks worksheets brings that magic to life at home or in the classroom, with Alphablocks letter cards kids can use to build words, alphabet finger puppets, and playful worksheets that teach letter sounds.

Watch full episodes of the award-winning show for kids ages 3–6 on the official Alphablocks YouTube channel!

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Numberblocks Fun: Playful Math Activities for PreK–2

Meet the Numberblocks — little blocks with big ideas who make learning numbers fun and exciting for young children ages 3–7. Numberblocks helps kids build number sense as the characters come together, break apart, and explore how numbers really work. This free collection of printable games and colorful worksheets games give little learners hands-on practice with counting, odd and even numbers, and simple addition and subtraction. Perfect for use at home or in the classroom, these ready-to-use activities turn math practice into joyful play. 

Plus, watch full episodes on the official Numberblocks YouTube channel!

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10 Wild Animal Articles to Share With Your Students

Get your students excited about wildlife with this collection of engaging articles! Covering elephants, polar bears, whales, and even the rarest creatures on Earth, these resources are perfect for sparking curiosity. Each article is available at three reading levels, making it easy for you to share with readers of all abilities in your classroom.

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Bluey’s Big Adventure Pack!

Get ready for hours of fun with Bluey and her friends! This collection of activity pages is packed with puzzles, coloring sheets, games, and creative challenges that bring the world of Bluey to life. Perfect for playtime or rainy days — let’s play!

News Clip
Want to Connect With Family? Story Time May Be the Answer!

Feeling stressed? Try reading this out loud! 

Researchers have found that reading together can help strengthen bonds and reduce stress. In a recent study, families were asked to read together while wearing a brain monitoring cap that tracks activity over time. The results suggested that moments of shared reading can sync brain patterns between two people, which then suggest that the experience of reading books together helps parents and children connect.

Furthermore, the importance of stories themselves can’t be ignored. Stories are how people explain the world and their lives to one another — the decisions you make and the person you become are partially influenced by the stories you’ve read or heard. The research is very new, but studies of this sort can help us understand why reading together builds empathy, focus, emotional well-being, and might support children’s development and encourage a lifelong love of reading. And not just because a good story might distract two siblings for long enough to stop flicking each other’s ears!

News Clip
The World's Smallest Violin, and What It Has To Do With Your iPhone

Nanolitho... Nanilitha... Hmm. Ahem. Nanolithography is the process of fabricating, etching, or printing patterns on a material’s surface at the nanometer (one billionth of a meter) scale. It’s OK, we had to look it up, too. 

It’s probably not a word you hear in everyday life, but you’re likely familiar with some of the results. You’re probably reading this on one of those results, because it’s a prominent part of building phones and computers — both things that rely on technology that allows manufacturers to pattern incredibly small things. The process is similar to screen printing, where you create a stencil of your design, lay your screen onto your material, pour on the paint, and lift your screen to reveal the design. Nanolithography uses a similar method, but on a much, much, much smaller scale. Way smaller stuff than you’d ever get your pencil sharp enough to sketch!

For example, scientists have created the world’s smallest violin at 13 microns wide and 40 microns tall. To put it in perspective, a micron is 0.000001 m, and one single human hair is between 15 and 120 microns. So you probably can’t play the violin, but it’d be really easy to pack in your bag.

Aside from being cool, learning how to work with material at this teeny tiny scale can open up new possibilities in technology, and is crucial for making improvements.

News Clip
New Dinosaur Alert: Meet the Enigmacursor

Did you know we’re still finding new dinosaurs?! You’d think the 66 million years they’ve been extinct would have been enough time for research, but the Natural History Museum is getting ready to welcome yet another new addition — a small dinosaur that they had previously mistaken for a Nanosaurus. It’s a two-legged, herbivorous dinosaur with big feet and a long tail, about the height of a labrador. Scientists have renamed it “Enigmacursor,” which means “puzzling runner,” and would also be a very cool name for the next Nike sneaker. 

To determine if a dinosaur (or any creature) is new, researchers try to find unique features, like parts, proportions, and shapes. The Enigmacursor will be displayed at the Natural History Museum and will be an important tool for learning how its bigger relatives evolved, since dinosaurs started their evolution as small animals and became much, much bigger over a long, long time.

News Clip
From Pool to Orbit: How Astronauts Prepare for Spacewalks

Being an astronaut is no joke — for your brain and your body to be prepared, you need to train, not unlike sports or school. Want to train for a soccer match? You may need to go for runs or lift weights. Need to prepare for a math test? You may need to repeat your times tables. Going into space soon? You may need to put on a space suit and get strapped into a full-sized replica of the International Space Station, then submerged in a 12-meter (40-foot!) deep pool for six hours. At least, that’s what astronaut Rosemary Coogan did to make sure she was ready for her spacewalk. 

Coogan was chosen from 22,000 applicants to become a European Space Agency astronaut and may be the first Englishwoman to set foot on the moon.

Space preparation is daunting, but she had teams of supporters like divers and control room workers to make sure she was safe. The spacewalk test is meant to make sure that Rosemary could survive the conditions off of earth, even when things don’t go according to plan. 

Printable
Country Fact File: Indonesia

Travel across the islands of Indonesia with this colorful one-page fact file for Grades 3–8. Students will explore Indonesia’s geography, history, culture, wildlife, and government while learning about thousands of islands, volcanoes and coral reefs, tropical rainforests, unique animals such as Komodo dragons and orangutans, and the traditions of Indonesia’s many cultures.

You can use this fact file to:

  • Introduce a geography or social studies unit
  • Support nonfiction reading practice
  • Compare countries and cultures
  • Complete map and research activities
  • Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
  • Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Printable
Country Fact File: South Korea

Explore the culture, history, and modern life of South Korea with this student-friendly fact file for Grades 3–8. Students will explore South Korea’s geography, history, culture, wildlife, and government while learning about mountain landscapes, Korean traditions, K-pop, kimchi, important events in Korean history, and the country’s modern economy and technology.

You can use this fact file to:

  • Introduce a geography or social studies unit
  • Support nonfiction reading practice
  • Compare countries and cultures
  • Complete map and research activities
  • Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
  • Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Printable
Country Fact File: India

Introduce students to the rich cultures, landscapes, and history of India with this classroom-ready fact file for Grades 3–8. Students will explore India’s geography, history, culture, wildlife, and government while learning about the Himalayan Mountains, major rivers, diverse religions and traditions, colorful festivals, and animals such as Bengal tigers and Indian peafowl.

You can use this fact file to:

  • Introduce a geography or social studies unit
  • Support nonfiction reading practice
  • Compare countries and cultures
  • Complete map and research activities
  • Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
  • Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Printable
Country Fact File: Japan

Discover the islands, traditions, and history of Japan with this one-page fact file for Grades 3–8. Students will explore Japan’s geography, history, culture, wildlife, and government while learning about volcanic islands, mountain landscapes, traditional customs, unique wildlife, modern cities, and important moments from Japan’s past and present.

You can use this fact file to:

  • Introduce a geography or social studies unit
  • Support nonfiction reading practice
  • Compare countries and cultures
  • Complete map and research activities
  • Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
  • Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)