How a News Site for Kids Is Providing Comfort — and Free Educational Content — in a Time of Uncertainty and Anxiety
Sabrina Spada, a teacher from North Carolina, and her students found solace in an unexpected place when their school closed due to the coronavirus – Newsela.
Spada, who teaches fourth grade at Foust Elementary School in Greensboro, explained that logging on to Newsela, an online education tool known for its grade-specific news articles and quizzes, provided a sense of familiarity for her students amidst the uncertainty and chaos. She shared that even before the district’s official distance learning platform was established, she noticed that some of her students were voluntarily completing work on Newsela.
"I was incredibly proud of them, and it brought me comfort knowing that they were taking ownership of their learning," Spada told . "While they were out of school and unsure of what to do, they knew they could trust Newsela and engage with the articles. And that’s exactly what they did."
According to Education Week, 46 states and numerous individual districts have made the decision to close schools due to the coronavirus, leaving over 54 million children out of class. This sudden shift has left teachers and parents scrambling to find opportunities for students to continue their education at home.
In response to this situation, Newsela has made all its resources freely accessible and is offering virtual training sessions to teachers, a service typically only available to subscribing schools. Beyond news articles adapted from reputable sources like The New York Times and the Associated Press, Newsela also provides content across various subjects and reading levels, including science, social studies, reading, and social-emotional learning. Some articles are even available in Spanish.
Newsela’s offerings extend beyond their website, as they offer easy printing options and a mobile app that allows users to download articles for offline reading when internet connection is not available.
Spada and her class were regular users of Newsela even before their school closed. She would assign articles for students to read on their laptops, followed by group discussions related to the day’s reading material. Spada’s district, Guilford County Schools, is currently working towards ensuring that all students have access to a device for online learning during the school closures.
In the days leading up to Governor Roy Cooper’s order to close schools on March 14th, Spada’s class focused on reading articles about viruses, the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak, and proper handwashing techniques. Having access to accurate information from a trusted source played a significant role in alleviating students’ anxieties, especially when they were being exposed to misinformation on social media.
"Discussing those coronavirus articles and dispelling any misconceptions in the classroom provided a lot of comfort for the students," Spada explained. "They felt more at ease not only sharing their thoughts with me but also discussing it at home."
Newsela had published an article called "Your most urgent questions about the new coronavirus" in their Science News for Students section, with different reading levels available. The section explaining how the illness spreads was simplified for fourth-graders as follows: "The new virus spreads from person to person, similar to other respiratory diseases. According to the CDC, respiratory droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze can carry the virus to someone else."
For second-grade readers, the explanation is even simpler: "The virus spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and the droplets carry the virus to someone else."
Newsela also offers adapted articles from sources like The Guardian, providing definitions and pronunciations when users click on underlined "power words."
"We do feel a sense of duty and obligation to assist educators and students during this time," he stated in an interview with . The potential financial implications were not a major concern for the company or its board, according to Cogan-Drew, due to the current challenges that schools are facing.
"It’s almost like being at war, you know?" he explained. "You shouldn’t charge people for basic necessities like bread, eggs, and flour. Instead, you should offer a helping hand and ask, ‘What do you need? You’re my neighbor, how can I be of assistance?’"
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