Educational reading for kids
45 Best Reading Websites for Kids (Teacher-Approved)
Fluent reading may be the most important skill anyone can master. Studies show it only takes 15 minutes of practice each day to build fluency, and these reading websites for kids can help. There are options for all ages, helping students learn to read, discover new books, track and share progress, and more. There’s a big selection of free options, but there are some excellent paid sites that schools and parents may want to check out too. All of them can help kids become lifelong readers!
- Best Free Reading Websites for Kids
- Best Paid Reading Websites for Kids
(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
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These free reading websites give kids practice that won’t break the bank. Get free e-books, games, activities, and more!
ABCya
This site hooks kids through fun games that meet learning standards. In addition to reading, students can brush up on math, science, social studies, arts, and music. A free account gives you basic access with ads. Paid Premium Family and Classroom plans are also available. (Grades Pre-K–6)
Between the Lions
Watch videos from the popular PBS series, including read-along folktales and fables, clever song videos of letter sounds, and more. (Grades Pre-K–1)
Biblionasium
Think of this like Goodreads for kids. It’s a safe place for reviewing and sharing books, making reading a social adventure. (Grades K–8)
Bookopolis
This is another site that bills itself as “Goodreads for kids,” and it offers similar features. Read kid-friendly reviews, post your own, find recommendations, track reading goals, and more. (Grades K–8)
Bookshare
This fantastic digital library service helps people with print-related disabilities read independently. (Grades Pre-K–12)
CommonLit
This library includes thousands of high-interest, standards-aligned reading passages and lessons.
You can search for texts by book, genre, grade level, literary device, and theme. (Grades 3–12)
Dogo News
The kid-friendly news articles on DOGONews make it easy to assign reading. Each article has reading/interest-level guidelines, and you can access the site in English or Spanish. It’s free to assign articles for reading. Paid plans provide discussion questions and quizzes too. (Grades 1–12)
Epic
If you’re looking for reading websites with digital books, this site has thousands of them, along with audiobooks and videos. You’ll find endless popular titles from your favorite publishers. Teachers can track student progress as they read too. Epic is free for teachers and classrooms, with paid plans available for parents. (Grades Pre-K–8)
Explorer Magazine
This amazing compilation of nonfiction has all the quality of National Geographic magazine, leveled and accessible for young readers. (Grades K–5)
Fact Monster: All About Books
Kids who love books will want to check out this site.
They’ll find fascinating facts about many of their favorite reads. (Grades 1–8)
Free Rice
Test your vocabulary while earning rice for those in need! Each time you play, you’re helping the United Nations World Food Programme provide food to those around the world who need it. (Grades 2–12)
FunBrain
In addition to learning games and videos, FunBrain has a selection of free books to read online. You’ll find favorites like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Judy Moody. (Grades Pre-K–8)
Harry Potter Reading Club
This is a must-see for any kid (or adult) who loves the Harry Potter books. Find regularly updated activities, plus videos, discussion guides, and more for hardcore Hogwarts fans. (Grades 2–8)
International Children’s Digital Library
A no-frills site from the University of Maryland, ICDL has more than 4,000 free e-books kids can read online. There are a variety of books in languages other than English too. (Grades K–8)
Into the Book
Into the Book is a reading comprehension site that focuses on reading strategies teachers work on every day.
Kids get practice using prior knowledge, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, evaluating, and synthesizing. (Grades K–6)
Khan Academy
This is one of the most well-known free learning sites around, and their reading and language arts courses are top-notch. There’s nothing flashy, but kids will get good practice with accompanying lessons and quizzes. (Grades 2–9)
Khan Academy Kids
This reading app and site is designed especially for kids just learning to read. There are supplemental materials for parents and teachers too. (Grades Pre-K–2)
Lalilo
Kids learning to read can benefit from Lalilo’s phonics and reading comprehension activities. The adaptive exercises provide an individualized experience for each student. Free for teachers, with a premium paid edition available for schools and districts. (Grades Pre-K–2)
Oxford Owl
Created by Oxford University Press, this U.K. site has plenty to offer for any kid learning to read.
There are free e-books and games, plus tips for parents and teachers. (Grades Pre-K–2)
Reading Bear
Reading Bear teaches beginning readers vocabulary and concepts while systematically introducing all the main phonetic patterns of written English. (Grades Pre-K–1)
Reading IQ
Gain access to several thousand leveled books, including favorites like Curious George and the nonfiction National Geographic Kids titles. Teacher and classroom access is free. (Grades Pre-K–7)
Read Theory
Read Theory offers online reading activities for all ages and ability levels. The program adapts to students’ individual ability levels and presents them with thousands of skill-building exercises that suit their needs. (Grades K–12)
ReadWorks.org
Get literacy lessons that include comprehension and short passages to analyze. Use them online, via your classroom projector, or print to send work home. (Grades K–12)
Roy: Tale of a Singing Zebra
Kids will enjoy the punctuation, reading, and spelling games on this cute, simple site.
You’ll also find online guided reading stories and lesson plans for teachers. (Grades Pre-K–2)
Scholastic Kids Press
Students will love reading news articles written by other kids just like them! This regularly updated site includes articles on current events, with kid reporters from around the globe. (Grades 4–8)
Spelling City
If you’re looking for reading websites that help kids improve their spelling and vocabulary, this one takes only 10 minutes a day. Not only will they learn words, they’ll remember them long-term! (Grades 1–6)
Storyline Online
Storyline Online features videos of read-alouds by celebrities with creative illustrations. Each book also has a supplemental curriculum for teachers and parents to use. (Grades Pre-K–4)
StoryPlace
Get the experience of going to the library without leaving the house at StoryPlace. Find animated videos of stories, with activities, sing-along songs, and more. (Grades Pre-K–1)
Story Time From Space
What’s better than a read-aloud? A read-aloud done by someone in space! This reading website features real astronauts reading books they love, often with a STEM theme.
(Grades Pre-K–5)
Teaching Kids News
TKN provides readable, teachable news articles for kids. You’ll also find media literacy activities and tips on how to discuss challenging news topics with kids. (Grades 3–8)
Tween Tribune by Smithsonian
The Smithsonian provides quality content on a variety of nonfiction topics, with something to engage every interest. You can change the Lexile reading level on each article to differentiate for student needs too. (Grades K–12)
Vooks
Vooks bills itself as the first streaming service dedicated to animated storybooks. There’s a small free collection of books, plus teachers get classroom access for one device at no cost. Parents can pay a monthly fee for access. (Grades Pre-K–2)
Sometimes it’s worth it to invest in a learning program. These are some of the best ones around, according to teachers and parents.
ABC Mouse
ABC Mouse offers learning that spans the curriculum. Their reading program starts at the very beginning with the alphabet and takes kids through to fluent reading and writing.
(Monthly or annual subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades Pre-K–2)
Adventure Academy
Brought to you by the same folks who created ABC Mouse, Adventure Academy offers reading practice for older kids. They can also work on math, science, and more. (Monthly or annual subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades 3–8)
Amplify Reading
Students take on a series of personalized quests as they learn and practice reading. The characters and story lines keep them coming back for more. (Contact for pricing; Grades K–5)
HOMER
HOMER promises to create a personalized reading program for every child, based on their interests and current skill levels. Membership also includes access to 200+ interactive animated stories, with a whole section dedicated to favorite Sesame Street characters. (Monthly and annual subscriptions after 30-day trial; Grades Pre-K–2)
IXL
IXL’s personalized learning experiences cover a variety of subjects. Their language arts curriculum includes spelling, vocabulary, phonics, and more advanced topics.
(Family, Classroom, and School/District pricing available; Grades K–12)
MagicBlox
This collection of e-books includes titles from around the world in a variety of languages. It’s always growing as publishers and authors upload their new books. (Individual and school subscriptions available; Grades K–8)
PebbleGo
Teach younger students the right way to research with PebbleGo. You can be sure they’re using safe, reliable resources as they learn about subjects like animals, biographies, and more. (Annual subscriptions by school; Grades K–3)
Reading Eggs
Play games, sing songs, and practice reading, vocabulary, phonics, and more. Looking for help for older kids who need additional practice? Check out Reading Eggspress. (Monthly or yearly subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades Pre-K–6)
Starfall
This site teaches children to read with the help of phonetics. Kids sing songs to help them learn and get lots of practice putting it all together.
(Yearly membership fees; Grades Pre-K–3)
TeachingBooks
Help students make deeper connections to books with author interviews, read-aloud videos, activities, and more. (Yearly license fees; Grades K–12)
TumbleBook
This is a cool reading website for schools, offering talking animated picture books that kids will truly love. School accounts provide access to every computer in every classroom. You can also offer home access through your school website. (Annual subscription; Grades K–8)
Vocabulary A-Z
Give kids vocab practice with customizable word lists. Students can play games online, while teachers can get lessons and printables to support the learning. (One-time purchase; Grades K–5)
Whooo’s Reading
Get your students thinking with open-ended quiz questions that provide a strong alternative to multiple-choice questions. Students get feedback as they write, including reminders to cite evidence and answer all parts of the question. (Free basic trial membership, with premium annual subscriptions for teachers and classrooms; Grades Pre-K–12)
What’s on your list of the best reading websites for kids? Share your ideas in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, check out the best reading apps for kids.
10 Best Reading Websites for Kids
Teach your children to read with our huge variety of reading websites, that will give them a headstart in their literary career. It’s never too early to get your kids into reading, whether they are just starting out mastering the alphabet or are older readers growing in confidence, we at Educational App Store have chosen websites to suit all ages and abilities.
While they can learn so much from reading at school, reading along with their parents gives children that little extra boost and can really spark their imaginations. These websites for pre-K and elementary children are backed by a tremendous amount of research into how kids learn to read and how they become fluent readers.
Here is the list of reading websites for kids where you will find games, activities, and videos that will help kids practice reading.
Hoot Reading is a leader in reading education, offering personalized lessons that can be completed on any device, from the comfort of home.
Hoot Reading is an online learning solution providing live, 1:1 reading lessons with experienced classroom teachers for children Pre-K to Grade 8. Hoot Reading is research-based and was incubated at Sesame Workshop (by Sesame Street). Lessons are customized to your child’s unique needs and take place anywhere your child has access to the internet and a computer or tablet.
Hoot Tutor works with students to help them increase their reading confidence. Their personalized program supports kids who are reluctant to read and experiencing difficulties.
Ages: 3-11
Format: 1:1 lessons
Cost: One lesson free
Starfall is a great, free reading website for early readers. From alphabets phonics, and sight words to letter recognition, spelling, and vocabulary specifically designed for kids of different age groups, Starfall covers all necessary concepts to build and strengthen lifelong reading skills.
The reading material includes simple sentences, short stories, poems, plays, fiction, nonfiction, comics, folk tales, Greek myths, and Chinese fables.
The phonics section includes videos to illustrate letter sounds and patterns. Starfall’s emphasis on phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics, and common sight words in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity has proven effective in teaching emergent readers. The website is highly engaging and a favorite of young readers. For more literacy fun, introduce them to some of these Reading Apps for Kids.
Ages: Pre-K to 3rd grade
Format: Read-along library, interactive activities and games
Cost: Free, although some materials require a paid subscription
3. Storyline OnlineStoryline Online is an award-winning children’s story website. Like all good reading websites for children, it is interactive. The free and wonderful read-along website is made possible by the participation of SAG. Well-known actors read aloud popular children’s picture books in their own voice and your children can enjoy them thanks to the free streaming videos.
The goal of each book is to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners. Each book has accompanying lesson plan ideas and activities. Kids can follow along by reading subtitles, and they’ll get some glimpses of the animated artwork throughout the videos. All books are supported by colorful and creative illustrations that will reinforce their learning and keep their attention.
Ages: K to 3rd grade
Format: Read Aloud, Videos narrated by famous actors
Cost: Free
4. Reading RocketsReading Rockets is a national public media literacy initiative offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggles, and how caring adults can help. Access free resources specifically curated for struggling readers, and books organized by topic. Also, the websites and resources support the Common Core Standards for Reading and Writing.
The reference materials may be used to support teaching and learning in several different ways; for example, motivating and engaging children in reading. Also, there are fun activities and materials that may be downloaded for teachers to adapt to meet their specific needs.
Ages: Pre-K to 3rd grade
Format: Interactive activities, games, apps, and podcasts
Cost: Free, although some materials require a paid subscription
Epic is a digital reading platform that provides online books from a variety of different publishers, plus Epic Originals- books created by the Epic team. Teachers can track student progress, monitor the time they’ve spent reading, and find something to interest readers at any level. This site has thousands of amazing books for K-5 including fiction, nonfiction, and so much more.
Epic is free for educators and offers a free trial period for families. The platform boasts a collection of 40,000+ books for kids aged 12 and under.
Ages: Pre-K to 6th grade
Format: Books, Audiobooks, Interactive activities
Cost: Free, although some materials require a paid subscription
6. International Children’s Digital LibraryIf you want your child to read stories from all over the world, the International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) is a great place to find those stories. The ICDL is part of the International Children’s Digital Library Foundation, a nonprofit organization that encourages children all over the globe to read. The free online library has children’s books in 59 languages from numerous countries. Take a look at the website to access free online books for kids that goes beyond the borders of your home. The site is easily accessible and allows users to search for books by age, country, language, length, or genre.
This is a great site for extension activities when learning about different regions of the world and can be used effectively in the middle school grades.
The books can be read anywhere you have access to an Internet connection, in your browser.
Ages: Pre-K to 3rd grade
Format: Interactive books, author interviews, book trivia
Cost: Free
7. Oxford OwlOxford University Press created this site to support children’s learning through books and stories. It is also meant for parents who want a one-stop resource for children’s books online and other reading activities. Each book is prefaced with guidance for teachers and parents, explaining the reading skills emphasized in the story. With these guided lessons, parents can help their kids get the most out of every reading session to increase comprehension skills, develop phonemic awareness, and build their vocabulary.
There are many fiction and non-fiction books to choose from, plus the books are divided up into age groups, so you can select one based on your child’s age.
Ages: Pre-K to 5th grade
Format: E-books, storytelling videos, worksheets
Cost: Free, requires registration
ReadWorks is another great reading site for kids.
It has poems, stories, and passages for every level. You can search for the level you want. Then, you can print each passage. It has comprehension questions as well as answers. This is a must for helping kids increase their comprehension. This site isn’t about pleasure reading. It is a simple way to help your child get materials at their level with comprehension questions.
The site has a large collection of non-fiction reading passages, searchable by grade level and reading skill or strategy. There’s also a large database of lesson plans and units based on the skills and strategies.
Ages: Pre-K to 7th grade
Format: Interactive books, activities, lesson plans, digital classes
Cost: Free
9. PBS Reading GamesPBS has several incredible online reading resources available for kids. PBS Reading Games features more than 70 reading-themed games with characters from PBS shows that help kids through 3rd grade develop strong reading habits.
Between The Lions boasts short videos (less than 6 minutes long) that help encourage literacy and provide phonics and comprehension lessons for kids from preschool to 1st grade. Although WordWorld is a PBS television show aimed at preschoolers, its website also offers printable activities and interactive books to support early reading skills. The website’s reading games include ABC, rhyming, vocabulary, and story games.
Age Range: Pre-K to 3rd grade
Format: Interactive games, read-along library
Cost: Free
10. StorynoryStorynory features a collection of the original, fairy tale, and classic children’s audio stories. Students can follow along with the story as it is read to them, as the text is also included on the site. If your child is a little older, approximately 8 to 12 years old, you can show him this website confidently. There are several entertaining materials for them with a minimum amount of illustrations, unlike the materials for small children.
There is also a section of poems and audio of children’s songs with their respective lyrics.
Ages: K to 5th grade
Format: Audio stories
Cost: Free
ABCya offers reading games for a wide range of grade levels. You can browse by level, and each game is helpfully labeled with the appropriate age range. Lessons are linked to Common Core standards so it’s easy for parents to see where their child is at and what they need to focus on to get where they need to be. All games are free to play, but the site does feature ads.
Ages: Pre-K to 6th grade
Format: Games
Cost: Free, though a subscription plan is available with more features
Prodigy English is a fantasy game that reviews English language and reading comprehension based on first through fifth grade Common Core ELA standards. Kids explore a virtual village where they gather supplies, build things, buy and sell in a virtual marketplace, and sometimes answer multiple-choice language and reading comprehension questions.
Ages: 7+
Format: Games
Cost: Free, though a subscription plan is available with more features
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Best Phonics Websites
Best Websites for Kids
Teaching reading to preschoolers
The section "Teaching reading to preschoolers" introduces children 5-6 years old with letters and allows them to learn how to put them into words. Forming a list of tasks, the specialists of the Razumeikin development site used traditional methods of presenting material. However, some methodological techniques are copyrighted.
Please note that when we learn consonants in online tasks for children 5 years old, we call them without a vowel overtone. For example, not [be], but [b], not [ef], but [f], etc. This approach will allow the baby to facilitate the process of establishing the relationship between sounds and letters. And their names the child will be able to learn, getting acquainted with the alphabet.
In order to make the process of learning letters in the form of a game easy for children of 5 years old, it is advisable to use the maximum number of analyzers. The specialists of the Razumeikin development site tried to take this nuance into account when compiling a list of exercises. When completing online tasks in the “Teaching Preschoolers to Read” section, the child hears the sound corresponding to the letter, sees it in whole and in parts, creates it from wire, lace or plasticine, draws it with a finger. You can design letters from any materials at hand. It can be pebbles, matches, sticks, etc. Such exercises help kids learn letters while playing.
Very useful and effective are games with "rough" letters. They can be cut out of sandpaper or sheet with a velvet surface. At first, you can invite the baby to swipe the letter with his finger. This will help him understand how it is written and remember the direction of the hand movement. Then invite the child to recognize this letter among several others.
In this case, the baby's eyes should be closed.
When creating exercises for preschoolers, our specialists tried to make them not only understandable and fun, but also really useful. Consistently passing online classes from this section, the child learns to read. At first, we learn to read simple and short words in syllables, then gradually the tasks become more difficult. By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to read and, most importantly, understand texts of several sentences.
A few words about the submission of material
In order to make reading for children aged 5 easy and productive, the specialists of the Razumeykin development site have prepared special thematic pictures and voiced text for each task. Some exercises also involve the motor area. All developmental tasks in the block "Reading for children 5-6 years old" can be completed online by preschoolers.
How are results evaluated?
For the correct performance of tasks-games in the section "Teaching preschoolers to read" there is a whole system of rewards.
We are sure that in this way it is possible to increase the interest of preschoolers in learning and form positive motivation.
Toddlers receive a reward by completing tasks in the form of an educational game in the "Reading and letters for children of 6 years" section. For their achievements, they can be awarded medals, cups, pennants and certificates.
Most of the exercises in the section "Reading for children 5-6 years old" are evaluated depending on how the child was able to give the correct answer. If necessary, it is possible to return to any exercise done. By completing the task in the section “Reading for children 6 years old” again, the child will be able to improve the previous result. For this, in turn, he will be awarded a higher award.
Your child may be tested when they start reading. The results obtained will help you understand which tasks you need to dwell on in more detail. In addition, parents will be able to determine which exercises in the section "Reading and letters for children of 6 years" should be performed first.
It is important to take into account that the child needs not just to learn to read, but to learn to understand the meaning of what he read. This is what our online classes are devoted to in the section "Teaching reading and letters for preschoolers."
Teaching Reading - A set of games and tasks to develop reading skills
In the "Teaching Reading" section you will find a lot of interesting educational materials for children of preschool and primary school age. Here are a variety of printable educational materials designed to teach preschoolers to read, as well as to test the child's level of knowledge in the humanities. These tasks are suitable for regular homework with the child, developing his speech and intellectual abilities, as well as fully preparing him for the school curriculum.
Also in this section you will find classes to develop reading skills and verbal-logical thinking. This category contains printable tasks that educators can use as didactic material for working with a group of children.
Teaching reading to preschoolers is always faster and more effective when it sparks a child's interest. So do not neglect the variety of materials presented to make classes with your child more fun and interesting.
Write a word from letters - Reading task
In this section you will find many tasks, in each of which you need to make a word from letters. In some tasks, you need to compose words from given letters, and in some you need to learn the letters yourself (by the first letter of each word-picture). There are also tasks in which you need to make words from mixed letters or find hidden words.
Stories with pictures instead of words for children
Here you can download short stories for children with pictures instead of words for children of preschool and primary school age. When reading the presented stories, you need to insert the right words instead of pictures. This kind of learning to read is very interesting for children who are learning to read.
Russian alphabet in order for preschoolers
Here we will study the Russian alphabet in order, from the letter A to the letter Z. Two letters are given on each worksheet. Each letter corresponds to several pictures. You need to circle only those picture words that begin with a given letter.
Learning the Russian alphabet
In this section you can download materials that will help you learn the Russian alphabet easily and simply. Here are special tasks for teaching the Russian alphabet, and cards with letters for printing, and much more ...
Find a word by spelling in a square
In these colorful tasks for learning to read, the child needs, guided by pictures, to find a word by spelling in a special square, where the letters are arranged in a chaotic order. Each search word corresponds to one picture outside the square. The order of letters in words can be horizontal, vertical and diagonal.
