Free reading tools for children
11 Free Reading Websites for Kids
Free resources are always a teacher’s dream, but when it comes to free sites to use during reading instruction the choices can be few and far between. Whether you are looking for a site to use during the Daily 5’s “Listen to Reading” time or want to provide students with a fun early-finisher activity, the sites below are ideal.
Designed for elementary-age students, these reading sites are both free and kid-friendly. We hope you find this article and the free resources in contains helpful!
As always, it is strongly recommended that teachers view the sites before introducing them to their students to make sure the content is appropriate for the grade/age level.
1. Storyline OnlineDeveloped by The Screen Actors Guild Foundation, Storyline Online features accomplished actors and actresses reading some of their favorite children’s books. Each story comes with a free Activity Guide and can be viewed on YouTube or SchoolTube. Rainbow Fish, Wilfrid Gordon Macdonald Partridge, and To Be a Drum are just a few of the books available.
Founded in 2008, freechildrenstories.com operates on the simple principle that children’s development is paramount. Their mission is to offer traditional, meaningful storytelling to every child, parent, or teacher around the globe with access to the internet, for free.
3. StarfallWhile some areas of Starfall are part of their premium service, they have many early reader stories available for free. Students can follow along as the story is read to them and can, in some instances, help create their own story. The website is highly engaging and a favorite of young readers.
4. Online Storytime by Barnes and NobleFrom The Kissing Hand read by author Audrey Wood to Pinkalicious read by Victoria Kann, Barnes and Noble’s Online Storytime has popular children’s books read out loud.
While there are no supplemental materials to accompany the stories, this free site is perfect for “Listen to Reading” stations.
Note: The first story begins right away when the page opens so be sure that your volume is adjusted accordingly before clicking the link.
5. TumbleBooksTumbleBooks is a pay-for-use site that traditionally sells licenses to libraries and schools. Many public libraries, such as the Tell City, IN Public Library, offer free access to their TumbleBooks account. Students can follow along as the text is read them to help improve comprehension and fluency. Choose from picture books to chapter books. Portland Public Library also has free access to TumbleBookCloud which gives access to Middle and High School level books. If your school decides to purchase a school license, there is also access to the Common Core Portal that includes lessons and quizzes to accompany the books.
6. International Children’s Digital LibraryDiscover books from around the world at the International Children’s Digital Library.
The free site does not read the books aloud, but students can read them independently during Read to Self or free time. This is a great site for extension activities when learning about different regions of the world and can be used effectively into the middle school grades.
Children can listen to short stories read aloud to them as they follow along with the highlighted text. ABCya! has a variety of educational games in addition to the featured stories. Free resources and materials are available for grades K through 5.
8. StorynoryStorynory features a collection of 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. There are also some great features available that give you the option of downloading the audio to your computer, listening to “catch phrase” explanations, translating text into different languages (especially helpful for your ELL students!), and more.
National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students. Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text. It is a great way to bring interesting non-fiction stories into reading center time.
10. Oxford OwlAfter registering for a free account, you have access to over 250 children’s audio books that can be used in the classroom. The book text is not part of the presentation, so students will not be able to follow along as it is read to them.
11. Read to MeSimilar to Storyline Online, Read to Me features popular children’s books being read by famous performers. There are activity guides with hands-on ideas, discussion questions, and lesson plans that can easily be adapted to the Common Core State Standards. Entirely free, the site is colorful and engaging.
Free Download
Post a list of the websites above next to your students’ computers so that they can easily access the pages on their own. Download the complete 11 Free Reading Sites for Kids List.
Be sure to check out 11 Free Math Websites for Kids and 11 Free Science Websites for Kids too!
By Brandi Jordan
Sharing is caring!
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!)
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.
Best Free Reading Apps for Kids
It's no secret that kids love smartphones and tablets because they're fun and easy to use. But they can also be learning tools that inspire children by demonstrating experiences and offering information while teaching reading, language, spelling and comprehension.
As parents try to set limits on their children's screen time by encouraging them to read more books, they may also devote screen time to reading and vocabulary development. This is the idea of mobile reading apps, and they are especially aimed at young children - preschoolers, kindergarteners and other elementary graders. We've rounded up some of the most popular reading apps for kids on iOS, Android, and Kindle phones and tablets. While some apps are designed for specific age groups, others have a wide range covering different learning levels and interests. And they are all free.
Be sure to check out our list of the best tablets for kids, apps for kids and games for kids.
Relay Reader
The Relay Reader provided to you by the Educational Testing Service is one of the few reading tools that engages young readers in a full-length book for the entertainment value of a story, as opposed to reading short passages for practice. The app provides readers with interesting literature and helps them learn as every second page is read aloud by an experienced storyteller, so children hear the words they will have to read when it is his or her turn to read aloud.
Multiple choice questions follow to test understanding. Readers can record themselves to hear and improve their sound.
iOS Android
Spark Reading for Kids
This reading comprehension series is designed for students looking to improve their reading and reading comprehension skills with free original fiction and non-fiction in grades 2 through 8. Users can read and check understanding by asking questions about selected passages. In accordance with CCSS - Common Core State Standards - the lessons are suitable for classrooms or for self-study. You can track and export test results to share your progress. The all-access subscription for $4/month includes hundreds of stories, audio for stories to read aloud, word highlights for reading, and more. Wi-Fi is not required.
iOS
Learn to Read with Tommy Turtle
Lite Learn to Read with Tommy Turtle , an adorable kids game that encourages preschoolers to mix sounds into words, read and pronounce words, identify words and learn word families, completely free and is a great way to start reading and reading comprehension.
Free sections of the app include Magic Letter Bridge, where kids learn to mix letter sounds into words by moving Tommy across the letter bridge. Then there are Skateboards & Helmet, where kids can practice reading by outfitting Tommy's animal friends with skateboards and helmets. Finally, Rotate the Blocks allows kids to form new words by rotating the letter blocks on the sides until a real word comes out of the combination. Additional paid modules are also available, but are not required. All sections of the application are focused on success and positive reinforcement from a pleasant teacher, so children are encouraged to keep reading.
Android
Starfall learn to read
Rat Zak has taught countless children to read, and he can teach yours too. It might be fun, but Zach isn't fooling around. Each section of the app has a vowel and an associated spelling. Children can hear, touch, read and master this sound and spelling through exercises, movies and songs.
The idea is that children will eventually learn the relationship between spoken and written language and, of course, enjoy and understand that reading is fun. This app is especially good for new readers and English learners.
iOS Android Amazon
Word Vision
Word Vision gives kids a fun way to expand their vocabulary with sight, sound and touch organized by cognitive levels including preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade and third grade Class. The interface is so easy to use that even a 9-month-old baby can appreciate the app, although it is aimed at children under six years old. Parents and older siblings can add their voices and items to the app's interface by taking pictures of familiar items or things around the house. This personalizes the app for the child to participate in the game. The app can also dynamically adjust the game to change the number of objects on the page to keep kids interested and entertained.
iOS
ABC Kids - Tracing & Acoustics
ABC Kids is a free phonics and alphabet learning app that brings learning to toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners to life.
His tracing games help children recognize upper and lower case letters and associate them with audio sounds. It uses whatever knowledge of the alphabet the children already have to do letter matching exercises. Preschoolers can simply follow the arrows with their fingers and even collect stickers and toys as rewards for completing tracing games. The interface is geared towards reading and writing alphabets for toddlers, which helps children learn the English alphabet.
Android
Khan Academy Kids
This free, award-winning app provides thousands of activities, books, music and games for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners and first graders. Interchangeable characters guide children through the lessons, personalizing their experience. Khan provides a set of classes in reading and literacy, language, math and thought process and explains subjects and concepts such as phonetics, alphabet, spelling, writing, vocabulary, opposites, prepositions, verbs, counting, numbers, addition, subtraction, shapes, etc.
and concentration, memory, and problem solving. Children can learn independently and at a certain speed.
They can also choose to read a book or listen to audio - and collect bugs, hats and toys while they listen and learn. This app was created by the Stanford Graduate School of Education and complies with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards.
iOS Android Amazon
Word Domino Free
This highly concentrated word game is designed for older children and adults to get involved. The goal is to form words from the presented syllables on the board and within the designated category. It helps children six years of age and older improve and expand their vocabulary and reading skills, as well as direct their attention. Designed for use on smartphones or tablets, the game has three difficulty levels, while the free version has eight levels. This game is available in English, Spanish, French and German.
Android
Editorial note
Nice to meet you! ? I am a designer who also likes to write about different things.
In my spare time, I enjoy watching cartoons, eating snacks, petting cute cats, and tweeting.
Roskachestvo named the safest applications for teaching children to read - RBC
www.adv.rbc.ru
www.adv.rbc.ru
www.adv.rbc.ru
Hide banners
What is your location ?
YesChoose other
Categories
Euro exchange rate as of October 19
EUR CB: 60.53 (-0.03) Investments, 18 Oct, 16:23
Dollar exchange rate on October 19
USD Central Bank: 61.
7 (-0.06) Investments, 18 Oct, 16:23
Special control: how to protect novice drivers from violations Partner project, 06:25
AFK Sistema decided to acquire a stake in the owner of Zarina and Love Republic Business, 06:15
Netflix more than doubled its subscriber count in a quarter Business, 06:10
www.adv.rbc.ru
www.adv.rbc.ru
Borrell apologizes for saying "jungle" around Europe Politics, 06:04
A third of employers announced their readiness to raise salaries for employees Business, 06:03
Authorities reported blackouts in Krivoy Rog and Kryvyi Rih region Politics, 05:48
Co-author of Trump Russia Ties Dossier Found Not Guilty of FBI Lies Politics, 05:30
Explaining what the news means
RBC Evening Newsletter
Subscribe
What is pole sport and how to start doing it professionally Sport, 05:00
The traffic police began to look for a fake technical inspection with cameras and "Web".
Parsing Auto, 05:00
"Vedomosti" learned about the discussion in the government of the liquidation of "Rosnano" Business, 04:57
The President of Madagascar dismissed the Foreign Minister because of the UN vote on Ukraine Politics, 04:07
The White House announced plans to sell 15 million barrels of oil from the reserve Economy, 03:58
The operator of the Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto reported damage to the third reactor Society, 03:46
Titov supported the proposal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the debate between entrepreneurs Business, 03:08
www.
adv.rbc.ru
www.adv.rbc.ru
www.adv.rbc.ru
In Roskachest, they talked about the criteria that you should pay attention to when choosing an application for teaching a child to read, and analyzed such applications for safety
Photo: Carmen Jaspersen / DPA / TASS
Roskachestvo experts studied 16 popular applications for iOS and Android designed to teach children to read, according to a report received by RBC from the agency.
Roskachestvo evaluated applications according to a number of criteria, including:
- the presence of advertising and the ability to disable it,
- instructions for use,
- information about teaching methods,
- imposition of in-app purchases,
- file, microphone, camera access request,
- parental control,
- request for personal data and their encryption during storage and transmission,
- presence of malware.
www.adv.rbc.ru
Roskachestvo experts consider “Reading. Learning to read”, on Android — “Letters: learning to read by syllables for children 5–6 years old”. The highest score (5) in terms of security was received by the application “Bukovki: Learning to Read for Fun!”, followed by “Reading. Learning to read! (4.76 points). The remaining applications received in the region of 4.1–4.2 points.
www.adv.rbc.ru
No malware was found by Roskachestvo in any of the tested applications. In addition, the surveyed applications do not require access to the microphone, gadget camera, contacts, etc., and do not transfer personal data to the Internet (none of the applications collects data in full).
Roskachestvo considered the absence of a link to the privacy policy to the disadvantages of a number of applications. Only in two applications (“Reading. Learning to read!” and “Letters: learning to read fun!”) The parental control function is implemented through the requested code, noted in Roskachestvo
At the same time, only two applications have information about the teaching methodology - “Reading.
