APP Review - Kaylah Cruz

 For this assignment, I have selected the Common Core Standard ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2, which focuses on determining themes or central ideas of a text and analyzing their development, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account. Below are three educational apps that align with this standard and support student learning.

1. CommonLit

Commonlit is a free online reading program. It offers a library of literary and informational texts for grades 3-12. This resource also offers paired texts and questions that target key literary skills and standards such as theme identification and text analysis. This makes Commonlit ideal for addressing the selected Common Core Standard. The cost of this program is... FREE. Commonlit is web-based and accessible on any device with internet. There is also an option for teachers to print copies of stories and questions for those who do not have access. 

Link for review: https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/commonlit

2. Newsela 

Newsela is a one stop shop for current event articles at various reading levels. This makes this tool engaging and provides analysis for student and teacher review. This resource analyzes themes across texts and context and includes quizzes to assess comprehension. Newsela is a free resource with options for premium plans with advanced features and is intended for grades 2-12. Newsela is web-based and is accessible on iOS and android. 

Link for Review:  

https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/newsela#:~:text=Pros%3A%20Sprawling%20library%20of%20high,lot%20sits%20behind%20a%20paywall.

3. ReadTheory

ReadTheory is a personalized reading comprehension program that is tailored to individual student performance. It is adaptive and helps identify themes in complex text while allowing teachers to analyze student data and assign more texts based on each students need. The cost of this program is FREE and is for grades 1-12. This is a web-based platform and can be used on any device that has an internet browser. 

Best App Choice: CommonLit

Among the three apps, I believe CommonLit is the best for teaching the selected standard. Its vast library of texts, thematic focus, and built-in assessment tools make it ideal for teaching students how to identify and analyze themes. Additionally, its free access and compatibility with various devices make it an accessible and flexible resource for all classrooms.