Elementary Classrooms

8 Texts Featuring Disabilities and Learning Differences to Build Classroom Empathy and Inclusion

The beginning of the year is a key time to form trusting, meaningful relationships in your classroom community. These texts feature historical figures or characters with disabilities and learning differences,...

10 Texts That Will Line Up Perfectly with the Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Elementary school teachers know the benefits of STEM education for kids. And, in 20 states and the District of Columbia, teachers must align science lessons to Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS)...

7 Stories To Spark a Sense of Adventure

Get your students excited for new adventures with these seven stories! Whether it is going to camp or trying out a new hobby, going on adventures are an important part...

7 Texts About Summer Activities and Hobbies

Get your students excited for a joyful summer with these seven texts! Students (and their teachers) are buzzing with excitement as they look toward a summer filled with sunny days...

8 Texts by Asian American Authors Students Will Love

Engage your students with these thematically rich stories and poems by Asian American authors! We want all of our students to be able to see themselves in stories they read,...

8 Texts to Celebrate Earth

From gigantic mountains, to the depths of the ocean, Earth never ceases to amaze us. Students love learning about our planet! An important part of this education is learning how...

7 Engaging Fables for Elementary Students

These engaging fables for grades 3-5 teach students important life lessons. Fables are a wonderful way to get students excited about reading and help them learn how authors convey important...

8 Great Poems for Elementary Students

These thematically rich poems about animals, nature, and more will be sure to engage your elementary students! Reading poetry is a wonderful way to improve your students’ reading skills. Poems...

10 Fascinating Informational Texts for Elementary

These texts about famous figures, sports, art, and more are sure to engage your students! It can be challenging to find really engaging, exciting informational texts to hook your students...

11 Texts to Celebrate Spring

These texts for grades 3–5 focus on the changes and new life that springtime brings. The days are growing longer and warmer. Birds are chirping, and plant buds are...

9 Inspiring Texts About Women Who Changed The World

These engaging texts about incredible women for grades 3–5 will inspire your students! As teachers, we want to encourage all of our students to dream big. Reading about women...

Bring Humor to Your Class With These Funny Short Stories

These hilarious short stories for grades 3–5 span a variety of genres, but they are all guaranteed to make your students laugh! Humor is so important in our classrooms....

10 Sweet Texts About Love and Friendship for Elementary Students

These texts for grades 3–5 cover a variety of different types of love, from family to friendship. Love is in the air! But love doesn’t just encompass the...

7 Inspiring Texts About Influential Figures in Black History

These meaningful texts about Black heroes are sure to engage your students! Reading about influential figures in Black history is a powerful way to inspire your students. Learning about people...

6 Powerful Poems by Black Authors for Elementary Students

These thematically rich poems by Black authors are sure to engage your elementary students! There is nothing quite like the magic of reading a beautiful poem. Descriptive imagery, figurative language,...

11 Elementary Short Stories for Social-Emotional Learning

These meaningful texts for grades 3–5 teach important life lessons and social-emotional strategies. Reading stories is a meaningful way to engage students in social-emotional learning. Great stories can guide...

12 Engaging Myths and Folktales from around the World

Explore different cultures with these stories from around the world! Reading myths and folktales is a great way to engage young learners. Since these tales were originally told to convey...

Heartwarming Lessons About Holidays and Traditions from Around the World

These texts for grades 3–5 teach students about a variety of celebrations around the world. We know that children love finding reasons to celebrate, whether it’s for a...

Build Rigor and Engagement with Book Pairings for Elementary Novels

Use CommonLit’s Book Pairings to push your students’ thinking. Planning a novel study is a great opportunity to build students’ analysis skills and promote rich discussion. That’s why...

Elementary Lessons About Amazing Animals on CommonLit

These informational texts for grades 3–5 foster students’ curiosity about the animal world! The animal world sparks questions for kids of all ages. Why do giraffes have such long...

Elementary Lessons About Protecting Animals on CommonLit

These informational texts for grades 3–5 teach students how conservationists are working to protect animals around the world. Students love learning about animals, but it can be discouraging when...

11 Ways CommonLit Supports Elementary Learning

Learn how CommonLit’s elementary program can support your teachers and students. CommonLit’s award-winning, research-based [https://blog.commonlit.org/usage-of-commonlit-linked-to-greater-student-gains-c33c05e37126] digital literacy program has hundreds of great lessons for...

Texts for Elementary Students About Overcoming Obstacles

These engaging texts for grades 3–5 teach important lessons about perseverance! A new sibling, a big move, starting at a new school — our students face various challenges, big and...

Engaging Elementary Texts About Growing Up

Help your students learn about the complexities of growing up with these texts from CommonLit! As elementary educators, we know that there is more to a good lesson than just...

Everything an Elementary Teacher Needs to Get Started with CommonLit

Everything an elementary teacher needs to get started with CommonLit: Class creation, selecting a text, using our digital tools, and more! CommonLit’s digital literacy program has high-quality and engaging...