Promoting Critical Thinking Skills for Diverse Learners with NewsELA

Upper Blue Elementary

Breckenridge, CO

Amount Requested: $1700

Donation Amount: $170

NewsELA's promotes critical thinking skills in social studies and science with real-world news articles; this builds global perspectives for students while growing their reading and writing skills.

The Nathan Yip Foundation grant presents an opportunity to enrich learning for rural K-5th grade students by providing access to NewsELA; this engaging online platform uses current events to create news articles tailored for each student's reading levels aligned with state standards. The NewsELA platform promotes critical thinking skills in social studies and science, with Spanish translations available for every article. Interactive features include: vocabulary tools, comprehension quizzes, and AI writing prompts that captures student's curiosity, develops literacy skills, and supports building global perspectives, which empowers students to be global thinkers and dreamers of the future.

Intended outcomes include:

- Improved literacy skills, with a goal of 60% of K-5th students increasing reading comprehension scores by at least one grade level measured by STAR.

- Expanded content knowledge in social studies and science, with a goal of 70% of students demonstrating growth in these subjects measured by formative and summative assessments throughout the school year.

- Increased engagement and motivation to read, with an emphasis on multilingual students from diverse backgrounds in our rural community.

Most importantly, by implementing NewsELA it will equip our rural students with the critical thinking skills needed to analyze real-world issues and develop informed global perspectives throughout their formative years in elementary.