Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you need further help, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@readworks.org. Happy teaching!
TOPICS
General Information [back to top]
Q: What is ReadWorks?
A: ReadWorks is a leading national non-profit organization that provides a FREE, research-based, and Common Core-aligned reading comprehension curriculum for grades K-6. The ReadWorks curriculum is based on the most highly regarded, proven research on reading instruction. Our dynamic curriculum specifically addresses the deficiency in reading comprehension instruction by providing clear and explicit guidance for teachers so that they can effectively develop and hone the reading comprehension skills of their students.
John Merrow, the Education Correspondent for PBSNewshour, said it best: “ReadWorks serves a need. We have a reading crisis in this country, and some of that stems from the harsh truth that many elementary school teachers aren't well equipped to teach reading. Rather than curse that darkness, ReadWorks offers help -- tons of it. I urge you to share this website with every teacher you know. It's free.”
Q: Is ReadWorks really free?
A: Yes! In support of our non-profit mission, ReadWorks is FREE, to be shared broadly and freely.
Q: What can I do to help ReadWorks create more research-based, teacher-tested curriculum and non-fiction passages?
A: Share our site with your colleagues, principals and friends. Our free, open-access curriculum is meant to be shared with educators across the country.
You can also make a financial contribution to ReadWorks. Any amount is valued. Click here to to donate.
Q: How can I register for my FREE, unlimited ReadWorks account?
A: Creating a FREE ReadWorks account is easy. Just click the “Sign In” link on the top-right corner of any ReadWorks page and then click “Register” to set up your free ReadWorks account. You can also go straight to our registration page.
Standards Alignment [back to top]
Q: Is ReadWorks aligned to the Common Core and ALL state standards.
A: Yes. ReadWorks is also aligned to top core reading programs. Each lesson page lists the standards that a specific lesson aligns to under the “Standards Alignment” tab. You can also edit your profile page to automatically show the standards alignment for your state and grade. Further instruction can be found by clicking here.
Q: Can I use ReadWorks with my core reading program?
A: Yes. ReadWorks complements and supplements core reading programs, which tend to be very weak when it comes to teaching research-based reading comprehension. We’ve also aligned ReadWorks to a number of the leading core reading programs. More information can be found here.
Curriculum [back to top]
Q: In what sequence should I teach the ReadWorks lessons?
A: There is no definitive order. It depends somewhat on your grade and on the rest of your ELA program. But if you are starting to teach fictional text, then setting, character, and plot are fundamental, with theme being important as it focuses on comprehending the full text, not solely focusing on a single skill. And vocabulary in context is great for all text. For non-fictional text, cause and effect, compare and contrast, sequence and main idea are good skills to start with.
Q: Where can I find a list of all the accompanying books used in the ReadWorks lessons?
A: The most concise list of all the books, by grade, featured in ReadWorks lessons can be found here.
Q: I’d like greater guidance on how to differentiate the lessons provided by ReadWorks so that they can best meet the needs of my students and effectively complement the core reading program or standard-aligned curriculum I am using. Where can I find this information?
A: You can find extensive guidance on how to make ReadWorks fit your educational needs here.
Q: How should I incorporate the non-fiction passages ReadWorks offers?
A: ReadWorks provides nearly 1,000 non-fiction passages for grades K-6. All of these passages are built as a stand-alone curricular piece by a research-based model that reinforces essential skills and strategies, establishes scaffolding for vocabulary learning, and maximizes implementation flexibility as both a read-aloud exercise and an individual practice tool. You can search for these passages by using our grade, skill/strategy, and keyword filters here.
A portion of these passages reinforce a specific reading comprehension skill while the rest target multiple skills. The ReadWorks passages can also be used to support textual analysis, or a nine-step process for thinking through and understanding a text. For further explanation and guidance, please check out this tutorial page.
Q: Some question sets have abbreviations next to the answers. What do they mean?
A: Each abbreviation represents a reading comprehension skill that a particular question is targeting. The list of all of the skills and their corresponding abbreviations can be found by clicking here.
Q: Do you have content for grades above the sixth?
A: Our main focus continues to be expanding our reading comprehension curriculum for grades K-6. However, we do have seventh grade non-fiction passage and question sets that we recently added which you can find by clicking here. In addition to that, many of our higher level content can be quite flexible in terms of usage for grades above sixth depending on the needs of students.
We're currently in the process of creating new lesson plans which will become available in the next few weeks as well as adding to our collection of nearly 1,000 non-fiction passages - all free and open-source. Thus, there is quite a bit of material for higher-level educators to work with, particularly 6th grade material.
Account Password [back to top]
Q: How can I reset my ReadWorks password?
A: You can reset your password by clicking the “Forgot your password?” link at the bottom of the Sign In page. You can also go straight to the Password Recovery Page.
Just submit your username or email address, and you will receive an email that will let you access your account and reset your password.
If you do not receive the email within two minutes, please check your spam folder, and be sure to add info@readworks.org as a contact.
Technical Issues [back to top]
Q: I am having trouble logging into my ReadWorks account. What is the issue?
A: This can vary. Your password may be correct but you have entered an incorrect username that differs from the one you originally created when you first registered. You may have also just entered the wrong password, which you can reset by clicking here. If you are unsure, feel free to contact us at info@readworks.org so that we can help determine the issue.
Q: I having trouble printing materials on the site. What is the issue?
A: The most common cause of user difficulty accessing our materials is that Javascript is not enabled on the internet browser. Javascript allows your browser to easily interact with web pages, including those on our site. You can find the directions on how to enable Javascript on your internet browser by clicking here.
Q: I have signed in but am unable to access the materials. What is the problem?
A: The most common problem is that there may be a firewall or another kind of anti-virus/security software installed on the computer you are using. Please be sure to white-list www.readworks.org in your anti-virus software settings. If you still have trouble, try using a different internet browser.
