Randy Everett 
The objective for our Week 13 lessons is to teach critical reading and thinking skills using current news about “Mayo Clinic Minute: A healthy approach to holiday meals” (Level 1 lesson) and “Commentary: For dogs’ sake, please stop yelling” (Level 2 lesson). Some of the exercises of this week’s Level 1 lesson include: Vocabulary: … Read more
The objective for our Week 12 lessons is to teach critical reading and thinking skills using current news about “Many Americans likely to attend large holiday gatherings despite COVID-19, survey finds” (Level 1 lesson) and “Mayo Clinic Q And A: Bee sting allergy — here’s what you need to know” (Level 2 lesson). Some … Read more
The goal for our Week 11 lessons is to teach critical reading and thinking skills using current news about “This retiree has made nearly 8,000 masks for community members since April, and she’s still going” (Level 1 lesson) and “Person to Person: Teaching your kids to respect other people” (Level 2 lesson). Some of … Read more
The goal for our Week 10 lessons is to teach critical reading and thinking skills using current news about “Why routine vaccinations for kids are especially important this year” (Level 1 lesson) and “Many older volunteers waiting out COVID-19 and looking forward to serving again” (Level 2 lesson). Some of the exercises of this … Read more
Two things are always in short supply for teachers: their time and their budget. Therefore, XTRA Weekly was created as a time-saving, budget-friendly solution that teaches students critical reading of a newspaper article, engages readers in higher-order thinking, and provides step-by-step directions for the instructor to deliver the lesson plan. An annual subscription includes 32 … Read more
Do you agree that teachers, more than ever, need resources that can be adapted for in-school, after-school, or virtual learning? In addition, do you believe that upper elementary and middle school students benefit from a curriculum that teaches them skills for critical reading, writing, and thinking? At XTRA Weekly, we’ve developed a solution that uses … Read more
In today’s environment with the COVID-19 crisis, teachers and parents need more distance learning tools for teaching upper elementary and middle school students about critical reading, writing, and thinking. You’re about to discover a versatile solution called XTRA Weekly that can be used in the classroom, in after-school programs, or with distance learning. The successful … Read more
Envision a solution that teaches students critical reading of a newspaper article, engages readers in higher-order thinking, and provides step-by-step directions for the instructor to deliver the lesson plan. Now, imagine that it’s budget-friendly and has 32 weekly lessons for the entire school year. You’re not dreaming, the solution is available and it’s called XTRA … Read more
Upper elementary and middle school students—now more than ever—need to develop strong critical reading skills and understand current events in this age of distance learning, fake news, and misinformation. But, educators find it challenging and time consuming to review newspaper articles then create a lesson plan with exercises that are interactive and challenging for students. … Read more
Need a FREE resource to help with teaching critical reading, writing, and thinking in the age of COVID-19? Developing an interactive, nonfiction literacy curriculum for students is difficult—but it just became easier. Introducing… XTRA Weekly! Discover our web-based educational curriculum that uses newspaper articles to engage students in high-interest, current events stories. Best of all, … Read more