Once you are logged into Clever, locate the Newsela app on your Clever dashboard and select it to open Newsela. You will be signed in automatically and taken to your Newsela student experience.
Navigating the Newsela Platform
Newsela’s student experience is designed to support keyboard and screen-reader navigation. Students using a keyboard can use Tab and Shift + Tab to move between interactive elements and Enter or Spacebar to activate the selected link, button, or control.
A Skip to Content link is available at the beginning of Newsela pages, allowing keyboard users to move directly to the primary page content.
Find and Open an Assignment
From the Newsela student experience, select Assignments in the main navigation.
Locate the assignment you would like to complete. Newer assignments appear toward the top of the page, and assignments that have not yet been viewed are identified as New.
Select the assignment title to open it.
Read Assigned Content
After opening an assignment:
Navigate to the assigned article or content item.
Read or navigate through the content using your preferred input method or assistive technology.
When available, select Read Aloud to have the article text read aloud.
If your teacher has not locked the reading level, use the Level control above the article title to review the available reading levels and select the appropriate level.
Complete Activities
Activities available for an assignment may vary. Depending on the content your teacher assigned, students may be asked to complete activities such as:
Quiz questions
Write responses
Annotations
Checks for Understanding
Vocabulary or Power Words activities
Navigate to the activity associated with the assignment, follow the instructions provided, and select the appropriate submission control when your work is complete.
View Progress and Activity Reports
Click into the My Progress tab to view activity scores, progress on reading performance, and to revise Write responses (if returned by teachers for revision):
Select My Progress
Filter the data by class and by date range
Refer to the Overview section for high level metrics
Refer to the My Activity section for more granular performance on reading skills and activities
Click on a quiz score to review the responses
Click on a Write response score to both view the work and revise it (if requested)
Note: Students do not get a notification when Write responses are returned for revision, you will need to check your Progress tab for revised responses requests.
Search for Content
When independent exploration is available:
Navigate to the Search field.
Enter a topic or keyword.
Press Enter or select one of the suggested search options.
Use Filters and Sorting options to navigate through the search results.
Select the title of a content item to open it.
View Account and Class Information
Navigate to your initials at the top of the Newsela page.
Select your initials to open your account information.
Click into Settings to review your account and class information.
Students whose accounts and classes are managed through a district rostering system such as Clever should follow their school or district’s instructions regarding changes to account or enrollment information.
Accessibility Support
Newsela supports keyboard navigation throughout the student experience, including the student homepage, assignments, activities, reading-level controls, Binder, Word Wall, and primary navigation.
Interactive elements display a visible focus indicator when they receive keyboard focus. Newsela also supports commonly used screen readers, including VoiceOver, NVDA, JAWS, ChromeVox, and TalkBack.
For additional accessibility information or to report an accessibility concern, users may contact accessibility.feedback@newsela.com.
Accessing the Newsela Writing Platform
To access the Newsela Writing platform:
Log into your Newsela account on app.newsela.com
Click the waffle at the top left corner of your screen
Select Newsela Writing
Locate the assignment on your main Newsela Writing page
Alternatively, students can also access Newsela Writing assignments by clicking on an assignment link shared by their teachers. Upon clicking the assignment link students will be asked to log in to Newsela first. If they’re already logged in to their Newsela account, they’ll get redirected straight to the specific assignment within Newsela Writing.
Completing Newsela Writing Assignments
Students can begin Newsela Writing assignments as soon as they’re logged in. Where enabled, they could begin receiving feedback as well.
Click on the assignment’s tile.
Review the prompt and accompanying text (if applicable).
Start typing into the response field.
Use the editor at the top of the page to style your response.
As you write, click the Review work tag at the far right of your screen to review your progress on the Rubric Meters (you can continue writing and editing your work from this view as well).
Use the Version History tab to retrieve previous versions of your work, if needed.
When you’re satisfied with your product, click Submit assignment to send it to your teacher for review. Once submitted, an assignment can not be edited unless returned for revision by the teacher.
