Mobile Computing

News-O-Matic Adds Lexile Scores for Differentiated Nonfiction Reading

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 03/18/15

News-O-Matic, billed as a daily newspaper just for kids, has partnered with MetaMetrics to add Lexile scores to its resources in an effort to help teachers provide grade-appropriate nonfiction text and differentiated instruction.

News-O-Matic features five daily stories, each reviewed by an on-staff psychologist to ensure safety, covering national and international news, sports, arts, science and more. The app is designed to encourage students to engage with the stories through drawings, writing, voting for their favorite articles and asking interview questions of politicians, athletes and others.

Most News-O-Matic stories receive Lexile measures between 400L and 1,000L and "teachers can easily adjust the students' reading levels so they can all enjoy the same rich multimedia experience but tailored to their unique abilities," according to a news release.

Other features of News-O-Matic include:

• Interactive maps;
• Audio playback;
• Definition and pronunciation support;
• News-related games; and
• Spanish translations with audio.

"News-O-Matic transforms how students are learning about current events," stated Malbert Smith, president and cofounder of MetaMetrics, in a prepared statement. "We are delighted that Lexile measures will be one of the features that help deliver daily, curated content. Lexile measures will help ensure that students are engaged in the materials."

News-O-Matic is available in school and home editions for Kindle Fire and Android and iOS devices. More information is available at press4kids.com.