40+ Best Reading Websites for Home and Classroom Learning

Fluent reading may be the most important skill anyone can master. Just a few minutes a day helps build the reading fluency that provides lifelong benefits. Reading websites for kids are one way to support their reading journey.

How can reading websites help kids, parents, and teachers?

While reading books together is always an important activity, emergent readers also need other types of practice. They benefit from activities that focus more specifically on phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and other key parts of reading fluency. To learn more about these elements, explore the science of reading here.

Many reading websites offer games, exercises, and other activities that give kids a chance to develop these important reading skills. Studies show it only takes 15 minutes of practice each day to build reading fluency. When kids play interactive reading games online, or complete short lessons with follow-up activities, they get those 15 important minutes in an easy, effective way.

How To Use Reading Websites

Teachers can use reading websites as part of their lesson plans or as individual classroom activities. They can be a fun option for fast finishers or a good way to provide extra support for kids who need more practice on a certain skill. Many of the reading websites on our list provide free access for teachers who use the site in their classroom, making them a valuable resource for your toolkit.

At home, parents and families will also find a lot of value in reading websites. To make the most of them, it can be helpful to understand your child’s current reading level first. Ask your child’s teacher to share this information, and then learn more about how reading levels work here. It’s also a good idea to ask your child’s teacher if there are any areas they could use extra help with, and then look for games or activities to support those skills.

The goal of most reading websites is to make reading fun and exciting for students. Take advantage of that to make screen time more meaningful. Look for sites that your student actively enjoys using, and you’ll find those 15 minutes of daily reading practice just fly by!

There are options for all ages, helping students learn to read, discover new books, track and share progress, and more. There’s a big selection of free options, but there are some excellent paid sites that schools and parents may want to check out too.

• Best Free Reading Websites for Kids
• Best Paid Reading Websites for Kids 

These free reading websites give kids practice that won’t break the bank. Get free e-books, games, activities, and more!

ABCya

This site hooks kids through fun games that meet learning standards. In addition to reading, students can brush up on math, science, social studies, arts, and music. A free account gives you basic access with ads. Paid Premium Family and Classroom plans are also available. (Grades Pre-K–6)

Between the Lions

Watch videos from the popular PBS series, including read-along folktales and fables, clever song videos of letter sounds, and more. (Grades Pre-K–1)

Biblionasium

Think of this like Goodreads for kids. It’s a safe place for reviewing and sharing books, making reading a social adventure. (Grades K–8)

Bookopolis

This is another site that bills itself as “Goodreads for kids,” and it offers similar features. Read kid-friendly reviews, post your own, find recommendations, track reading goals, and more. (Grades K–8)

Bookshare

This fantastic digital library service helps people with print-related disabilities read independently. (Grades Pre-K–12)

CommonLit

This library includes thousands of high-interest, standards-aligned reading passages and lessons. You can search for texts by book, genre, grade level, literary device, and theme. (Grades 3–12)

Dogo News

The kid-friendly news articles on DOGONews make it easy to assign reading. Each article has reading/interest-level guidelines, and you can access the site in English or Spanish. It’s free to assign articles for reading. Paid plans provide discussion questions and quizzes too. (Grades 1–12)

Epic

If you’re looking for reading websites with digital books, this site has thousands of them, along with audiobooks and videos. You’ll find endless popular titles from your favorite publishers. Teachers can track student progress as they read too. Epic is free for teachers and classrooms, with paid plans available for parents. (Grades Pre-K–8)

Fact Monster: All About Books

Kids who love books will want to check out this site. They’ll find fascinating facts about many of their favorite reads. (Grades 1–8)

Free Rice

Test your vocabulary while earning rice for those in need! Each time you play, you’re helping the United Nations World Food Programme provide food to those around the world who need it. (Grades 2–12)

Funbrain

In addition to learning games and videos, Funbrain has a selection of free books to read online. You’ll find favorites like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Judy Moody. (Grades Pre-K–8)

International Children’s Digital Library

A no-frills site from the University of Maryland, ICDL has more than 4,000 free e-books kids can read online. There are a variety of books in languages other than English too. (Grades K–8)

Into the Book

Into the Book is a reading comprehension site that focuses on reading strategies teachers work on every day. Kids get practice using prior knowledge, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, evaluating, and synthesizing. (Grades K–6)

Khan Academy

This is one of the most well-known free learning sites around, and their reading and language arts courses are top-notch. There’s nothing flashy, but kids will get good practice with accompanying lessons and quizzes. (Grades 2–9)

Khan Academy Kids

This reading app and site is designed especially for kids just learning to read. There are supplemental materials for parents and teachers too. (Grades Pre-K–2)

Nat Geo Education

This amazing compilation of nonfiction has all the quality of National Geographic magazine, leveled and accessible for young readers. (Grades K–5)

Oxford Owl

Created by Oxford University Press, this U.K. site has plenty to offer for any kid learning to read. There are free e-books and games, plus tips for parents and teachers. (Grades Pre-K–2)

Reading Bear

Reading Bear teaches beginning readers vocabulary and concepts while systematically introducing all the main phonetic patterns of written English. (Grades Pre-K–1)

Reading IQ

Gain access to several thousand leveled books, including favorites like Curious George and the nonfiction National Geographic Kids titles. Teacher and classroom access is free. (Grades Pre-K–7)

Read Theory

Read Theory offers online reading activities for all ages and ability levels. The program adapts to students’ individual ability levels and presents them with thousands of skill-building exercises that suit their needs. (Grades K–12)

ReadWorks.org

Get literacy lessons that include comprehension and short passages to analyze. Use them online, via your classroom projector, or print to send work home. (Grades K–12)

Roy: Tale of a Singing Zebra

Kids will enjoy the punctuation, reading, and spelling games on this cute, simple site. You’ll also find online guided reading stories and lesson plans for teachers. (Grades Pre-K–2)

Scholastic Kids Press

Students will love reading news articles written by other kids just like them! This regularly updated site includes articles on current events, with kid reporters from around the globe. (Grades 4–8)

Storyline Online

Storyline Online features videos of read-alouds by celebrities with creative illustrations. Each book also has a supplemental curriculum for teachers and parents to use. (Grades Pre-K–4)

StoryPlace

Get the experience of going to the library without leaving the house at StoryPlace. Find animated videos of stories, with activities, sing-along songs, and more. (Grades Pre-K–1)

Story Time From Space

What’s better than a read-aloud? A read-aloud done by someone in space! This reading website features real astronauts reading books they love, often with a STEM theme. (Grades Pre-K–5)

Teaching Kids News

TKN provides readable, teachable news articles for kids. You’ll also find media literacy activities and tips on how to discuss challenging news topics with kids. (Grades 3–8)

Vooks

Vooks bills itself as the first streaming service dedicated to animated storybooks. There’s a small free collection of books, plus teachers get classroom access for one device at no cost. Parents can pay a monthly fee for access. (Grades Pre-K–2)
  

Sometimes it’s worth it to invest in a learning program. These are some of the best ones around, according to teachers and parents.

ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse offers learning that spans the curriculum. Their reading program starts at the very beginning with the alphabet and takes kids through to fluent reading and writing. (Monthly or annual subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades Pre-K–2)

Adventure Academy

Brought to you by the same folks who created ABC Mouse, Adventure Academy offers reading practice for older kids. They can also work on math, science, and more. (Monthly or annual subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades 3–8)

Boost Reading

Students take on a series of personalized quests as they learn and practice reading. The characters and story lines keep them coming back for more. (Contact them for pricing; Grades K–5)

HOMER

HOMER promises to create a personalized reading program for every child, based on their interests and current skill levels. Membership also includes access to 200+ interactive animated stories, with a whole section dedicated to favorite Sesame Street characters. (Monthly and annual subscriptions after 30-day trial; Grades Pre-K–2)

IXL

IXL’s personalized learning experiences cover a variety of subjects. Their language arts curriculum includes spelling, vocabulary, phonics, and more advanced topics. (Family, Classroom, and School/District pricing available; Grades K–12)

Lalilo

Kids learning to read can benefit from Lalilo’s phonics and reading comprehension activities. The adaptive exercises provide an individualized experience for each student. (Free 60-day trial, contact for pricing; Grades Pre-K–2)

MagicBlox

This collection of e-books includes titles from around the world in a variety of languages. It’s always growing as publishers and authors upload their new books. (Individual and school subscriptions available; Grades K–8)

PebbleGo

Teach younger students the right way to research with PebbleGo. You can be sure they’re using safe, reliable resources as they learn about subjects like animals, biographies, and more. (Annual subscriptions by school; Grades K–3)

Raz-Kids

This site provides leveled books with interactive quizzes and other activities to reinforce reading comprehension. It includes books in English, French, and Spanish. (Annual subscription; Grades K–5)

Reading Eggs

Play games, sing songs, and practice reading, vocabulary, phonics, and more. Looking for help for older kids who need additional practice? Check out Reading Eggspress. (Monthly or yearly subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades Pre-K–6)

Starfall

This site teaches children to read with the help of phonetics. Kids sing songs to help them learn and get lots of practice putting it all together. (Yearly membership fee; Grades Pre-K–3)

TeachingBooks

Help students make deeper connections to books with author interviews, read-aloud videos, activities, and more. (Yearly license fees; Grades K–12)

TumbleBook

This is a cool reading website for schools, offering talking animated picture books that kids will truly love. School accounts provide access to every computer in every classroom. You can also offer home access through your school website. (Annual subscription; Grades K–8)

Vocabulary A-Z

Give kids vocab practice with customizable word lists. Students can play games online, while teachers can get lessons and printables to support the learning. (One-time purchase; Grades K–5)

Whooo’s Reading

Get your students thinking with open-ended quiz questions that provide a strong alternative to multiple-choice questions. Students get feedback as they write, including reminders to cite evidence and answer all parts of the question. (Free basic trial membership, with premium annual subscriptions for teachers and classrooms; Grades Pre-K–12)

What’s on your list of the best reading websites for kids? Share your ideas in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out the best reading apps for kids.