Newsela Science
Product by Newsela
The Bottom Line
Partially. Newsela Science effectively builds background knowledge by offering current science articles at multiple reading levels, integrating literacy with STEM. However, because it relies heavily on reading comprehension rather than direct instruction or interactive simulations, it supports classroom learning but cannot replace hands-on science education or standalone mastery-based practice.
Pros
- Adjusts article Lexile levels dynamically to match your child's reading proficiency.
- Connects abstract scientific concepts to real-world current events and career technical education.
- Includes embedded quizzes that provide immediate retrieval practice after reading.
- Integrates seamlessly with existing school curriculum for blended learning environments.
Cons
- Lacks interactive simulations or hands-on virtual labs to demonstrate scientific phenomena.
- Relying heavily on text means struggling readers may spend more cognitive load on decoding than learning science.
- Does not provide automated feedback on written short-response questions.
- Pricing and access are designed for school districts rather than individual parent subscriptions.
What Do We Know About Newsela Science?
Newsela Science is an effective supplemental tool for building scientific background knowledge through reading, but it is not a standalone science curriculum. The platform takes real-world science news and rewrites the text at multiple reading levels, ensuring that a third grader and a twelfth grader can read about the same scientific discovery at their respective reading capacities. This approach relies on the learning science principle that background knowledge is a primary driver of reading comprehension. When your child reads an article, they will encounter embedded quizzes and writing prompts designed to test recall and synthesize information. However, parents should know that this is primarily a literacy tool applied to science content. It does not teach the scientific method through interactive virtual labs, nor does it provide mastery-based progression through a standard science curriculum like physics or chemistry. It works best when your child's teacher assigns articles to complement hands-on classroom experiments or primary textbook instruction. Because pricing is geared toward district-wide adoption, individual parent access is highly limited unless provided directly through your child's school.
How Does Newsela Science Work?
Newsela Science uses a differentiated literacy approach to teach scientific concepts through leveled informational texts. The core mechanic involves taking authentic, real-world science journalism and adapting each article into five different reading levels. When your child logs in, the platform assesses their current reading ability and automatically serves the science article at the appropriate Lexile measure. As they read, students engage in retrieval practice through multiple-choice quizzes and short-answer writing prompts attached to each text. These assessments measure comprehension and allow the algorithm to adjust the reading level of future articles up or down based on performance. The content spans applied science, career and technical education, and general science standards for grades three through twelve. Teachers can assign specific article sets to align with their current classroom units, creating a blended learning environment where current events reinforce traditional science instruction.
Strengths and tradeoffs of Newsela Science
The biggest strength of Newsela Science is its ability to decouple scientific concepts from reading barriers via dynamic Lexile leveling, while its biggest weakness is the complete absence of interactive, simulation-based scientific practice. Building Background Knowledge: The platform excels at connecting theoretical science standards to real-world applications, which cognitive science shows is highly effective for building the background knowledge necessary for deep learning. Retrieval Practice: The embedded multiple-choice quizzes force students to recall information immediately after reading, a proven strategy for moving information into long-term memory. Lack of Experiential Learning: Science education requires observing phenomena, testing hypotheses, and manipulating variables. Because Newsela Science is purely text-based, it misses the experiential component of learning science. Cognitive Load for Struggling Readers: While the text leveling helps, students who struggle significantly with reading may still expend too much working memory on decoding words rather than understanding the underlying scientific principles. Feedback Limitations: The platform provides immediate scoring on multiple-choice questions, but short-answer writing prompts require manual grading from a teacher, delaying the feedback loop necessary for correcting misconceptions.
Who Might Benefit From Newsela Science?
Best for students in grades 3 through 12 who need to build scientific background knowledge and vocabulary alongside their traditional classroom instruction. It is an excellent resource for blended learning environments where teachers want to connect abstract textbook concepts to real-world STEM careers and current events. Because the platform dynamically adjusts reading levels, it is highly beneficial for mixed-ability classrooms where students read at different proficiencies but need to participate in the same scientific discussions. It is not suitable for families seeking a primary science curriculum or interactive virtual lab experiences.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
Newsela Science does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not describe restrictions on sharing children's data.
17 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated July 2026
View privacy policy →View all 35 checks
Parent Access7/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“...refers to all users of the Services, including teachers, parents and administrators...”
Can parents view their child's data?
“...or the student’s parent or legal guardian, you must contact your School to submit a request to access...”
Can parents modify their child's data?
“...you must contact your School to submit a request to access, modify or delete your Personal Information.”
Can parents delete their child's account?
“...you must contact your School to submit a request to access, modify or delete your Personal Information.”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“...please see our “Privacy Disclosures for Children and Students.””
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
“...as well as by applicable student privacy laws such as FERPA, COPPA...”
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“...as well as by applicable student privacy laws such as FERPA, COPPA...”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
“Direct parental consent is not explicitly described; relies on Schools/Integration partners.”
Data Portability2/5
Can users access their personal data?
“Right to Know and Access: You have the right to confirm whether we are processing your personal data...”
Can users download/export their data?
“...transfer data we have collected to another organization or directly to you under certain circumstances.”
Is there a self-service data access tool?
“Users must request access by completing a form or emailing privacy@newsela.com; no self-service tool.”
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
“No specific data format (e.g., CSV, JSON) is mentioned for export.”
Is there an API for data access?
“API access is mentioned for integrations, but not for users to access their own data.”
Data Minimization1/6
Is data collection itemized?
“Personal Information we collect... Full Name and Contact information... State... Demographic data...”
Can the app be used without a real name?
“The policy states it collects 'Full Name' and does not mention if a real name is not needed.”
Can the app be used without an email?
“The policy states it collects an email address and does not mention if the app can be used without one.”
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“A general statement limiting collection to only what is necessary is not explicitly found.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
“IP addresses are collected, but the policy does not state they are anonymized or truncated.”
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
“The policy mentions collecting 'approximate location' but does not explicitly exclude location tracking.”
Third-Party Protection5/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“Please Note: We do not sell Student Data.”
Are third-party providers named?
“Mentions specific third parties like Google, Microsoft, Clever, Adobe, and Facebook.”
Are providers contractually restricted?
“The AI vendors only use your information in accordance with directions from Newsela.”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“The policy allows opting out of behavioral advertising but does not commit to completely avoiding it.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
“Third-Party AI Services: Newsela uses third-party AI platforms to power the AI Tools...”
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“Child-specific sharing restrictions are not explicitly described in this main policy text.”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“You can opt-out of certain behavioral advertising activities by doing one or more of the following.”
Deletion & Retention1/5
Can users delete their account?
“Right to Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data...”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
“Requires filling out a Privacy Rights Request Webform or emailing them; no self-service deletion.”
Specific data retention timeline?
“Retains data 'for as long as your account is active... or for as long as is reasonably necessary'.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
“There is no mention of auto-deleting inactive accounts.”
Post-deletion handling described?
“Post-deletion handling procedures are not described.”
Advertising1/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
“Discusses behavioral advertising, Advertising Service Providers, and tailoring ads to viewing habits.”
Free from third-party advertisements?
“States users may 'continue to see ads on and about the Services' via Advertising Service Providers.”
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“Children being excluded from ad targeting is not explicitly stated in the provided text.”
Ad-free option available?
“An ad-free option or subscription is not mentioned in the policy.”
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Newsela Science's privacy policy using the Common Sense Privacy Program framework. Results describe the policy disclosures we assessed; unknown checks are excluded from scores. Privacy policies can change. This review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how Newsela Science works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions About Newsela Science
Is Newsela Science free?
No, Newsela Science is not free. Pricing varies based on the number of students and schools served, and it is primarily sold as a subscription to school districts rather than individual families.
Is Newsela Science good for elementary students?
Yes, it is effective for students starting in third grade. The platform adapts complex science articles down to lower reading levels, making it accessible for upper elementary students building foundational science vocabulary.
What does Newsela Science teach?
Newsela Science teaches general science concepts, applied science, and career and technical education by exposing students to current events and informational texts related to STEM fields.
Is Newsela Science safe for kids?
Yes. The platform provides a secure, moderated environment with age-appropriate, professionally vetted journalism. It is designed for school environments and complies with standard student data privacy regulations.
How does Newsela Science compare to Khan Academy Science?
Khan Academy provides direct instruction through video and mastery-based practice sets for core science subjects. Newsela Science focuses strictly on literacy, using current events and leveled reading articles to build scientific background knowledge.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Newsela Science?
Not yet. Newsela Science is currently pending evaluation. Once rated, we will update this profile based on our official review methodology.
Is Newsela Science COPPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references COPPA. A policy reference alone does not establish COPPA compliance. Policy review note: ...as well as by applicable student privacy laws such as FERPA, COPPA...
Is Newsela Science FERPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references FERPA. A policy reference alone does not establish FERPA compliance. Policy review note: ...as well as by applicable student privacy laws such as FERPA, COPPA...
Does Newsela Science have a children's privacy policy?
The reviewed policy includes a dedicated children's privacy section. Policy review note: ...please see our “Privacy Disclosures for Children and Students.”
Does Newsela Science sell student data?
The reviewed policy states that the app does not sell data. This is a policy statement; actual data practices were not verified. Policy review note: Please Note: We do not sell Student Data.
Can you delete your data from Newsela Science?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: Right to Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data...
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- Pricing
- Pricing varies depending on number of students and schools served. Discounts available for bundling with other Newsela subject products.
- Platforms
- Web Browser, iOS (Apple mobile), iPadOS (Apple tablet), Android (Google mobile), Tizen (Samsung mobile), Windows (Microsoft), macOS (Apple), Chrome OS (Google)
- Grade Levels
- 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
- Website
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