CommonLit
Principal function(s): Autonomous learningIndividual workReadingTeacherWebsite/other users supply
CommonLit is a free digital library that offers over 2000 literary reading passages, such as poems, short stories, or informational texts in English and Spanish. Texts are organised by topics or units and can be filtered. When picking a text, users can visualise different tools, including related media such as videos, pre-reading worksheets and other resources, paired texts according to topics, answer keys, and a parent guide. Students can also use several functionalities, such as the read-aloud option, a translation tool that currently translates texts into 27 languages, or highlighting. On CommonLit, teachers can grade assignments, track students' performance, and provide feedback. CommonLit is fully integrated into Google Classroom. It is free to use and does require signing up for an account to access all its features. CommonLit was created by Michelle Brown.
Evaluation: CommonLit is a valuable and useful reading tool for teachers and students of English and Spanish. It helps teachers find suitable passages for their students, easily organise their reading lessons, test their reading comprehension abilities, and track their progress. CommonLit offers different additional tools that can support classes and facilitate communication between teachers and students. All in all, it is a practical and time-saving tool for educators since it offers pre-made lesson plans and assessments.
Cost: Free with registration for teachers (with an email from an educational institution) and students (without an account but with a class code).
Website: https://www.commonlit.org/
Categories
Content
- Website/other users supply
Usability
Interface 
User-friendliness/complexity of the tool´s interface
Straightforward, intuitive.
Time efficiency Time needed for mastering the „how-to“ of the tool and a production of a task
High; it offers ready-made lesson plans and assignments.
Interface language(s) The number of languages in which the tool is currently available/adaptable to
English, Spanish.
Respect for privacy Does the tool require registration? Who can see my data? Can I remain anonymous?
Medium. CommonLit collects user information of several kinds and cookies for operational purposes, including marketing, of which users can opt out. It then shares some of this data with third parties, mainly for operational purposes. CommonLit does not allow third-party advertising. It permits users to opt out of sharing certain information, among others. User data is processed in the United States, and retained for a maximum of 90 days. CommonLit mentions employing industry standards in terms of security and data, but it does not elaborate much how. In it, it reminds teachers and educators that parental consent is required before asking students to create an account. For users based in the EEA, it complies with the GDPR. See more here.
Saving work for future use Possiblity to save your or others´ work for reuse/reproduction
Yes, with an account.
Tailorability (If so, how?) Possibility of the tool to be used for a range of different activities (e.g. to what extent you can organize a project assignment with a central activity based on this tool)
Yes, according to content type, genre, grade, theme, language.
Technical requirements
Installation required?
No, but having an account is required for educators.
Compatibility/ Operating System
It is a browser tool. All operating systems.
Other technical requirements