We’re introducing a brand new Breaking News experience in News2you, designed to give educators more precise ways to support diverse readers - without adding extra work.
This automatic update will be available to all News2you customers from January 26, 2026.
What’s new
Breaking News articles in News2you now offer five differentiated text levels instead of two, giving educators a broader and more precise range of reading options. Each level can be viewed with or without symbols, and new review activities are available at multiple levels to support comprehension in different ways.
What’s new in Breaking News
Breaking News articles in News2you now offer five differentiated text levels instead of two, giving educators a broader and more precise range of reading options. Each level can be viewed with or without symbols, and new review activities are available at multiple levels to support comprehension in different ways.
Text levels
Flesch-Kincaid range
Key characteristics
Discovering
0 - 1.5
Simple sentences, Tier 1 vocabulary, explicit information
Building
0.7 - 2.0
Simple sentences with more detail, Tier 1 with limited Tier 2 vocabulary, explicit information
Exploring
1.5 - 3.0
Longer sentences including compound sentences, Tier 1–2 vocabulary, information mostly explicit
Connecting
2.5 - 4.9
Longer sentences including compound sentences, Tier 1–2 with some Tier 3 vocabulary, opportunities for inference
Expanding
4.5 - 6.9+
Longer sentences including compound and complex sentences, Tier 1–3 vocabulary, more opportunities for inference
Alongside this expanded differentiation, we’ve introduced a modernized content viewer for both teachers and students. The updated design makes articles easier to navigate, helps students focus on key ideas, and creates a more consistent experience across News2you.
You’ll also notice a new Breaking News landing page, making it faster and easier to find current events. Content is now clearly organized by category - including World, Sports, and Entertainment - with improved browsing and filtering options to save valuable prep time.
Designed to support real classrooms
Educators are supporting a wide range of learning needs and IEP goals in every classroom, while still providing access to grade-relevant, real-world content. This update was designed to make that balance easier.
With five clearly defined text levels, educators can more closely match articles to each student’s literacy needs. A new, research-aligned symbol support model focuses on key, concrete words only, helping reduce visual overload and support understanding. Together, these changes allow more students to engage meaningfully with current events - at an appropriate level of challenge.
Importantly, assignments still work the same way. Teachers can continue assigning both new and previous Breaking News content in a consistent, familiar flow, with no new setup required.
What’s' coming next
This is the first version of an updated Breaking News experience, and we’ll continue to build on it. Your feedback is shaping what we prioritize next.
Over the next few weeks and months, you’ll see more additions, including:
Quiz feedback
We’re reinstating the familiar quiz feedback experience, so students receive clear cues when answers are correct or incorrect.
Layout updates
We’re refining the article layout to better support readability and classroom use, including:
- A single text column
- A larger image
- Improved spacing to make reading easier
Supporting content will be easier to access
We’re enhancing how supporting resources appear within articles, including clearer links to richer media like videos.
Assigning from notifications
We’ve fixed an issue that prevented some teachers from assigning Breaking News articles from notifications.
Settings that persist
To streamline workflow, your selected reading level, symbol preference, and text size will persist as you move from story to story.
More text size options
We’re expanding text size options, including a larger maximum size, to better support accessibility needs.
Dates and captions
Breaking News articles will include the published date and image captions as part of the enhanced article experience.
Keyboard access
We’re adding keyboard navigation so students can move through content using arrow keys and use the space bar to trigger read aloud.
Educators are supporting a wide range of learning needs and IEP goals in every classroom, while still providing access to grade-relevant, real-world content. Breaking News is meant to support that work in a way that saves time, not adds to it.
That’s why we’re focused on:
- Making key tools easier to find and use
- Reducing repeated setup
- Improving accessibility for students who rely on keyboard or switch access
Keeping the experience consistent across stories
A foundation for more inclusive learning
Our update reflects best-practice research and learning science. It establishes a strong foundation for the next phase of Breaking News.
News2you is designed to supplement your existing core curriculum. It offers grade-relevant content designed to build awareness on current events and the world around them, along with supporting conversation and engagement.
The instructional decisions behind this update are grounded in more than 150 years of combined classroom experience across our instructional design and content authoring team. Our team includes former special educators, literacy specialists, and curriculum leaders who understand the realities of planning, differentiation, and IEP implementation.
We’ve rigorously evaluated the last 20 years of research around literacy and symbol support, vetting for validity, evaluating key metrics such as sample size, funding, learner demographics, and data integrity to ensure all claims are supported. Based on that research, we updated our symbol support strategy for literacy to reflect best practices.
By expanding differentiation, strengthening modifications and accommodations, modernizing the viewing experience, and making content easier to find, News2you helps you:
- Provide access to current events at multiple reading levels
- Support literacy goals alongside your core curriculum
- Reduce preparation time
- Increase inclusion and participation
Through real-world stories that matter, News2you supports literacy, confidence, and classroom community, without replacing the instructional programs you already rely on.