We’ve got a Valentine’s Day treat just for you: we’ve added new middle school social studies skills and we’ve expanded our reading comprehension coverage for grade 2 and high school. Continue reading to preview the new skills, then head to IXL to try them out yourself!

New social studies skills

Our new middle school content features 37 skills about world history, U.S. history, and economics. This release also features skills that target specific aspects of historical thinking, such as analyzing sources, making comparisons, and more!

Here’s one example, and you can view the rest of the new skills here.

Source analysis: Boston Massacre (grades 6-8)

In these skills, students are introduced to a variety of primary and secondary sources related to the Boston Massacre. Students will reinforce critical thinking skills while strengthening their knowledge about the tensions leading to the American Revolutionary War. 

New language arts skills

We’re expanding our reading comprehension coverage with 12 new skills for grade 2 and 28 new skills for grades 9-12. Now, students will have access to continuous reading comprehension coverage for grades 2-12!

Check out some examples below and try out the rest of the skills on IXL.

Analyze stories (grade 2)

In these visual skills, students read original short stories and answer inferential questions about the text or illustrations. These skills help students become thoughtful and independent readers, and work together with our existing phonics skills to offer comprehensive literacy support.

Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 1 (grade 9-12)

Students analyze important historical documents, developing their ability to assess rhetorical strategies and how those strategies affect the audience. These skills help students build comprehension skills and interpretive strategies that prepare them for college and careers!

What new skills are you most excited to try?