News Currents® is the ONLY Inclusive Educator-Led Current Events Program for Learners in Grades 3-12+.

News Currents® is the ONLY Inclusive
Educator-Led Current Events
Program for Learners in Grades 3-12+

Develop Citizens of the World Through Differentiated Current Events Instruction with News Currents®

Teaching current events helps learners develop critical thinking skills, understand different perspectives, and become informed citizens of the world. Lessons that incorporate news articles are also a way to incorporate nonfiction text, and develop communication and language skills.

Sharing news about a discovery in space, animal behavior, or a sports achievement can be used by educators to foster communication and classroom engagement. Providing background knowledge about current and world events helps all learners in reading comprehension, can be applied across subject areas, and prepares learners to participate in discussions in classrooms and with peers.

News Currents® is an online current events program designed for special education and inclusive classrooms.

Each week, educators receive ready-to-use current events lessons with adapted news articles, videos, and instructional slides. Built-in, educator-led supports help students with diverse and complex learning needs build background knowledge, develop vocabulary, and actively participate in meaningful discussions about real-world events.

Benefits of Using News Currents®

Accommodate ALL Learners

Instructional materials are provided at multiple levels to provide differentiated instruction and equitable access to the same instruction by all learners, including those who are non-speaking using the Newstopia portal.

Background Knowledge

Expand knowledge of the world for reading comprehension and global awareness including geography, cultures, government, people in the news, history, science and nature.

Communication and Discussion

Encourage critical thinking skills and communication through educator-led discussion. Engaging topics help learners share opinions and learn about different perspectives.

Educator Efficiency

Teach current events with done-for-you instructional materials, saving educators time and providing consistency of instruction.

Learner Engagement

Provide a platform for learners to become citizens of the world through civic engagement and discussion of national and world events.

Vocabulary Development

Provide repetition with variety to increase understanding of word uses and meanings. Learners learn related vocabulary in context in multiple formats with visual support.

Real-World News for Special Education Classrooms

Connect classroom learning to real-world events with a weekly current events curriculum designed for special education. News Currents provides age-respectful, engaging news for students, helping build background knowledge, expand vocabulary, and support meaningful classroom discussion. Each week, educators get ready-to-use lessons that replace passive worksheets with interactive, multimedia learning experiences. By combining real-world topics with literacy-focused instruction, News Currents helps students with diverse learning needs stay engaged, improve comprehension, and connect what they learn to the world around them.

Multimedia Resources

Each lesson integrates age-respectful, engaging multimedia including videos, instructional slideshows, and authentic photos to support comprehension and connection. Grounded in research-based literacy practices, News Currents prioritizes text-based learning while using visual supports to enhance access without replacing the critical role of alphabetic reading. The result is an inclusive, educator-led program that supports diverse learners while keeping literacy at the center.

Critical Thinking

News Currents encourages critical thinking skills by prompting students through teacher-led discussions. Additional lessons are provided to get the most out of every story without valuable time spent by a classroom teacher to connect these articles to standards based learning.

Teacher Resources and Support for Special Education

Providing comprehensive teacher resources for special education, including ready-to-use lesson plans, weekly instructional materials, and built-in professional development support. Educators and Literacy teams get practical tools to plan faster, implement with confidence, and deliver engaging, standards-aligned current events instruction that supports diverse learners and strengthens literacy outcomes.

Real-World Application

News Currents emphasizes the application of knowledge to real-life scenarios. Students are encouraged to identify connections between classroom learning and their own experiences, fostering a deeper sense of relevance.

Reinforcing Secondary Transition Planning

Stepping beyond the K-12 environment is a pivotal moment, especially for exceptional learners. With thoughtfully developed lessons, News Currents provides a love of learning and cultivates essential life skills. Through engaging personalized lessons and a comprehensive approach to real-world events, News Currents provides a bridge for success. Empower your secondary transition program with tools that enhance communication, critical thinking and global understanding.

Interactive Weekly Lessons for Special Education

Delivers interactive, standards-aligned weekly lessons designed for special education classrooms. Each lesson build background knowledge, strengthens vocabulary, and supports comprehension through discussions, projects, and multimedia activities. Educators can replace worksheets with engaging, real-world learning experiences that make meaningful connections across subjects like science, social studies, and current events.

Inclusive Education

Recognizing the diverse needs of learners, News Currents articles are designed to be inclusive. We provide resources that support students with different learning styles and abilities.

Global Awareness

News Currents promotes a global perspective by covering a wide range of topics from different parts of the world. This helps students gain cultural awareness and a broader understanding of global interconnectedness.

Lifelong Learning

By nurturing curiosity and a passion for learning, News Currents instills a lifelong love for knowledge and encourages students to stay informed and engaged even beyond their formal education.

News Currents subscribers also have access to Newstopia.

News Currents® Story Features

Current Events
Destinations
This Week in History

Time Capsule
Where in the World?

News Currents Pricing

Individual Educator

$225 USD / year
(per educator)

Homeschool/Parents: If you’d like to bring News Currents into your home, call us at 847-238-8889 for a discounted license

Inquire Now

School District or
Organization

5-30%
Savings

Discounts are
available for
districts/facilities with
multiple licenses or who select multi-year options.

INQUIRE NOW

FAQs

What is News Currents?

News Currents is an educator-led current events program that helps students in grades 3 through high school+ build background knowledge, understand real-world events, and participate in meaningful classroom discussions. Designed for special education and inclusive classrooms, News Currents replaces passive worksheets with accessible nonfiction content that builds understanding, communication, critical thinking, and global awareness.

Is News Currents designed for special education?

Yes. News Currents is designed for special education classrooms and supports students with a wide range of learning and communication needs. Instead of giving teachers generic news articles they have to simplify, shorten, or rebuild, News Currents provides age-respectful current events instruction that helps students understand the world and join the conversation.

How does News Currents build background knowledge and comprehension?

News Currents builds background knowledge by connecting classroom learning to real-world events students can discuss, question, and understand. Each issue supports teacher-led conversation, vocabulary growth, comprehension, and critical thinking. Students are not just answering low-level questions about random topics. They are building the knowledge, language, and context they need to make sense of the world.

What makes News Currents different from other current events resources?

News Currents is different because it is not built for passive consumption, busywork, or articles teachers have to spend time adapting. It is educator-led, accessible, age-respectful, and designed to help students with diverse learning needs engage in real discussion about real events. News Currents gives teachers nonfiction content with purpose: background knowledge, communication, comprehension, critical thinking, and connection to everyday life.