Change the Text - ReWordify Its Words

Modern English/Language Arts standards have increased the focus on understanding and finding evidence in text.  Using text in other subject areas, such as science and social studies, is on the rise as well.  Now more than ever, it is important to not only call out the words, but to understand their meaning and be able to infer additional insight.

The internet brings an avalanche of media sources to our teachers' and students' devices. The sources with the best content are not always on the most appropriate reading level. While there are sites where you can adjust the reading level like TweenTribune or Newsela, not everything is covered on those sites. For the times when you need text and the level is too high for appropriate use, there is ReWordify.

As the screenshot above suggests, text can be copied and pasted into the box and then ReWordified.  Although no account is required to use this site, a free account will allow you save ReWordified text for future use.  This is handy for a lesson with students.  It keeps from them having to find the original source, select it, copy and paste.  It saves class time to focus on content.

More after the JUMP

Sample Text (Underlined text has been replaced in ReWordify section.)

"ARTICLE XVI. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from 

whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without 

regard to any census or enumeration."

-from http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=57&page=transcript

Sample Output

Other ReWordify Tricks and Uses

In the tabs, other tools begin to show some great uses for class.  The Print/Learning activities tab has several other options for using the text. 

Some notable options are...

• Vocabulary list without definitions - to allow students to write in their own words.
• Standard Quiz - to have a multiple choice quiz over the words removed.
• Text with vocabulary - to see the original text beside the definitions. This works well for a close reading lesson as it gives a head start to defining vocabulary.

Another tab with valuable information is the Stats tab. Statistics about the article and reading levels are only a click away.