FYI for Kids

FYI for Kids

FYI for Kids is a collection of engaging and high-quality magazine articles designed to enhance the Common Core classroom’s reading repertoire. The objective of this project is to demonstrate a type of text that is essential for increasing students’ engagement in and proficiency with complex texts—short engaging articles that communicate critical information. Read the Frankly Freddy article on “FYI for Kids: Building Students’ Capacity for Complex Text” to learn more.

Download the free printable texts and supporting materials for each level:

Comprehension & Tutoring Guides to accompany FYI for Kids

Search FYI for Kids texts by complexity level and content area

A Hero Who Gives Things Away

How does Cameron Payne give back to his community? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: A Hero Who Gives Things Away.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-15-A-hero-who-gives-things-away

Adding Up Pennies

What would happen if there were no more pennies? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Adding up Pennies.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-12-Adding-up-pennies

Bird Nests

How do birds keep their eggs and baby birds safe? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Bird Nests.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-1-bird-nests

Can People Live on the Moon?

What can plants teach us about living on the moon? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Can People Live on the Moon?.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-14-Can-people-live-on-the-moon

Cool Hats

What’s so cool about hats? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Cool Hats.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-5-Cool-Hats

Drums: Keep the Beat

What are drums made of and how do people use them to make music? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Drums.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-6-Drums

Going With the Flow

When it rains, where does the water go? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Going With the Flow.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-2-going-with-the-flow

Posters Over Time

Why did people make posters? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Posters Over Time.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-3-posters-over-time

Quilts

What keeps us warm and is also art? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Quilts: Pieces of Art.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-7-Quilts

Taking Out the Trash—By the Ton

How did a vacation inspire a teenager to work on the problem of removing trash from the ocean? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Taking Out the Trash—By the Ton.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-16-Taking-out-the-trash

The Hidden Meanings of Names

Which states were named after people? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: The Hidden Meanings of Names.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-9-The-Hidden-Meaning-of-Names

The Wide World of Bread

How important is bread to people around the world? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: The Wide World of Bread.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-8-The-Wide-World-of-Bread

Video Games for Work and Play

What kind of video games do people use for work or for play? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Video Games for Work and Play.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-11-Video-games-for-work-and-play

Voting Makes a Difference

How does voting help a group of people decide what to do? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Voting Makes a Difference.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-10-Voting-makes-a-difference

What Makes a Wall Great?

Why was the Great Wall of China built? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: What Makes a Wall Great?.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-13-What-makes-a-wall-great

Working Dogs

How do dogs help people? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Working Dogs.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-1-4-Working-Dogs

Bats

Are bats a different kind of bird? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Bats.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-1-bats

Bigger Than an Elephant

Can plants really be bigger than elephants? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Bigger Than an Elephant.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-14-Bigger-than-an-elephant

Changing Lives, One Cow at a Time

How does giving someone a cow make a difference? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Changing Lives, One Cow at a Time.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-10-Changing-Lives

Flip-Flops

Are there different kinds of flip-flops? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Flip-Flops.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-8-Flip-Flops

Fractured Fairy Tales

What are fractured fairy tales? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Fractured Fairy Tales.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-2-Fractured-fairy-tales

Get Involved in Your Community

What can you do to help your community? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Get Involved in Your Community.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-12-Get-Involved-in-Your-Community

Horns: The Sound of the Wind

What are horn instruments? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Horns: The Sound of the Wind.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-7-Horns

Keeping Your Feet on the Ground

How do different kinds of shoes help people play sports? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Keeping Your Feet on the Ground.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-13-Keeping-your-feet-on-the-ground

Life in a Medieval Castle

What would it be like to live in a castle? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Life in a Medieval Castle.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-6-Life-in-a-medieval-castle

Nesting Dolls

How are dolls a kind of folk art? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Nesting Dolls.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-4-Nesting-Dolls

Noodles Around the World

How many different kinds of noodles are there in the world? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Noodles Around the World.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-9-Noodles

Posters That Pop

Why do artists make colorful posters? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Posters That Pop.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-5-Posters-That-Pop

Power to the People

What is absolute power and what did it mean for the people of a country? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Power to the People.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-11-Power-to-the-People

Surprises Inside a Rock

What are geodes and how do they form? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Surprises Inside a Rock.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-17-Surprises-inside-a-rock

Totem Poles

How are totem poles important in Native American culture? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Totem Poles.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-3-Totem-Poles

Why Do Things Move?

Can a soccer ball stay in motion forever? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Why Do Things Move?

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-16-why-do-things-move

Young Inventors: Jack Andraka

How is Jack Andraka changing the way doctors find cancer cells? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Young Inventors: Jack Andraka.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-2-15-YI-Jack-Andraka

Bats in Sports

How many different kinds of bats are there? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Bats in Sports.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-3-Bats-in-sports

Beavers and the Environment

How do beavers help and destroy the environment? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Beavers and the Environment.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-10-Beavers-and-the-Environment

From Grease to Gold

How did Cassandra Lin recycle used cooking oil to help her community? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: From Grease to Gold.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-17-From-grease-to-gold

Greek Mythology

Are Greek myths stories or are they real events that happened long ago? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Greek Mythology.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-1-Greek-mythology

Grip and Glide With Friction

Why does a basketball roll faster on a basketball court than on the grass? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Grip and Glide With Friction.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-16-grip-and-glide-with-friction

Kites: Dancers in the Wind

How have kites been used around the world? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Kites: Dancers in the Wind.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-15-Kites

Midnight Sun and Northern Lights

It’s midnight and it’s still light out? What’s going on? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Midnight Sun and Northern Lights.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-5-Midnight-Sun-and-Northern-Lights

Moles

What are moles? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Moles.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-4-Moles

On Guard! Junior Lifeguards

What kind of skills do junior lifeguards learn in order to keep people safe at the ocean? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: On Guard! Junior Lifeguards.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-8-On-guard-Jr-lifeguard

Origami: Get Into the Fold

How long ago was origami invented? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Origami: Get Into the Fold.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-18-origami

Putting Two Words Together

Any word that has “ball” in it means it has something to do with a ball (a round toy that people play with), right? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Putting Two Words Together.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-2-putting-two-words-together

Red Alert! The British Are Coming!

Why was the British army called Redcoats? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Red Alert! The British Are Coming!

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-7-red-alert-the-british-are-coming

Stained Glass

Why was stained glass an important part of churches? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Stained Glass: Painting With Sunlight.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-11-Stained-Glass

Staying Safe in Sports

What might you wear to stay safe while playing sports? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Staying Safe in Sports.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-14-Staying-Safe-in-Sports

Stringing Along

What are string instruments? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Stringing Along.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-12-Stringing-Along

The Colors of English

Where did we get the words we use to describe color? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: The Color of English.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-9-The-colors-of-English

Write a Letter to Congress

How does writing a letter to Congress help your community? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Write a Letter to Congress.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-13-Write-a-letter-to-congress

Young Inventors: Chester Greenwood

How did Chester Greenwood’s cold ears help us stay warm in the winter? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Young Inventors: Chester Greenwood.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-3-6-YI-Chester-Greenwood

Bison

Are bison and buffalo the same animal? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Bison.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-1-Bison

Checkers: A Very Old Game

How long have people played checkers? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Checkers: A Very Old Game.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-11-checkers

Garden Homes

What are hotels for insects? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Garden Homes.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-16-Garden-Homes

How Insects Live in Winter

How do insects survive in the winter? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: How Insects Live in Winter.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-12-How-insects-live-in-winter

Minding Your Business

What do you do when you have an idea for a business?  Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Minding Your Business.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-13-Minding-your-business

Nicknames

Do you have a nickname? What’s a nickname? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Nicknames.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-4-Nicknames

Painting on the Walls

What kinds of art have archaeologists found on cave walls? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Painting on the Walls.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-10-Painting-on-the-walls

Pianos

Why are pianos known as a percussion instrument if they have strings? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Pianos: The Loud and the Soft.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-9-Pianos

Playing by the Rules

How do rules help to make sure that everyone has fun? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Playing by the Rules.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-15-play-by-the-rules

Raisins: A Sweet Treat

Where do raisins come from and how did they get so sweet? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Raisins: A Sweet Treat.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-14-Raisins

Sammy Lee: Olympic Diver

How did discrimination and the Korean War keep Sammy Lee from his favorite sport? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Sammy Lee: Olympic Diver.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-5-Sammy-Lee-Olympic-Diver

Standing on Your Own

Not all babies are able to walk, swim, or fly on their own as soon as they are born. How do mothers or fathers move their babies around? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Standing on Your Own.

Tall Tales

What are tall tales and how do they help people forget their troubles? Let’s find out FYI for Kids: Tall Tales.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-6-Tall-Tales

What’s Out There?

What spacecraft have traveled the farthest from Earth? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: What’s Out There?.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-7-Whats-out-there

Young Heroes: Katie Stagliano’s Dream

How did Katie Stagliano combine gardening and helping her community? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Young Heroes: Katie Stagliano’s Dream.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-4-8-Young-heroes-katie-staglianos-dream

Young Inventors: Louis Braille

Why did Louis Braille invent a writing system for the blind and visually impaired? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Louis Braille.

An Island is Born

What are mud volcanoes and how do they make new islands? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: An Island is Born.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-9-An-Island-is-Born

Chess: A Game of Kings and Queens

How do you win in a game of chess? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Chess: A Game of Kings and Queens.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-10-Chess-A-Game-of-Kings-and-Queens

Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King worked alongside her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. in the fight for civil rights for all Americans. How did she carry on the fight after his death? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Coretta Scott King.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-4-Coretta-Scott-King

Counting Animals

Why do scientists need to know how many animals there are in the world? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Counting Animals.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-2-Counting-animals

Guitars

When did guitars become popular? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Guitars: The Kings of Rock.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-8-Guitars

Hula: Dance That Tells a Story

Where did hula dancing come from and how does someone tell stories with dancing? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Hula: Dance That Tells a Story.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-11-Hula

Knitting: From Sheep to Scarf

Knitting: From Sheep to Scarf

What is knitting and how can knitting help others? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Knitting: From Sheep to Scarf.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-16-Knitting

Lasers: The Power of Light

What are lasers and what do they do? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Lasers:The Power of Light.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-13-Lasers

Monster Stories

The Loch Ness monster isn’t real. Right? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Monster Stories.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-5-Monster-Stories

New Animal Species

What new animals species have been discovered and where do they live? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: New Animal Species.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-14-New-animal-species

Public Spaces

What are public spaces? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Public Spaces.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-1-Public-Spaces

The Art of Recycling

Can you make art with recycled materials? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: The Art of Recycling.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-7-The-Art-of-Recycling

The Tides

How do the tides affect the animals and plants that live on the beach? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: The Tides.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-3-the-tides

What’s Your Name?

Where do we get words that describe new technology? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: What’s Your Name?.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-6-Whats-your-name

Young Heroes: Rachel Beckwith

How did a child’s birthday wish change communities halfway across the world? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Young Heroes: Rachel Beckwith.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-1-YH-Rachel-Beckwith

Young Inventors: Caine Monroy

What do cardboard boxes plus imagination equal? Let’s find out with FYI for Kids: Young Inventors: Caine Monroy.

Download: FYI-for-Kids-5-12-YI-Caine-Monroy

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