BrainPOP Builds Knowledge and Reading Confidence with Connected Texts

Teachers know comprehension depends on background knowledge. That’s why Connected Texts are built to pair content learning with reading practice, giving students multiple entry points into complex ideas. This isn’t just an ELA resource. Science, social studies, and other subject areas also require students to read and analyze challenging informational texts. Connected Texts make that work more accessible by combining high-interest nonfiction with built-in supports and insights for teachers.

Connected Texts are short, high-interest non-fiction reading passages that extend learning beyond the movie. They reinforce and build vocabulary, deepen understanding, and strengthen comprehension, all while saving teachers prep time.  Each Connected Text set includes up to three unique passages per topic, written at two or more levels tailored to specific grade bands. Available in BrainPOP 3-8 topics across the curriculum, Connected Texts are designed to engage students while building the skills they need to become confident, capable readers.

How Connected Texts Support Reading Growth 

Every Connected Text is paired with comprehension questions to check understanding, prompt discussion, and reinforce key concepts and vocabulary.

With Connected Texts, teachers can:

• Extend the BrainPOP movie into authentic reading practice without extra prep

• Differentiate easily across reading levels

• See where students need support through real-time insights

• Save time while still meeting literacy goals across the curriculum

With Connected Texts, students can:

• Reinforce concepts through reading as well as viewing

• Strengthen vocabulary and comprehension with built-in supports

• Explore high-interest nonfiction in subjects beyond ELA. For example, an octopus passage extends the Brain movie by showing how its nine brains work together, and a wrestling passage reveals Abraham Lincoln’s surprising path to ‘Honest Abe.’”

• Build stamina, confidence, and independence in a low-stakes way

For example, an octopus passage extends the Brain movie by showing how its nine brains work together, and a wrestling passage reveals Abraham Lincoln’s surprising path to ‘Honest Abe.’”

Built-In Reading Support for Every Learner

As students read, they can use the built-in AI reading tool to click words or sentences and instantly get a simplified or  grade-appropriate definition. These built-in scaffolds help students get the support they need immediately so they can keep reading without frustration. Connected Texts also give teachers a simple way to ensure that every student has the tools to tackle challenging texts independently.

Insights That Inform Instruction

The words and sentences that students click on feed into a heatmap for teachers. The Reading Heatmap is a visual report that shows which words or sentences students clicked for extra support while reading. This data highlights where they may have struggled, whether with unfamiliar vocabulary, complex sentences, or challenging concepts.

By showing exactly where students needed help, the Reading Heatmap helps teachers:

• Spot patterns in comprehension challenges

• Identify vocabulary and concepts to reteach

• Group students for targeted instruction

• Celebrate growth and progress

Flexible to Fit Your Instruction

Use Connected Texts before, during, or after a BrainPOP movie in whole-class, small-group, or independent settings. For example:

• Introduce concepts and spark curiosity at the start of a lesson

• Reinforce and expand understanding after watching a movie

• Differentiate skill practice in small groups or literacy centers

  
  

Connect Texts pair well with other BrainPOP tools like Make-a-Movie and Quiz, giving teachers multiple ways to connect content and skills. This flexibility supports the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by offering multiple ways for students to access and engage with content.

Build Knowledge and Confidence with Connected Texts 

Connected Texts help students build knowledge in core content areas while strengthening reading skills such as comprehension,vocabulary, and fluency. Whether the focus is science, social studies, or ELA, students develop literacy in the context of subjects they’re already exploring. Built-in supports encourage independence and persistence, and real-time insights help teachers guide next steps. By connecting literacy practice directly to core content, Connected Texts build both immediate understanding and long-term reading success.

Assign Connected Texts with your next BrainPOP movie to strengthen comprehension and vocabulary while reinforcing core content. 

Visit BrainPOP 3-8 to learn more!

Jackie Glassman is a curriculum designer, editor, and content strategist who builds meaningful learning experiences that meet K–8 students where they are. She blends rigor, empathy, and creativity to develop standards-aligned, culturally responsive curriculum rooted in how students truly learn. Jackie is also a dedicated yogi—and her favorite character will always be Moby, of course.