Inclusive, Accessible STEM Learning
Rigorous science instruction, accessible to every student.
Vernier Connections® is designed so every student can access high‑quality science instruction regardless of reading level, language, or learning need. Built‑in supports come standard in every lesson, so teachers don’t have to build them separately.
Differentiated Reading Levels to Support Diverse Learners
Most Connections lessons and activities are available at two reading levels—emerging and achieving. Both versions cover the same science concepts, phenomena, and performance expectations. The difference is in readability: emerging activities are written slightly below grade level to support struggling readers and English Learners at early stages of acquisition, while achieving activities are written at or above grade level to challenge advanced learners.
Differences between the two versions include text chunking, sentence length, text complexity, and word choice—never the depth or rigor of the science itself. Teachers can assign the relevant version by class, intervention group, or individual student.
Built-In Tools That Remove Barriers to Learning
Connections integrates Microsoft Immersive Reader directly into every lesson, giving students with a wide range of learning needs the support to engage with science content independently and confidently. Built on 20+ ESOL/ELL best practices and Dr. Robert Marzano's high-yield instructional strategies, these tools are designed to keep every learner authentically engaged in science.
- Text read-aloud with similtaneous word highlighting
- Reading speed control and male or female voice selection
- Word syllable breakdown to support decoding and pronunciation
- Parts of speech isolation—useful for ELL students and early grades
- Line focus—narrow reading to 1, 3, or 5 lines at a time
- Adjustable font size, letter and line spacing, and background color
Students can highlight parts of speech (left) or adjust read‑aloud settings (right).
Students can highlight parts of speech (top) or adjust read‑aloud settings (bottom).
Building Science Knowledge Across Languages
Connections activities are translated into 100+ languages with a single click, displayed side-by-side with the English version so students can toggle between languages as they build fluency. Activities pre-teach vocabulary, use clear and concise language, and include a clickable picture dictionary available in English and all supported languages—so language barriers don’t become science barriers.
Multiple Modes of Engagement
Connections lessons are designed to engage students through multiple modes of instruction and expression, so every learner has a way in.
Students explore science concepts through a combination of multimedia, simulations, and hands-on investigations—giving them multiple entry points into complex phenomena. When it comes to demonstrating understanding, students aren't limited to a single format. They can write responses, select from answer options, or build visual models and representations using an interactive whiteboard that lets them integrate images, text, and data to communicate their thinking through models, explanations, and arguments.
Multimedia
Hands-On Investigations
Progress Monitoring and Actionable Insights
With Connections, teachers get real-time insight into student understanding, and district leaders gain visibility across classrooms, schools, and grade levels—before gaps widen.
View Reports and Dashboards
Blending the Strengths of Digital and Hands-On Learning
For grades 6–12, Connections integrates hands-on investigation using Go Direct® wireless sensors, bringing live data collection into digital learning. When students collect and analyze their own data, concepts become clearer, more relevant, and easier to connect to the real world.
Explore Hands-On Learning