Teaching Students to Closely Read Texts: How and When?

IRA –SSENTIALS Rigorous Real-World Teaching and Learning

Diane Lapp Teaching WITH Students to

Barbara Moss Closely Read Texts: How and When? Kelly Johnson

Maria Grant

doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8022 • © 2013 International Reading Association eraldo, a fourth grader at an subsequently promote and act upon their urban elementary school close well-informed ideas. They also wonder to the U.S. Mexican border, was when during the instructional day or Gborn in the U.S. Although he effortlessly period students should be taught how to switches from Spanish, his home do close text reading. language, to English when speaking with his friends, he does not read or write The How of Close Spanish. Day after day, period after Reading period, Geraldo struggles in school. His textbooks are written well above his To begin to address the how of second grade reading level. The academic instruction, we need to consider that to vocabulary he needs to succeed in science, closely read a text, one needs to analyze social studies, English, and mathematics and scaffold textually based inferences is beyond his reach. Despite this reality, which are at “the heart of meaning the Common Core State Standards construction for learners of all ages” (CCSS), which have been adopted in the (Anderson & Pearson, 1984, p. 107). majority of states, mandate that students, To make inferences while reading, the including English learners, graduate from reader must understand the language high school with literacy abilities that of the passage and then use context enable them to: clues to support an even more precise understanding of the intent of the • readily undertake the close, attentive language. To promote his deepening reading that is at the heart of interpretations of the passage, he must understanding and enjoying complex be able to apply related background works of literature. knowledge to support connections, eliminate ambiguity, enable visualizing, • habitually perform the critical reading fill in informational gaps, predict, draw necessary to carefully evaluate the conclusions, and form logical opinions— staggering amount of information all while assessing the strength of his available today in print and digitally. performance and his developing stance(s). He must be able to deeply comprehend • actively seek the wide, deep, and the message(s) of the text. Depending on thoughtful engagement with high-quality the text complexity, the reader often must literary and informational texts that reread multiple times and while doing so builds knowledge, enlarges experience, and use all of his bundled skill sets in order to broadens worldviews. deeply infer the information or message.

• reflexively demonstrate the cogent Knowledgeable teachers who carefully reasoning and use of evidence that is observe their students’ reading and essential to both private deliberation and discussion of complex texts are able to responsible citizenship in a democratic make instructional decisions based on republic. (Common Core State Standards, each student’s performance. If the first 2010, p. 3) close reading indicates that the reader does not have the needed conceptual The majority of educators at all grade background knowledge, language, levels agree that these are definitely or strategies to support an analytical literacy behaviors that should be exhibited scrutiny of the author’s language and by every person entering college or the message, one way to accommodate the work force. However, they wonder how acquisition of these funds of knowledge is to design instruction that supports to use companion text sets which contain students in developing the necessary short, same-topic passages. Companion language, content, and literacy practices passages can build the background to read complex texts, and then to knowledge, language, and literacy Comstock Images/Thinkstock.com

Cover photo: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

2 • Teaching Students to Closely Read Texts: How and When? doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8022 • © 2013 International Reading Association Zurijeta/Shutterstock.com skills needed to accomplish an analytic information about the kinds of scaffolds form opinions, make judgments, or write or deep text reading of continually more they need to enable their development of about a topic. A doctor will read multiple sophisticated, topically same texts. They are the concepts, language, and skills needed to articles about a new surgical procedure companions because, while at scaffolded make increasingly deeper text inferences. when considering adopting a technique levels of difficulty, they address the same From this initial assessment, teachers can for her own practice. She will most likely theme and offer the possibility to gain design instruction—whole group, small start with the simplest descriptions the scaffolded language and knowledge group, and individual instruction—which before progressing to the more technical to accomplish the same standard(s) or uses existing routines such as shared explanations. An historian will pore over purpose(s). reading, guided reading, and partner numerous related documents when writing collaborations to support students as about a major historical event. It’s common Companion text sets also provide readers they build their ever-growing bases of practice among professionals and informed an opportunity to analyze and identify information. Through modeling, the citizens to learn about a topic from varied elements that are interfering with their teacher can also show readers what to do authors in various ways. comprehension. Identifying one’s areas to support their own growth of language, of interference and then knowing how to concepts, and skills. Instruction designed with the goal that remedy these needs is indeed a behavior students will be able to engage in close exhibited by proficient, metacognitively The texts used for this informational reading by deeply and analytically reading sophisticated readers. The acquisition scaffolding should be increasingly more increasingly complex texts must offer and supportive scaffolding of knowledge complex and require deeper and deeper opportunities for each reader to acquire through the use of tiered, companion analysis of the theme, topic, issues, or the language, information, and literacy text sets model for readers how to messages. The use of companion texts skills his performance suggests is needed independently build their own bases of allows students to access content and build to accomplish this task. The following knowledge when teachers are no longer background knowledge from varied sources. discussion offers one possibility for making part of the learning equation. While one text may provide foundational the goal of deeply reading increasingly content knowledge, another may offer complex texts a reality for every student. To begin a close reading, students need connections between linked concepts. First, we identify the strengths of using opportunities to independently attempt an Students are thus provided with multiple tiered companion text sets to support initial reading of a text passage. They need resources that allow them to dig deeper in students acquiring academic English, as to “have a go” at a passage to see what they terms of content. This is a significant part of well as the base(s) of knowledge that their can take away from it. Their initial reading being able to internalize and use information performance suggests is needed to infer can serve as a formative assessment, in a thoughtful, critical manner. It’s also and analyze increasingly more sophisticated identifying critical performance what experts in any field do before they text-based information. Then, we view

3 • Teaching Students to Closely Read Texts: How and When? doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8022 • © 2013 International Reading Association Kzenon/Shutterstock.com an example of a teacher implementing norm. The literacy crisis for these students or examine the evidence can quickly confuse the companion tiered-text set approach. is compelling; only 8% of fourth grade English learners, who lack knowledge of Finally, we describe the reaction of teachers English learners scored at the proficient the academic language that is common and students to companion tiered-text set or advanced levels on the reading portion in school talk and texts. Students who instruction. of the 2011 National Assessment for struggle in reading do so primarily because Educational Progress (National Center for they have low-meaning vocabulary Companion Tiered-Text Education Statistics, 2011). knowledge (Lesaux and Kieffer, 2010), Sets Support Acquiring which certainly affects their potential to English learners often learn the basics comprehend sophisticated concepts. the Language of School of reading and writing English in two or The CCSS promote the idea that students three years, but it takes five to 10 years to Companion sets of tiered texts offer one have school reading experiences in which learn the academic language skills needed instructional possibility for supporting all they learn to read increasingly complex to succeed in content area classrooms. readers’ scaffolding of the difficult, topically texts. This suggestion is based on research Students like Geraldo are usually related language and information found indicating that older students who regularly transitioned into regular classes after in a challenging text. Text sets can consist interact with difficult texts perform only two or three years of ESL instruction of any topically related combination of better in college than students who lack where they experience double jeopardy: informational sources, including Internet such experiences (ACT, Inc., 2006; Adams, they are not yet proficient in English and resources, literature, documents, magazine 2009). Learning to read complex content- their teachers are unsure about how to or newspaper articles, teacher-created based information is often difficult for provide instruction that supports their passages, and sections from below grade students because the structure, vocabulary, continuing development. While they may level textbooks. and informational loads differ from the be skilled at using the informal language narrative texts traditionally used in early needed to text friends or communicate The key to assembling companion tiered- grade classrooms. Learning to read complex with family, in the classroom they need to text sets is to ensure that they support the expository texts becomes even more use a more formal register of Academic study of a topic by introducing vocabulary complex for thousands of students like English, which is a complicated “tool set” and concepts through very easy to Geraldo—students in American classrooms to learn and to use. Zwiers (2008) suggests comprehend language and illustrations who, with below grade-level literacy skills that learning to comprehend academic which grow in sophistication as students’ in their native language, are expected to English involves understanding the words bases of language and knowledge increase. master complicated course content while and phrases that are the “talk of a text.” In this way the goal of reading the complex gaining English proficiency in classrooms Attempting to comprehend complex and text becomes possible for every student. This where rigorous, standards-based curricula difficult phrases likeevaluate the premise, is unlike previously designed thematically and high-stakes assessments are the contrast the characters, identify the chronology, related text sets, which grouped students

4 • Teaching Students to Closely Read Texts: How and When? doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8022 • © 2013 International Reading Association as high, medium, or low readers and then 1. Identify the lesson purpose(s) and select can occur during a variety of grouping offered them the opportunity to read a the texts that are appropriate for a configurations. Students often struggle single thematically related text at their close reading. The number of texts in a with comprehension because they entering reading level. The companion companion set can vary. Since readers do not have an understanding of the text set idea we are proposing is designed may revisit the text more than once, and vocabulary and concepts of the passage. to support each reader gaining the skills since they are learning to conduct a close A major segment of instruction at this needed to read the most complex text in reading, the selections should not be too point is to guide them in knowing how to the set, while also developing the skill set long; in addition to poems, news clips, support their own learning. Since groups required when concepts from multiple texts or a short story, a text excerpt that can of readers will have evidenced various are synthesized. stand on its own would work well. strengths and needs, this is where smaller group work may be warranted. A lesson format that utilizes companion 2. Encourage students to “try on” the tiered-text sets develops academic most complex text (Tier 3) through 6. Provide students opportunities to again language for English learners and struggling a close, independent first reading. closely read the most complex stretch readers through literacy experiences Remind students to pay attention to the text (Tier 3) in the set. Once students designed around successively more difficult meaning, and to note areas of confusion. have had opportunities to gain the needed texts in order to steadily increase topically By having students take notes along bases of knowledge, they can return to related background knowledge, language, the way they mimic and internalize the mentor, original, or most difficult and reading skills. More specifically, the what proficient readers often do as text. Their independent reading can be instructional intention of using tiered-texts a way to study their own patterns of followed by a discussion of the text, as well sets is to knowing and need. Students’ responses as their perceptions of their conceptual, will help them and you to understand language, and literacy skills growth. • promote student engagement. causes of confusion. Be sure students understand that readers often must An Example • scaffold instruction that develops persevere and note areas of confusion The following example illustrates how students’ language and schema and lays when first tackling challenging texts. This tiered-text set-supported instruction the foundation for successful literacy knowledge can then be used to choose designed for students in Geraldo’s class, experiences. materials that will help them ultimately especially English learners who were comprehend the initial, complex, stretch struggling with reading the grade level social • provide many opportunities to read, text through subsequent readings. studies text, can be implemented. Many write, and speak academic language. of them, like Geraldo, were reading two to 3. Invite partner, group, or class conversations three grade levels below grade placement. • offer multiple exposures to related about students’ inferred meanings and Most were native Spanish speakers, but vocabulary and content concepts. wonderings. Conversation with peers and native speakers of Somali and other African with you can clear up misconceptions languages were also part of the group. • ensure explicit instruction in word and also offer additional insights about meanings and many opportunities to instruction that should follow. Step 1: Identify the Lesson Purposes apply those meanings. and Select the Texts 4. Model how an expert (teacher) might • build the learner’s capacity for reading conduct a deep text reading of the least Focusing on California Social Science and increasingly complex texts. difficult, most comfortable (Tier 1) text Common Core Literacy Standards, the in the text set. Your modeling should following lesson sequence, which used • build the learner’s capacity to synthesize focus on areas of language and a tiered-text set, was designed with the ideas from multiple related sources. knowledge you observed are needed by purpose of enabling students to gain the the students to succeed with a reading of bases of information and language to • build the learner’s understanding of how the most complex text in the set. to support his own literacy learning. • discuss the reasons, challenges, and 5. Support students by expanding the economic incentives associated with Instruction incorporating tiered-text sets, targeted language, concepts, and westward expansion. designed to support students’ learning to strategies they need to read the next closely read increasingly complex texts, most difficult text that their skills and • understand, speak, and read topical involves applying the following six-step knowledge can support. Reading this vocabulary and grade level academic process: grade range appropriate text (Tier 2) language.

• distinguish main ideas from details. was less dense than that of text three, and (Lapp & Fisher, 2009). Short articles, poems, shared less-complex sentence patterns, or visual texts like graphic novels are ideal • determine the main idea of a text and it provided opportunities for developing for this purpose because they often mimic explain how it is supported by key students’ language, topical concepts, and the language and features of the original details. close reading skills such as note-taking and text but are more motivating to students. vocabulary analysis. This text had a Lexile of • summarize the text. 880, placing it in the recommended Lexile Step 2: Encourage Students to ‘Try On’ ranges for Grades 4-5. The third text, the the Most Complex Text • create related notes that could support most complex, was a longer expository retelling, writing, and further study. excerpt, similar to a textbook in content In order to determine students’ bases of and tone, entitled The California Gold Rush knowledge and needs, Geraldo’s teacher, After targeting the lessons’ purposes, three (Cornerstones of Freedom) (Stein, 1995). Lorena Jackson, introduced the stretch- progressively more difficult text passages This text has a Lexile of 950, making it a level Tier 3 text, which was an excerpt from related to westward expansion—specifically text that will stretch the knowledge of The California Gold Rush (Cornerstones of the Gold Rush—were selected. Although these students. Literacy activities using Freedom). Before inviting the students to the texts had the same vocabulary the selected texts were then designed to read, she said: and basic content ideas and terms, the address the identified lesson purposes. language structures, phraseology, and As you know, people move from their home depth of information increased with each Although three texts were selected for country to a new country for lots of reasons. text. The first text was a short, teacher- this particular lesson, this is not meant to They also move from place to place within a created narrative nonfiction account of suggest three as a magic number, or that new country. They make these moves for many the discovery of gold at Fort Sutter with a students will all develop grade level literacy reasons. Today, we are going to think about Lexile level of 710. It introduced students proficiency simultaneously. Rather, we the reasons that caused settlers to move from to key concepts and was written at an encourage teachers to select the number the East to West coast of the United States. To easy reading level that matched many of texts needed to scaffold information for do so, I’d like you to read a text about the Gold students’ proficiency levels. The second, students that supports their individually Rush. As you read the text, think about what more difficult text was a longer expository growing knowledge and independence. information the text is telling you. Think excerpt from A History of Us: Book 5: Liberty This number might increase once student about what you understand about what the for All? 1829-1860 (Hakim, 2006), which is performance begins to be assessed. We author is saying. What parts of the text are from the same series as another common also support the idea that, as students’ difficult or confusing to you? Notice words you core text exemplar for fourth through fifth bases of knowledge develop, they should already know and words or sentences that are grade. It contained the same terms as the be encouraged to select texts that support difficult for you. Jot your thoughts on your first and third texts, but since the content their own reading interests and growth response guide. (Figure 1)

Hard Words I Knew Page

Hard Words and Sentences I Don’t Know Page

New Ideas I Learned From My Partner Page

Figure 1 • Response Guide—Building My Thoughts

After students finished reading, Ms. Following this brief discussion, Ms. Jackson Ms. Jackson found that her students Jackson invited discussion that involved invited partner talk as a way for students had very limited background knowledge responding to text-dependent questions to more comfortably share the information and language needed to support a deep and also identifying where in the text the they had compiled. Often after students analysis of a sophisticated text about information had been found. Responding complete an initial read, she invites them the Gold Rush era of American history. to text dependent questions often involves to share their responses as a whole class. She explained to them that when she is students in deeply inferring and synthesizing Or, if the English learners and others appear presented with a passage to read on a topic information across the passage that was not uncomfortable doing so, she invites them to that she doesn’t know much about, she literally stated. When the students appeared partner talk first. How students share after has to think like a detective who is always unsure of the reasons why settlers moved a first read should depend on the comfort trying to get some background by looking from coast to coast, she encouraged them level of the speakers. As these children at videos, or reading less difficult books to return to the text to find the phrases partner shared, Ms. Jackson had them so that she can solve or resolve whatever and sentences that explained why. She also complete the final section of their response is stopping her from reading the difficult asked them to identify which words the guide (see Figure 1), which identified what text. She told them that she pays really author used to show the excitement felt by they learned from a partner. Listening in close attention to the text language, and the westward travelers. Their investigations as they conversed afforded her deeper she also keeps asking herself what parts involved returning to the text multiple insights about their understanding of this of the text she doesn’t understand. She times. Their responses suggested that passage. It was obvious to her that these explained that the more you know about because of their limited understanding of conversations helped their understandings a topic, the better able you are to read and this period of history and related language and independence to grow. understand harder and more complex texts skills they needed additional supports to on the topic. She invited them to watch help them make inferences about the text Step 4: Model How You, an Expert a short video of life during the Gold Rush language and ideas. Students’ responses Teacher, Might Conduct a Deep Text to build their background knowledge and to text-based questions identified both Reading of the Least Difficult or Comfort language. After showing the video, she their bases of knowledge and needs. Level Text (Tier 1) in the Text Set. again asked students to think, pair, and Additionally, students were focused on the share with a partner about what new ideas topic of westward expansion and in a meta- Assessment of student understanding or language they noticed about life during cognitive manner, became aware of their during the initial close reading, and their the California Gold Rush. They again added own gaps in knowledge. subsequent discussion(s), provides a this information to their response guides starting point of information from which (Figure 1). From their conversations she Step 3: Invite Partner, Group, or to build the knowledge, skills, and topical again noted that they were continuing to Class Conversations about Inferred and academic language students need to develop a deeper knowledge about this Meanings and Wonderings. read all of the tiered texts. In this example, period of history.

8 • Teaching Students to Closely Read Texts: How and When? doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8022 • © 2013 International Reading Association She next had them look back at the original, Tier 3 stretch text to identify the What I think What it Rate my words that had caused them trouble when Word they engaged in their initial deep reading it means means prediction of the most complex text. They identified terms like discovery, migrated, and miner, which were conceptually similar across texts. Once the terms were listed for all to see, she asked students to first pronounce each term with her. Then she asked them to work as partners to find and highlight each word in both the original and new comfort level text, say them, and complete the word Prediction Guide (Figure 2). To do this, they needed to examine the word in context and record a prediction about its meaning. After this, they worked together, Figure 2 • Prediction Guide looking up the words in the dictionary and then rated their prediction as correct or At this point, Ms. Jackson projected the text points with a partner. As they did so she incorrect. She always encouraged them on the document camera and read the first was able to listen, observe, and offer to draw a picture or graphic that would few sentences aloud. She said, additional instruction. She continued to support their understanding the word. Ms. model notetaking of the article in this Jackson then invited them to independently In the first sentence it says ‘John Sutter, a way, creating with the students new read the text. She wanted them to also big barrel-chested man, built a large fort at bullet points for each important idea by “try on” reading this comfort level text Sutter’s Mill in California.’ I need to decide demonstrating how to select key words independently before she modeled her what information in the sentence is important and abbreviate where appropriate. She reading. By doing so, students were able to enough to write as a note. Watch as I highlight was showing them how an expert reader assess their growing understanding of the the important words with a highlighter. I supports her comprehension. topic and their sense of text investigation. need to remember the name John Sutter, so After students read and discussed this I will highlight that. I don’t really think it is Step 5: Invite Students to Expand text, which was the least difficult in the important that he was a ‘big barrel-chested their Conceptual Knowledge, companion set, Ms. Jackson used a think man’ because that doesn’t affect the meaning or Language, and Skills while reading the aloud procedure to model for them how to the outcome of the text. It is important that he Tier 2, Grade Range Appropriate Text take notes. She said, built a large fort at Sutter’s Mill in California. I don’t need to highlight all the little words, just During the next phase of the lesson, Ms. Let me show you one way to take notes that the most important ones. Jackson engaged students in reading the works for me. All of us take notes, like when next most difficult text. This text, which was we write a grocery list or write down a phone To record my note I will start with a bullet tiered in difficulty, served as a scaffold to number. In school, notetaking is an important point to show that this is a new idea. Then I the needed language, concepts, and skills skill because we read so much information that will record this information next to the bullet that would enable the students to eventually we can’t remember it all. We need to take notes point like this: read the fourth grade level text. This type to understand the main or big ideas. Also, of instruction can occur with small groups, since we are reading more than one text about • John Sutter built large fort at Sutter’s Mill individuals, and the whole class. the topic of the Gold Rush, we can use our notes CA to compare what the authors said that was Vocabulary. Before reading the Tier 2, the same and what was different. Let’s return Notice that I did not write out California. I grade range appropriate text, which was to the text you just read. I want you to listen want to use abbreviations whenever I can, so I a passage from The History of Us; Book 5: while I think aloud about what I’m reading. abbreviated the state name. Liberty for All? 1829-1860, Ms. Jackson Also notice how I take notes. When I record engaged students in reviewing key terms notes, I don’t write down everything, just key After reading and modeling how to turn found in both texts by asking them to create words. I abbreviate information when I can, the new information into a bullet point, 3” x 5” word cards and divide each card into and I use bullet points. Watch as I turn the Ms. Jackson continued reading and four quadrants. For the word discovery, first few sentences into notes. invited the students to create bulleted for example, they wrote the word in one

9 • Teaching Students to Closely Read Texts: How and When? doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8022 • © 2013 International Reading Association deeper and deeper analysis that is assessed Coming to California by their responses to text-based questions. Additionally, the practice of having students • by ship around Cape Horn start with the most complex text in order to gain metacognitive insights regarding • by boat to Panama, then overland and upriver their personal needs may be novel to some • ______educators. Engaging students in close text analysis does not preclude using familiar and effective grouping routines such as ______guided reading, shared reading, book study, • ______and collaborative groups. The grouping configuration is not the primary focus. The • supply and demand primary purpose is to support students’ • ______learning to critically analyze text-based information.

Figure 3 • Notetaking Guide Teacher and Student Reactions to Using square, drew a picture of it in the second language, students compiled notes as they Tiered Texts square, wrote a sentence using the word in independently read the text and completed the third square, and completed the phrase a topically related cloze passage that We recently interviewed 15 students in Ms. “It reminds me of...” in the fourth square. concluded with their writing a summary Jackson’s class and three of her colleagues statement when finished. This also assessed who also used companion tiered-text sets. Notetaking. After students had read their understanding of the information. Our intent was to explore their thoughts the second text, Ms. Jackson provided As they worked, Ms. Jackson again had an about the effectiveness of this lesson them with guided practice in notetaking, opportunity to offer more individualized format. Geraldo’s response, “By the time building on the notetaking modeling shared instruction. When the students finished, I read the hardest one a couple of times I with the Tier 1 text. She shared a skeleton she was pleased that the discussion that get it,” indicated that repeated exposure notetaking guide (Figure 3) of a portion of followed indicated that they had a much to the text, and scaffolding his learning the text and showed it on the document deeper understanding of the causes and of language and information, increased camera. She involved students working problems of the westward expansion. They his confidence as a reader. Mohammad’s with partners to highlight the text, identify also had many new questions that would response, “I liked learning the hard words key terms, and create headings and notes invite their doing further reading. because there’s lots of chances to learn for each bulleted point. Being able to do what they mean,” showed that he enjoyed so indicated their depth of understanding. The When of the vocabulary prediction activities and During this guided practice time, she repeated opportunities to interact with offered individuals and partners help in Close Reading the vocabulary terms. Maria’s response identifying key words, reading the text, As illustrated by this example, a close illustrated the power of using tiered- and taking notes. She was able to do this reading of a text can occur at many times text sets to guide students to deepen because she was continually assessing their during instruction. Ms. Jackson first invited knowledge and synthesize concepts: “I like responses to the initial instruction. students to closely read the most complex going back and forth with the texts. I keep leveled (Tier 3) text as a whole class. She learning more.” Step 6: Provide Students used information from their performances Opportunities to Again Closely Read to then plan instruction that was shared The comments from Ms. Jackson and the Most Complex Text. both with smaller groups during guided her colleagues suggest they found the partner instruction, and also as she offered lesson format easy to use, valuable in Once students had the appropriate a shared reading-think aloud to the whole addressing student vocabulary needs, language and conceptual base class. Inviting students to analyze a text is a useful for developing skills in notetaking of information they were able to literacy practice that many teachers already and writing, and enjoyable to the students. independently read the Tier 3 stretch invite students to do. What may be the new They reported that the step-by-step lesson text, the excerpt from The California Gold dimension associated with the practice of format was easy to use and helped them Rush (Cornerstones of Freedom). To assess close reading is asking students to return to identify skills crucial to students’ academic their understanding of the vocabulary and an informational passage multiple times for success. The repetition of vocabulary terms

10 • Teaching Students to Closely Read Texts: How and When? doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8022 • © 2013 International Reading Association and ideas provided through a series of I knew my students would be motivated lessons supported student ownership. to read a challenging text entitled Saving Teachers also reported that teaching Animals from Volcanoes (Aronin, 2011) notetaking effectively scaffolds students’ (Lexile 950) as part of our earth science unit, ideas and supports their retellings of but I knew they would need support. I first increasingly complex texts. They said that introduced this text. Then, to create the text they realized that students needed to be set, I went online to KidsDiscover.com and taught how do a close reading, and that found a text that I analyzed on the Lexile by starting with a stretch text they were Analyzer (http://lexile.com/analyzer). It able to really streamline their instruction had a Lexile of 760, putting it at the lower end through the use of formative assessment. of difficulty for the fourth to fifth grade range and making it perfect for a comfortable Tier 1 Ms. Jackson’s colleagues were relieved text. I found the text exemplar for Grades 4-5 that meeting the challenge of engaging titled Volcanoes (Simon, 2006) (Lexile 880) students in a close reading didn’t mean in the school library, and it became my Tier changing all of the instructional routines 2 text. After reading these two texts, students they had been using. They also agreed were ready for the more difficult stretch text that using tiered-text sets helped them (Tier 3), Saving Animals from Volcanoes. with guided reading instruction because as they watched students’ first attempts Ms. Jackson’s conclusion—“I like my to negotiate the most difficult texts, they students to stretch their thinking. By knew what needed to be taught. watching them read through a text set I can decide what to teach along the way One teacher stated that he had been that helps them become more and more initially concerned that he may not have sophisticated in their understanding and time to compile text sets especially if he had their reading”—illustrates why companion to write them, but after giving it a try he text sets may be one way to support all said he was sold because with the Internet, students attaining the skill and practice of it’s pretty easy to put together a text set. closely reading increasingly complex texts. ZouZou/Shutterstock.com

References: ACT, Inc. (2006). Reading between the lines: What the ACT reveals about college readiness in reading. Iowa City, IA: Author. Adams, M. J. (2009). The challenge of advanced texts: The interdependence of reading and learning. In E.H. Hiebert (Ed.), Reading more, reading better: Are American students reading enough of the right stuff? (pp. 163–189). New York: Guilford. Anderson, R.C., & Pearson, P.D. (1984). A schema-theoretic view of basic processes in reading comprehension. In P.D. Pearson (Ed.), Handbook of reading research (pp. 255-291). New York: Longman. Aronin, M. (2011). Saving animals from volcanoes (Rescuing animals from disasters). New York: Bearport Publishing. Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2010) Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects [PDF document]. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20 Standards.pdf DiscoveryKids. (n.d.) Curiosity corner online. Why do volcanoes erupt? Retrieved from http://kids.discovery.com/tell-me/curiosity- corner/earth/natural-disasters/why-do- volcanoes-erupt Hakim, Joy (2006). A history of US: Book 5: Liberty for all? 1820-1860 (3rd rev. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Lapp, D., & Fisher, D. (2009). It’s all about the book: Motivating teens to read. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52 (7) , 556-651. Lesaux, N. K., & Kieffer, M. J. (2010). Exploring sources of reading comprehension difficulties among language minority learners and their classmates in early adolescence. American Educational Research Journal, 47, 596–632. National Center for Education Statistics (2011). The Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2011 (NCES 2012–457). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. Seymour, S. (1995). Volcanoes. New York: HarperCollins. Stein, R. C. (1995). The California Gold Rush (Cornerstones of Freedom). Chicago: Children’s Press. Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Diane Lapp, EdD, is a Distinguished Professor of Education in the Department of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. She has taught elementary and middle school and currently teaches English at an urban high school where she is also an instructional coach. Her research and instruction focus on issues related to struggling readers and writers who live in economically deprived urban settings, and their families and teachers. Dr. Lapp has published numerous journal articles, columns, chapters, books, handbooks, and instructional materials. She has received the International Reading Association’s Outstanding Teacher Educator of the Year award and the Manning Award for her continued work in public schools. She is also a member of both the California and the International Reading Halls of Fame.

Barbara Moss, Kelly Johnson, PhD, Maria Grant, PhD, is a professor is a faculty member E dD, is an of literacy education in teacher education associate professor at San Diego State at San Diego State and the director of University, where University and a secondary education she teaches courses classroom teacher at at California State at the credential Health Sciences High University, Fullerton, and masters levels. She has been a reading and Middle College. She is the recipient of the where she teaches courses in the credential specialist and a reading supervisor, and California Reading Association’s Constance and graduate programs. She has authored presently works in an urban San Diego high McCullough Research Award for her study numerous publications centered on literacy, school as a literacy coach. She has published on assessment and diagnostic instruction. formative assessment, and reading in the numerous journal articles, books, and She also received the International Reading content areas, including articles in Educational educational materials. Her areas of research Association’s Celebrate Literacy Award. Kelly Leadership and the Journal of Adolescent & interest include informational texts, content has published in The Reading Teacher, The Adult Literacy. Dr. Grant also co-authored area literacy, and children’s literature. California Reader, The Reading Professor, and Reading and Writing in Science: Tools to Develop Literacy. She has coauthored several books Disciplinary Literacy with Dr. Douglas Fisher. about English learners, designing curriculum, She conducts professional development with and literacy strategies. teachers at various schools across the country.

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