Did the teacher provide access to a range of texts aligned to the unit of study so that all students could access the content? (Range of texts could include texts at different levels, different genres, in different languages)

Why does this matter?

It benefits ALL students to read challenging texts. Students at lower independent reading levels should be reading more difficult texts with teacher support and also engage in texts that they can read independently.

While it is always helpful to have text available that students can read without difficulty, it is JUST as important for students to be able to stretch and try to read more difficult text. Reading ability is not static; the level of text one can read varies based on the topic and prior knowledge. The article Limiting Children to Books They Can Already Read spells out exactly why having a range of texts at different levels is so important.

Engaging with a range of texts including fiction and nonfiction books; as well as magazines, brochures, posters, various art forms like poetry, drawing, painting, sculpture, and multimedia allows students to use texts for a variety of personal and social purposes.

This resource, Using Genre to Help Students Learn from What They Read , is a great resource to see how introducing students to different genres can help them become better readers as they learn the features of each genre.

What does this look like in a classroom?

It looks just like it sounds in the question - teachers have a range of texts available for students to read on the same topic. Students might have texts on the same topic at different reading levels, in different languages or in different genres. The main point of this question is that teachers work to ensure that ALL learners in the classroom can access the information by providing them with a range of texts.

Below are some concrete examples you might see if a teacher is using this strategy:

• In a history class, students might read articles or books on the same topic at different reading levels, in different languages, or different types of texts to access the same topic. Social studies teachers expose students to documents, texts, and artifacts in order to re-create and make sense of a past event. Check out this article for more: Use These 10 Elements to Teach Historical Literacy

• In ELA class, this might involve teachers offering a wide range of books and texts at different levels on a particular topic and allowing students to choose. This is not about limiting students to a particular level based off a test. Check out the article Level Books, Not Kids

• In a math class, teachers might offer example of similar math problems from textbooks at different grade levels and providing extra support for students as they read problems. Check out Reading Math Textbooks as an example. Reading books that weave mathematical ideas into engaging stories helps dispel the myth that math is unimaginative. In Mathematics, read a story aloud to the class and discuss it as you would any other book. Then introduce an activity. As with all math lessons, keep the emphasis on students’ reasoning, ask students to communicate their thinking and solutions, and encourage discussion among students. Content-Area Literacy: Mathematics, is another great reading resource for math teachers.

What does this look like in a remote learning context?

Through being introduced to a range of texts, students develop understandings about reading while building a background of text experiences they can draw on as they read independently.

• NEWSELA is probably the most used tool right now in terms of remote learning and is a great way to find multiple texts on nearly any topic in any subject. It is free and there are many tutorials on how to use the whole system, including this Getting Started Toolkit for Remote Learning. There is also a simple video on NEWSELA text sets.

• Commonlit is another tool that allows teacher to establish a free account and offers the ability to utilize multiple texts on the same topic.

• NYC DOE has a comprehensive list of Articles and Text Sets for students (you will need to use your DOE Credentials to access)

• SUNY Geneseo School of Education has compiled many resources about text sets here

• Readworks is another free resources that can be very helpful to create and develop text sets.

• The National Council of Teachers of English provides this Definition of Literacy in a Digital Age . This resource provides many questions for educators to ask themselves as they prepare texts for students to read.

• The International Literacy Association has an article called e-Reading and E-Responding: Motivating and Engaging All Learners which highlights the importance of using various digital text with students.

What are some key PD resources related to this topic?

Teaching Flexibly with Leveled Text

A Call to Action: What we Know About Adolescent Literacy

Making Independent Reading Work

What are special considerations / resources for students with IEPs?

The website Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities has a wide array of resources to support students with IEPs in literacy instruction.

How is this related to CR-SE? (Culturally Responsive /Sustaining Education)

Multicultural literacy is seeing, thinking, reading, writing, listening, and discussing in ways that critically confront and bridge social, cultural, and personal differences. As educators we work to expose students to multiple perspectives as we avoid the “danger of a single story” (Adichie, 2009). The majority of inexperienced adolescent readers need opportunities and instructional support to read many and diverse types of texts in order to gain experience, build fluency, and develop a range as readers (Greenleaf, Schoenbach, Cziko, & Mueller, 2001; Kuhn & Stahl, 2000). Through extensive reading of a range of texts, supported by strategy lessons and discussions, readers become familiar with written language structures and text features, develop their vocabularies, and read for meaning more efficiently and effectively.

Using Literature to Eradicate Xenophobia: One Educator’s Response to Covid-19

How is this related to the Supportive Environment Framework / Social-Emotional Learning?

The Supportive Environment Framework states that: "The school is a safe, supportive, inclusive, and affirming environment for everyone." Providing students with a range of texts, at different levels, in different languages or on different topics based on interest instantly makes any classroom more inclusive and affirming.