Post on 27-Mar-2015
Understanding Text ComplexityAugust, 2012
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“Being able to read complex text independently and proficiently is essential for high achievement in college and the workplace and important in numerous life tasks.”*From Appendix A, page 4 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
“Being able to read complex text independently and proficiently is essential for high achievement in college and the workplace and important in numerous life tasks.”*From Appendix A, page 4 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Text Complexity Matters
Why Text Complexity MattersWhy Text Complexity Matters
“Over the last 50 years, the complexity of college and
workplace reading has increased, while text complexity in K-12 has
remained stagnant.”
Adapted from Appendix A, page 2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Why Text Complexity MattersWhy Text Complexity Matters
“Research indicates the demands that college, careers, and
citizenship place on readers have either held steady or increased over roughly the last 50 years.”
Adapted from Appendix A, page 2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Why Text Complexity MattersWhy Text Complexity Matters
“The difficulty of college textbooks has increased since
1962.”
Adapted from Appendix A, page 2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Why Text Complexity MattersWhy Text Complexity Matters
“Students in college are expected to read complex texts with
substantially greater independence than are students
in typical K-12 programs.”
Adapted from Appendix A, page 2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Why Text Complexity MattersWhy Text Complexity Matters
“A 2005 College Board study found that college professors assign more readings from
periodicals than do high school teachers.”
Adapted from Appendix A, page 2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Why Text Complexity MattersWhy Text Complexity Matters
“The word difficulty of scientific journals and magazines from 1930 to 1990 has increased.”
Adapted from Appendix A, page 2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Why Text Complexity MattersWhy Text Complexity Matters
“Workplace reading, measured in Lexiles, exceeds grade 12
complexity significantly, although there is considerable variation.”
Adapted from Appendix A, page 2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
WHAT’S MY LEXILE???WHAT’S MY LEXILE???
Application for student loan
College Textbooks
W4 Forms
CD-DVD Instructions
Wall Street Journal
Where the Wild THings Are
Grapes of Wrath
Application for student loan
College Textbooks
W4 Forms
CD-DVD Instructions
Wall Street Journal
Where the Wild THings Are
Grapes of Wrath
Applications for Student Loans: 1270
College Textbooks: 1215
W4 Forms: 1260
CD-DVD Instructions: 1080
Wall Street Journal: 1320
Where the Wild Things Are: 740
Grapes of Wrath: 680
Lexile Levels of Occupational Reading Materials
Lexile Levels of Occupational Reading Materials
Lexile Levels of Occupational Reading Materials
Lexile Levels of Occupational Reading Materials
Understanding Text Complexity-Rusin
Visual Representation of the range of complexity of text in existing Core Compared to Common Core
Visual Representation of the range of complexity of text in existing Core Compared to Common Core
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Jigsaw ActivityJigsaw Activity
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So what is text complexity anyway?
So what is text complexity anyway?
Defining and Describing Text Complexity
Defining and Describing Text Complexity
What is a lexile?What is a lexile?
What does Lexile measure?
A Lexile® measure is a valuable piece of information about either an individual's reading ability or the difficulty of a text, like a book or magazine article. The Lexile measure is shown as a number with an "L" after it — 880L is 880 Lexile.
From: http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-overview/
What does Lexile measure?
A Lexile® measure is a valuable piece of information about either an individual's reading ability or the difficulty of a text, like a book or magazine article. The Lexile measure is shown as a number with an "L" after it — 880L is 880 Lexile.
From: http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-overview/
The idea behind the Lexile Framework for reading is simple: if we know how well a student can read and how hard a specific text is to comprehend, we can predict how well that student will likely understand the text.
The idea behind the Lexile Framework for reading is simple: if we know how well a student can read and how hard a specific text is to comprehend, we can predict how well that student will likely understand the text.
From: http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-overview/
When used together, Lexile measures help find books/articles at appropriate level of difficulty and determine how well that reader will likely comprehend a text. You can also monitor growth over time.
When used together, Lexile measures help find books/articles at appropriate level of difficulty and determine how well that reader will likely comprehend a text. You can also monitor growth over time.
From: http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-overview/
How do students get a lexile level?
How do students get a lexile level?
A student gets his or her Lexile reader measure from a reading test or program.
Lexile measures can range from below 200L to above 1700L.http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-overview/
A student gets his or her Lexile reader measure from a reading test or program.
Lexile measures can range from below 200L to above 1700L.http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-overview/
Key Points to remember...Key Points to remember...
It is best to select books based on a reader’s Lexile range rather than focus on one reader measure. "The “Lexile range” is the suggested range of Lexile measures that a reader should be reading—50L above to 100L below his or her Lexile measure.
It is best to select books based on a reader’s Lexile range rather than focus on one reader measure. "The “Lexile range” is the suggested range of Lexile measures that a reader should be reading—50L above to 100L below his or her Lexile measure.
CCSS: Appendix A
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CCSS: Appendix A
CCSS: Appendix A
Now let’s practice!Now let’s practice!
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Let’s summarize our learning thus far...
Let’s summarize our learning thus far...
What are the three factors to consider when
determining text complexity?
What are the three factors to consider when
determining text complexity?
Quantitati
ve
Qualitative
Reader and Task Considerations
How must our instruction change?
How must our instruction change?
Reading Framework for NAEP 2009
www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks/reading09.pdf
LiteraryLiteraryStories:
Includes children’s adventure stories, folk tales, legends, fables,
fantasy, realistic iction, and myth
Dramas:Includes staged
dialogue and brief familiar scenes
Poetry:Includes nursery rhymes and the sub-genres of the narrative poem, limerick,
and free verse poem
Includes biographies and autobiographies; books about history, social studies, science, and the arts; technical texts, including directions, forms, and information
displayed in graphs, charts, or maps; and digital sources on a range of topics.
INFORMATIONAL TEXTINFORMATIONAL TEXT
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“Students need to be taught how to read and
think about complex texts.”
“Students need to be taught how to read and
think about complex texts.”
Fisher, Frey, and Lapp: Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading, p. 105
So how do we do it?So how do we do it?
DebriefDebrief
Select short, worthy passagesSelect short, worthy passages
RereadReread
Read with a pencilRead with a pencil
Note confusionsNote confusions
Model the TextModel the Text
discuss the textdiscuss the text
ask text dependent questions
ask text dependent questions
www.fisherandfrey.com
www.fisherandfrey.com
Next stepsNext steps