Renaissance Reading Tip #3: Understanding text complexity

Are your students challenging themselves with their reading choices?

The latest research reveals most are not. On average, students are choosing to read books at the very bottom of the recommended reading level range for their grade. As a result, they're likely not building the skills needed to comprehend grade-level texts.

Here are 3 essential insights for understanding text complexity—and helping students read at the just-right level of challenge to boost their reading growth.

Text complexity and background knowledge
Measures of text complexity, such as ATOS® or Lexile®, are helpful for understanding which texts might be too easy or too difficult for a student to read. For example, if a student can comfortably read texts at ATOS 5.6—meaning the typical reading level of a fifth grader in their sixth month of the school year—then a book at 2.3 might be too easy, while one at 8.8 might be much too hard.

However, no measure of text complexity can account for a student’s vocabulary and background knowledge. If the student is very familiar with a topic, they may have little difficulty reading a book at an 8.8 level. If the topic is totally new, the text at 5.6 might actually be too hard—and a less-complex text might actually be the “just-right” option.

Reading below-level texts to reach grade level
When students engage in high-quality reading practice with texts at or just above their reading level—texts in their zone of proximal development—they can grow their reading skills and, over time, work their way up to grade-level reading. For struggling readers, this means reading lots of below-grade-level texts may be exactly what they need to get up to grade level.

In contrast, pushing below-level readers to read grade-level texts may not actually help them reach grade level. One study found that students who read texts far above their individual reading levels made the same reading gains as students who read at their individual reading levels—but the first group was less motivated to read and less likely to stay on task. Over time, lowered motivation can mean less reading practice and students falling even farther behind.

Scaffolded exposure to grade-level texts
While it may not be beneficial to push below-level readers to read grade-level texts, it can be powerful to expose them to this level of text complexity—with the appropriate support.
• Read aloud: Many students can understand more of a complex text when it’s read aloud than they can when they read the same text independently.
• Build background knowledge: Have a student read a text or two on a topic at their individual reading level, then read and discuss an excerpt of a grade-level text on the same topic in pairs or small groups.
• Model comprehension strategies: As a whole class, read an excerpt of a grade-level text together, pausing after each paragraph to analyze the information presented. Out loud, walk through applying a specific comprehension strategy to the text.