Don't Confuse Reading Comprehension and Learning to Read -- Rereading

Tim Shanahan

Teacher question:
You say that we should teach students to read with grade level texts. But my professor (I’m working on a master’s degree in reading) says that would be a big mistake since harder texts have been found to lower students’ fluency and comprehension (Amendum, Conradi, & Hiebert, 2017). Your research says one thing and his says something else. How can I sort this out? I kind of think that he is right since my students don’t read as well when I put them in the grade level books.

Shanahan response:
This is an easy question to answer: I’m right and your professor is wrong. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!
That didn’t convince you? Well, let’s try again.
The correct answer to your question depends on what your purpose is.
Your professor (and the research study he cited) are focused on how well students can read a text. They are correct – students generally don’t read harder texts as well as simpler ones. That means that if your goal is to ensure students read a particular text well – fluently and with high comprehension – then place the students in those easier texts.
However, ensuring a strong reading performance with a particular text is rarely a teacher’s goal. The point of lessons isn’t to demonstrate how well students can already read a text.

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