Eight Ways to Help Kids Read Complex Text

by Tim Shanahan

Blast from the Past: This entry first appeared September 6, 2016, was reissued June 27, 2020, and January 25, 2025. I’ve updated it a bit – based on my new book (which is currently in production and should be out soon). Avoiding teaching students with grade level texts, holds most kids back rather than propelling them forward. This blog entry provides practical advice as to how to teach successfully with such books.

Teacher Question:

My district is currently "grappling" with the idea of asking students to read complex text if they are significantly below the grade level. As an example, within one fourth grade class, a teacher identified that more than half her class is 1-2 grade levels below the expectation for reading (using multiple measures). Her response is to change the level of the text and try to move the students forward. The common theme in our schools is that growth is what matters, not proficiency. However, our new reading series expects students to perform in more complex texts. Even the "approaching" level books are above what we typically would ask struggling students to read. Could you give some specific examples of how to scaffold, when students are unable to read half the words on a page?  

Shanahan Response:

First, if students are reading like first graders—that is, they are struggling with decoding then you should be trying to teach them out of easier books, with lots of word repetition and high decodability. The complex text prescription is not for them. You indicate that they can’t read half the words on the page which sounds a lot lower than one or two grade levels off. If they are that low, you will need to do a lot more than just placing them in much easier books. They also should be receiving substantial amounts of phonics and fluency training (30 minutes per day of each), and some may even need more of those in Tier 2 interventions.

However, if these fourth graders are reading at a second or third grade level, then, place them in the grade level texts. Doing that not only means that they’ll be taught what your state requires, but you’ll be exposing them to content or ideas more appropriate to their maturity, intellectual functioning, and interests.

Second, vary the reading demands on these students so that they are not always working with challenging text. You should do what athletic trainers dp, varying the degree of difficulty of the training. Some texts should be easier, and these will merit less scaffolding and support, some texts should be harder and those will require more teacher guidance.

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