These are the slides that go with my "Elements of Text Complexity" presentation at the North Carolina Reading Conference, March 17, 2014.

1. Standard 10:
The Thinking Standard
Jen Jones
Hello Literacy
K-12 Reading Specialist
Wake County, North Carolina
Stretching All Readers with Complex Text

2. The Common Core literacy Model
6
Ela Standard
Strands
3
ELA
Practices
Reading
Literature
Reading
Informational
Text
Speaking & Listening
Language
Writing
Foundational
Skills
Building knowledge
Through content
Rich non-fiction and
Informational text.
Reading, writing and
Speaking grounded in
evidence from the text
Regular practice with
complex text and
its academic
vocabulary
Based on the Common Core ELA
The The

3. Metatexuality
Literary Fiction & Informational Non-Fiction
1 Text-based Understanding & Comprehension
2 Central Message(s)/theme(s)/BIG ideas(s)
3 Characters/individuals across the text
4 Author’s Word Choice (syntax, vocab & language)
5 Text Structure & Text Features
6 Point of View/Purpose
7 Content Integration – Read & Research
8 Evaluate Claims & Arguments (NF only)
9 Text to Text Comparison
10 Text Complexity
Key Ideas & Details Craft & Structure Integration of Ideas

4. text complexity : WHAT & HOW
Text Complexity Standard Spiral
K Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose & understanding.
1 With prompting & support, read…appropriate complexity for grade 1.
2 Read & comprehend…in the 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
3 Read & comprehend…in the 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
4 Read & comprehend…in the 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
5 Read & comprehend…in the 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Anchor Standard 10 (K-12): Read and comprehend complex
literacy and informational texts independently & proficiently

5. How
Kids
Read
Old HOW NEW HOW
Source: T. Shanahan, 2012, Learning from Challenging Text

6. text complexity Stretch Bands
http://blog.aicr.org/2012/07/09/hot-tired-how-stretch-bands-can-help/
Revised
stretch
bands as
of 8.15.2012
Original
stretch
bands

7. text complexity Measurement
Source: Common Core Documents
The Reader

8. 3 Considerations THAT Make text complex
The book’s Lexile
Number…generated by
a computer using a
complicated formula.
The book’s language
created by the author
employing the author’s
craft and literacy
devices. (Anchor
Standard 4, 5 & 6)
ex: vocabulary,
sentence structure,
syntax, etc.
The reader’s role in the text
transaction. All the cognitive
capabilities, personal &
motivational elements,
experiences, content
knowledge and reading skills
that a reader brings to the
reading experience.

9. Text Complexity…A Result of the Gap
http://blog.aicr.org/2012/07/09/hot-tired-how-stretch-bands-can-help/

10. “Close reading, should not
imply that we ignore the
reader’s experiences…it
should imply that we bring
the text and the reader
close together.”
– Notice & Note:
Strategies for Close Reading

11. CC Book introductions…
New Yorker Style
Title
Caption
Blurb
“Activating prior knowledge has been overused and misconstrued…”

12. Image: Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry Cartoon Image by The NY Times
The Issue with Tackling Text
Complexity with Read-Alouds, Shared
Reading & Novel Studies…
But…

13. When do Kids Really EVER HAVE TO STRUGGLE
THROUGH CHALLENGING TEXT?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

16. SCAFFOLDING CHALLENGING TEXT
Source: T. Shanahan, 2012, Learning from Challenging Text

17. Event Coherence
Readers must carry character feelings (frustration) from one event
to the next as events unfold. Readers “read” a character’s growing
motivation by what they do and don’t do, and finally do.

18. Ideas & Content Complexity
Source: T. Shanahan, 2012, Learning from Challenging Text

19. Coherence Complexity
One What?

20. structure Complexity
“The yellow snow blower that my father bought for my
mother for their 15th wedding anniversary last year is
now sitting in the garage, under a pile of old boxes and
newspapers, where she left it that night, just before
she threw her mobile phone, the one with my pictures on
it, at dad, and burst into tears.”
…to explore the architecture of thoughts and feelings
Source: Shanahan article “The Challenge of Challenging Text”

21. vocabulary Complexity
Source: T. Shanahan, 2012, Learning from Challenging Text

22. vocabulary Complexity
Source: T. Shanahan, 2012, Learning from Challenging Text

25. Text BASED Questions
1. The text says, “My grandmother
was saw the emperor…” who’s
telling the story?
2. Using evidence from the text
and the illustration , infer where
this story takes place. Tell how
you know.
3. The author says, “he lost his
golden dragon throne.” Talk
about the author’s word choice
of lost and how it’s used in the
context of this page.

26. Awareness of Literacy Devices
Literacy devices allow a writer to “show not tell”
and communicate ideas in powerful ways.
Alliteration
Allusion
Analogy
Connotation
Hyperbole
Irony
Metaphor
Point of View
Symbolism
Source: T. Shanahan, 2012, Learning from Challenging Text

27. Awareness of Literacy Devices
Literacy devices allow a writer to “show not tell”
and communicate ideas in powerful ways.
Source: T. Shanahan, 2012, Learning from Challenging Text
I’m thinking, “Why don’t we just teach kids “the symbolism
doesn’t change” from text to text! A rose always mean
beauty, bells always mean freedom, rocks always mean
strength, storms always mean hard times, leaves and fall
always mean change, etc…”

28. TacklE Text Complexity with …
Complex Texts. Period.
Lexile Level
460
Lexile Level 580

29. Close Reading

30. Really
Making
Sense
Of
Nonfiction
information

31. Anticipating Complexity
What makes this complex?
What will students find confusing?
What am I going to do about it?

32. READER-TEXT Considerations
3rd dimension of complexity
Language is sparse & plain
Uses common words
Sentences are often short
Little language complexity
6th grade lexile
“HOWEVER, many students would have
difficulty understanding this
simplicity, not because of the book
itself but in the interaction between
the reader and the book. Few preteens
have had the emotional experiences
that would prepare them to understand
the old man’s determination to
maintain hope & dignity in the face of
overwhelming odds.” – Shanahan, et.al.

33. Characteristics of…
Close Reading
• Works best with short passages.
• The focus is intense.
• It will extend from the passage itself to other
part of the text.
• It should involve a great deal of exploratory
discussion.
• It involves rereading.
JJ adds..& teachers actually reading the text they are
going to teach from.. before the kids do
Source: Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Beers

34. Scoops of Learning
for our At-Risk Learners at LMES
Scoop One
at Their
Instructional
Reading Level
Scoop Three
Independent
Text Level
Scoop Two
at The Grade
Level Stretch
Level
+ +
Reading Session 1 -
Teacher A
less scaffolding
Reading Session 2 -
Teacher A or
Teacher B
more scaffolding
Reading Session 3 -
Read to Self or
Partner
independent
reading

35. Stretch Level for All
However, for students
reading at or above the
benchmark for their
grade level, for any
quarter, for example,
end of 2nd quarter, 2nd
grade benchmark is
19/20, therefore, a
child’s instructional level
IS their stretch level and
instruction in guided
reading will be close
reading of complex text
in the 2/3 stretch band.
Their one instructional
level scoop IS their
stretch scoop.

36. Stretch Level for All
However, for students
reading below their grade
level benchmark,
especially for students
whose instructional
reading level is at least
one year below their
grade level benchmark,
they will receive two
scoops of guided reading
daily-- one at their
instructional level with less
scaffolding, and another
one on grade level; their
stretch scoop, with more
scaffolding on complex
text in their stretch band.

38. Thank You!