The Critical Role of Text Complexity in Teaching Children to Read
In this downloadable white paper by Fountas and Pinnell they examine several factors that, according to research, make a difference in students' literacy learning. Each factor is highly related to the selection and use of texts in classrooms, including books for whole-group instruction, small-group instruction, and individual teaching. Recently text complexity has gained more attention. The importance of text complexity, along with the suggestion to employ "close reading," has been recognized in the Common Core State Standards (2010) and in numerous, often conflicting, interpretations. Fountas and Pinnell believe that students should have numerous opportunities to engage with complex, grade-appropriate fiction and nonfiction texts in both whole-class and small-group settings and that students need to comprehend these texts in a deep way.
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