MODEL

Literacy 7-12

Systems Change
Literacy 7-12 > Strategies > Rich Library: Complexity

Rich Library: Complexity

Add to Workspace

Overview

Reading materials of varying complexity and levels are necessary for all students to experience success. Having texts, magazines, graphic novels, and other texts at varied reading levels, including complexity of words and sentence structures, gives readers of all levels materials they can read independently.

Use It in the Classroom

  • Providing students with a class and/or school library of reading materials that vary in academic Vocabulary and Syntax complexity supports literacy and Reading Fluency. Varying material type (e.g., nonfiction news articles and fictional stories) facilitates student understanding of Disciplinary Literacy for reading and writing. Allowing students to choose texts they want to read improves their Motivation to read more, in turn supporting their growth in Background Knowledge.

    • Design It into Your Product

    Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.

    Learn how ReadWorks offers readings at several levels sorted by grade, content, and lexile. The readings are also aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Teachers can find and assign specific articles to students and support their Vocabulary development, Disciplinary Literacy, and Syntax.

  • A digital library of books or pre-existing OER resources can supplement an in-class library and even be used for a home lending system, supported by school-owned devices, so children can read with their parents.
    • View References

    Resources

    Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
    Examples

    Audiobooks

    TeachersFirst audiobooks including some with text to follow along

    Examples

    How to Catalog a Library

    An example of how a teacher categorizes her class library, which could be categorized along levels as well

    Examples

    How to Create an Effective Library

    Practical guidelines for creating a classroom library

    Examples

    Scaffolding Independent Book Selection

    Lesson plans for teaching students to choose the right book for their reading level

    Research

    Reading & Cognition

    Subtopic that explores cognitive models of reading on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Research

    Self-Efficacy

    Subtopic that includes research on the factors that lead people to develop self-efficacy on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Research

    Student Motivation

    Topic that includes research on the factors that motivate students to learn and reach their goals on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Factors Supported by this Strategy

    Literacy
    Background Knowledge
    Disciplinary Literacy
    Inferencing
    Reading Fluency
    Syntax
    Vocabulary
    Cognition
    Long-term Memory
    Short-term Memory
    Social and Emotional Learning
    Motivation
    Student Background
    Adverse Experiences
    Literacy Environment
    Primary Language
    Safety
    Socioeconomic Status

    More Physical Space Strategies

    Dim or Natural Lighting

    Exposure to natural light is beneficial to the students' health and can increase their alertness and Attention.

    Individual Spaces

    Having private or semi-private spaces where students can go to support Self-regulation and individual deliberate practice.

    Mobility & Flexibility

    Creating student-driven, flexible learning spaces involves setting up the classroom to support the desired learning outcomes for each activity.

    Multiple Display Boards/Screens

    Multiple display spaces promote collaboration by allowing groups to share information easily as they work.

    Multiple Writing Surfaces

    Multiple writing surfaces promote collaboration by allowing groups to share information easily as they work.

    Quiet Environment/Pockets of Quiet

    Decreasing extra audio input provides a focused learning environment.

    Rich Library: Audio & Braille

    Providing texts in braille, large font, and with text-to-speech allows learners with visual needs to access content.

    Rich Library: Diversity

    Having culturally relevant reading materials, including multicultural and diverse texts, are critical for supporting all students.

    Rich Library: Multimodal

    Providing access to a variety of multimodal texts that align with the interests of learners allows them to practice digital, information, and Critical Literacy.

    Rich Library: Poetry

    With figurative language and creative sentence structure, poetry supports the development of a deeper understanding of the different ways language makes meaning.

    Rich Library: SEL Topics

    Books on social and emotional learning (SEL) topics, such as developing empathy and productive persistence, help teach these skills.

    Sound Level

    Providing ways for students to adjust sound level supports individual auditory needs.

    Temperature

    Providing ways for students to meet their individual temperature needs supports Attention and Self-regulation.

    Uncluttered Environment

    Spaces that are structured, organized, and clean provide increased room for collaboration and active learning.

    Visit

    Explore

    Stay Up to Date

    © Copyright Digital Promise     |     Digital Promise Home     |     Contact Us     |     Terms of Use
    Creative Commons LicenseExcept where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License