Rich Library: Complexity

Overview

Books of varying complexity and reading levels are necessary for all students to experience reading success. Having books at varied reading levels, including complexity of words and sentence structures, gives readers of all levels books they can read independently.

Use It in the Classroom

Watch this in-depth look, with classroom examples, of how teachers and students can set up a classroom library.

Providing students with a class and/or school library of books that vary in Vocabulary and Syntax complexity supports literacy. Allowing students to choose books they want to read motivates them to read more, in turn supporting their growth in Alphabet Knowledge, Decoding, Print Awareness, and Sight Recognition.

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.

ReadWorks, a free online platform, 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, Narrative Skills, 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.

Audiobooks

TeachersFirst provides free audio books, some with text to follow along

How to Catalog a Library

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

How to Set Up a Class Library

Practical tips on how to set up and set expectations for a classroom library

Reading & Cognition

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

Self-Efficacy

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

Student Motivation

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