Reading

Navigating (and Teaching) Among Streams of Meaning

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by Jason D. DeHart

“You spend too much time on the Internet,” a student said to me one day. She was in midst of a conversation with some of her peers using a recently coined bit of young adult jargon. When I joined the chat with knowledge of the term, she shared this admonition.

Teaching adolescents is both challenging and enriching. As in my time navigating my own period of adolescence, students are engaged in connected experiences that follow multiple streams of conversation – fandom, affinity, digital gaze, and more – all with the notion of community and belonging in mind. There is an always-changing multimedia flow of trends and treasured knowledge, often disseminated by digital platforms and what appears to be word of mouth.

Considering the literacy lives of the youth I work with daily, there is a clear sense of multiple channel navigation. Elements of identity weave together cultural practices and notes from popular culture. Youth are, indeed, like buoys among the stream of social media and technological message, including wider avenues of jargon and trend. They are purveyors of this wide range of culture, as well as curators of the space – whether they are fully aware of this aspect of their agency or not.

Spaces of Joy and Fandom

As Riesco and Goering (2025) recently explored, the anchor of popular culture continues to be part of adolescent practices. These changes in popular focus and language are fascinating from a researcher’s perspective, as well as a source of joy as an educator. This attention toward youth as the center of popular culture is hardly new – indeed, the mall culture of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as changing forms of music consumption have tracked with young people from the origin of the commercial. As a youth myself in the 1980s and 1990s, I was first the focal point of animation and branding that included popular characters; as an adult now reliving those days, I am a target of nostalgia branding. This is the sense of agency that companies do not necessarily consider when they are engaged in transmedia branding – they are handing their power over to youth, whose role is then to take up a particular trend and exercise this focal point of pop culture for so long as their engagement affords.

Indeed, language is always changing and the markers of what it means to be current are in constant flux. The popularity of comics is one site of further joy, as these texts were part of my literacy practices as a young reader and composer. While stakeholders in the film industry grapple with superhero fatigue, digital comics and manga continue to be mainstays of popularity (Benatti, 2024; Lowe, 2024). Students in my classroom autonomously engage with web comics during independent reading times, as well as graphic novels about popular characters like Blue Beetle and Plastic Man.

Critical Approaches and Boundaries

This collective sense of branding and messaging across multiple streams of meaning carries with it a series of significant questions for educators, especially those concerned with literacy. Rather than ask the question of how to stay relevant, I am curious about what is already continuously relevant about our pedagogy and about the series of actions and practices which result in or add to literacy development.

These practices are not limited to reading. Last year, I partnered with the media specialist at my school to engage in a grant-funded project that allowed students to read historically-based comics, select comics for their own reading choice, and then create one-page comics in response. Students were exposed to the range of stories, from superhero narratives to memoir, and their comics reflected this variance. Some composed responses included fantasy elements, while others documented friendships and other grounded experiences. In terms of composing, some students planned and developed their responses with traditional tools (paper, pencils, markers), while others used AI to brainstorm and plan their work and digital tools (Canva, Pixton) to create their responses.

My students are poised with a teacher whose positionalities exist alongside a variety of borders – completely up for popular character study alongside or even instead of the canon, yet (appropriately) critical of the ways that technology can be used to subvert multistep processes. I am an educator who is always interested in the step of thinking that occurs between teaching/assignment and turn-in.

Sometimes this means that I critique the material with which I am asking students to engage. Literacy is part of a wider ecosystem for adolescents, not an end. Older readers link engaged reading with topics that are relevant and interesting to them. VanderVelden and Apedoe (2025) recently explored the relationship of reading motivation and learning environment for adolescents, noting one particular area of importance. This area was inquiry – that is, readers needed to be engaged in an inquisitive set of discovery and problem-solving practices in order to be motivated. The purpose of the reading activity had to be clearly and clearly situated.

The Present and the Future

I continue to ponder and explore the best ways to teach my students. At times, I anachronistically reference prior trends to be ironic. At other times, I link my practices (like attending comics conventions) with student interests.

Literacy is also an expansive set of practices and interlinking set of ideas (Roberts et al., 2025). Effective reading and writing practices are linked within the wider space of conversations and culture, and they are reflective of the ways that people actually compose in daily life. This includes the digital and visual. I find that my identity as an educator in a cusp generation helps me bridge these links; that is, I remember what it was like to have one computer in the classroom, and to be expected to read the segmented literature presented in textbooks and answer the perennial questions at the end of the passages. I also remember what it was like to suddenly have computers at home, and I recall how these shifts only grew through the advancement of smaller, personalized technology.

I am not the teacher I was in 2007 when I embarked on my career, and I have no doubt that my instruction will change, refresh, and update along with the practices of my students as they continue to root and flow with questions of engaged citizenship, popular culture trends, and I contemplate what it means to be the educator that my students need me to be.

References

Benatti, F. (2024). Innovations in Digital Comics: A Popular Revolution. Cambridge University Press.

Lowe, S. (2024). Book review: Manga in libraries: A guide for teen librarians. The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies, 5, 254-258.

Riesco, H. S., & Goering, C. Z. (2025). Italian brain rot and skibidi toilets: Students’ joyful literacies in an ELA space. English Journal, 114(6), 23-31.

Roberts, C. A., Wilhelm, A., Allred, B., & Hudson, R. F. (2025). Expanding literacy: Caregiver experiences with literacy engagement for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Exceptional Children, 91(3), 281-302.

VanderVelden, T., & Apedoe, X. (2025). The Relationship Between Situated Reading Motivation and Perception of the Learning Environment for Adolescent Students. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 69(3), e70023.

Jason D. DeHart is a passionate educator, actively engaged in finding what works for connecting readers with literacy practices. He served as a middle grades English teacher for eight years, has worked at the university level at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Appalachian State University, and currently works with high school students in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Text Sets That Build Curiosity, Confidence, and Connection

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By Dr. Rachelle S. Savitz

Have you ever handed out a text you thought your students would love, only to realize halfway through that they’re lost, disengaged, or overwhelmed? We’ve all been there. Sometimes, it’s not the students—it’s the setup. That’s where text sets come in.

What Are Text Sets?

A text set is a carefully chosen group of texts—articles, infographics, poems, podcasts, infographics, art pieces, even songs—that explore a common idea, theme, or question from different angles. Together, they build knowledge, deepen understanding, and give every student a way in.

Instead of relying on one “anchor text” to do all the heavy lifting, text sets layer multiple types of sources, each with its own voice, structure, and level of complexity, to help students make sense of big ideas. Sarah Lupo and her colleagues (2020) call this the layered text set approach: start with accessible, high-interest texts to build background knowledge, then layer in more complex disciplinary readings that push students’ thinking.

For instance, imagine a ninth-grade science unit on climate change and environmental impact. You might begin with a short infographic or video from National Geographic Kids that visually explains the greenhouse effect (an accessible, high-interest text). Next, students could read a news article summarizing local climate data or community responses to flooding—something concrete that connects to their lives. Once students have built some shared understanding, you could layer in a section of a scientific report or a peer-reviewed study that examines climate data patterns. Finally, students might read a commentary piece by a climate scientist debating mitigation strategies.

Each layer increases complexity: the first builds understanding, the next establishes relevance, and the final texts invite students to engage with disciplinary thinking—interpreting data, analyzing arguments, and evaluating evidence.

Josh Lawrence and Emily Phillips Galloway (2022) remind us that this balance of pedagogical and expert texts is key. Pedagogical texts (like the infographic and local news story) support comprehension by introducing key ideas and vocabulary. Expert texts (like the research article or scientific commentary) show students how scientists write, argue, and reason within their field. Pairing both types of texts allows students to move from “learning about science” to doing the work of scientists, where they get to analyze data, question sources, and communicate findings.

The same principle applies across disciplines. In English, pairing a contemporary poem about identity (pedagogical text) with a literary essay on voice and structure (expert text) helps students explore how authors craft meaning. In social studies, combining a political cartoon (pedagogical) with excerpts from historical speeches (expert) helps students analyze perspective, bias, and rhetoric.

When we layer and balance texts intentionally, we give all students the tools and confidence to enter complex conversations regardless of where they start. Differentiation happens naturally in this design: accessible texts provide shared entry points, while increasingly complex ones invite students to stretch their thinking at different levels of readiness. Because readability scores don’t tell the full story of what makes a text approachable, layering ensures that students who might struggle with dense syntax or specialized vocabulary can still engage meaningfully with ideas through visuals, multimodal sources, or shorter, conceptually rich pieces. In other words, text sets create multiple on-ramps to rigorous learning, allowing every student, regardless of reading proficiency, to participate in authentic disciplinary inquiry.

Why Text Sets Matter

Reading across multiple texts encourages students to build background knowledge, spot contradictions, and develop critical empathy, allowing them to see the world through others’ experiences while reflecting on their own (Savitz et al., 2024). The texts we choose send messages about whose knowledge matters and whose voices belong in the conversation (Savitz & Kane, 2023). When we design text sets with intention, we help students think critically, see themselves reflected, and recognize how knowledge is constructed (Sims Bishop, 1990).

For example, imagine an eighth-grade unit on migration and belonging.

  • Start with a short, illustrated article that introduces migration trends.
  • Add a poem or spoken word piece that captures the emotion of displacement.
  • Include a personal narrative or podcast that brings an individual story to life.
  • Layer in a primary source or historical document that gives context.
  • End with a local news story or youth interview connecting migration to students’ communities.

Each text adds a layer of meaning. Together, they help students connect ideas, think historically and empathetically, and practice disciplinary reasoning—all without relying on one lengthy or “perfect” text.

Understanding Text Complexity

Of course, choosing the right combination of texts isn’t just about variety – we need to think about complexity.

Text complexity isn’t simply how difficult something is to read. It describes how challenging a text is to read, understand, and use—and three interrelated dimensions shape it:

  1. Quantitative measures – the “countable” features such as sentence length, word frequency, and cohesion. These provide a general sense of difficulty (similar to a Lexile score) but can’t capture meaning, structure, or cultural context. A scientific article full of short sentences might have a moderate Lexile but still require deep disciplinary reasoning.
  2. Qualitative dimensions – the interpretive features of a text, such as multiple levels of meaning, abstract ideas, or cultural references. A novel like Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (2016) may appear straightforward because of its verse format and accessible language, yet its layered exploration of identity, memory, and belonging invites readers to interpret its symbolism, navigate shifting perspectives, and connect ideas to historical context. The text’s qualitative complexity emerges through what students notice, question, and connect—especially when they analyze how Woodson’s poetic structure shapes meaning and how her personal narrative intersects with collective histories of race and resilience.
  3. Reader and task considerations – the human factors: who your students are and what you’re asking them to do. The same article can be “simple” when students summarize it, but deeply complex when they compare sources, critique perspectives, or connect it to lived experience.

These dimensions remind us to ask three essential questions:

  • What makes the text itself complex?
  • What do we know about our students as readers?
  • What’s the purpose of the reading?

Complexity Is Both Found and Made

Something to consider when we determine the complexity of a text is that complexity is both inherent and constructed.

  • Inherent complexity lies in the text itself—its structure, language, and assumptions about readers.
  • Constructed complexity is created through what teachers and students do with the text—the questions they ask, the inferences they make, and the conversations they have.

That means a poem, infographic, or historical document becomes rigorous when students engage critically with it—not because it’s “hard,” but because it invites deep thinking.

Consider two quick examples:

  • A history teacher uses a primary source with archaic language. Students decode vocabulary (inherent complexity) and then debate the author’s bias (constructed complexity).
  • An art teacher studies Picasso’s Guernica. Students analyze form and symbolism (inherent), then discuss its political message and relevance today (constructed).

In both, rigor grows from the interaction between text, reader, and purpose.

Bringing It Together: Designing with Intention

When you plan a text set, you’re not just building reading lists—you’re creating pathways into complex ideas. You can adjust the quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task elements to support access and rigor for all learners. Scaffolds like visuals, vocabulary previews, or collaborative discussions don’t lower complexity, but they open the door wider.

That’s where Lupo’s Quad Text Framework can help balance

  • Complexity – texts that stretch students appropriately
  • Variety – genres and modalities that enrich understanding
  • Accessibility – supports that meet students where they are
  • Relevance – connections to students’ lives and interests

When we design text sets that do all four, we help students not only read like experts but think like experts—questioning, synthesizing, and creating new understandings that extend beyond the page.

Final Thought

Text sets remind us that literacy is not one-size-fits-all. The magic happens when multiple voices, formats, and perspectives come together, and when we, as teachers, design with both challenge and care. Because the real goal isn’t to make reading harder. It’s to make one think more deeply.

References

Lawrence, J., & Galloway, E. P. (2022, April 12). Disciplinary expert and pedagogical texts: Implications for creating text sets. Reading Ways.

Lupo, S. M., Berry, A., Thacker, E., Sawyer, A., & Merritt, J. (2020). Rethinking text sets to support knowledge building and interdisciplinary learning. The Reading Teacher, 73(4), 513–524.

Savitz, R. S., Irvin, V., & Soulen, R. R. (2024). Developing an empathic analysis: Using critical literacy, dialogue, and inquiry with literature to explore issues with gender labels. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 68(1), 14–22.

Savitz, R.S., & Kane, B. (2023). Trauma-sensitive literacy instruction: Building student resilience in English language arts classrooms. Teachers College Press.

Sims Bishop, R. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives, 6(3), ix–xi.

  • Literacy Cited

Woodson, J. (2016). Brown girl dreaming. Nancy Paulsen Books.

Rachelle S. Savitz is an associate professor of reading/literacy at East Carolina University. She was previously a K-12 literacy coach/interventionist and high school reading teacher. She values working with graduate students and teachers and learning with and from them. She explores the intersections of critical inquiry, culturally sustaining pedagogy, trauma-sensitive practices, and teacher self-efficacy related to disciplinary literacy and equitable literacy materials and curricula. In addition, Dr. Savitz is widely published and serves as president of Literacy in the Disciplines, 6-12.

NC House Bill 805 Analysis: Navigating Barriers to Equitable Literacy Achievement

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Welcome to Sarabi Kearney, an educator from eastern North Carolina.

Introduction

Recent news headlines include the ratification of House Bill 805 by North Carolina lawmakers in July 2025. The law has been amended to clarify specific gender roles and include parental access to school and classroom library catalogs, along with the decision to opt out of classroom discussions. This policy excludes the use of textbooks. Library books are defined as  “… electronic, print, and nonprint resources for independent use by students and school personnel outside of the standard course of study for any grade or course” (House Bill 805 / SL 2025-84 (2025-2026 Session) – North Carolina General Assembly, n.d.). Local boards of education have been directed to adopt this policy under a minimum of two requirements. Public access to school library catalogs must be provided through a web-based search engine and displayed on each school’s home webpage, giving parental guardians access to approve or deny any books to be borrowed by students (House Bill 805 / SL 2025-84 (2025-2026 Session) – North Carolina General Assembly, n.d.). Book censorship has been a controversial topic in literacy policy for many years. Enactment of this policy could produce barriers to access an enriched literacy education.

Policy Stakeholders

The bill was originally proposed to protect women and children from sexual exploitation, prohibiting the unlawful publishing of pornographic material. Since this proposal, the bill was amended by Senate Republicans to include transgender policies, public school literacy materials, and classroom discussions. Governor Josh Stein originally vetoed this bill, following up with the statement, “These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education” (Governor Stein Takes Action on 12 Bills, 2025). However, this veto was overridden by a majority vote in the Republican legislature and is now a North Carolina law. Stakeholders impacted by this policy include students, parents, educators, and school librarians. A proper inventory will need to be conducted in libraries and classrooms, making these books accessible to public opinion.

Implications on Literacy Instruction

            Stakeholders in literacy instruction have expressed concerns surrounding the bill. Public scrutiny creates limitations on access to a variety of classroom books. Many educators are worried that this is an attack on diverse titles and young adult contemporary texts that compose classroom and school libraries. The role of public school librarians and teachers who build catalogs of stories that represent diverse cultural backgrounds has been called into question by government officials in favor of this bill. Senator Buck Newton, a Wilson County Republican divulged his commitment to spreading this policy by stating, “… we think it’s constitutionally based that parents are the determiners, the ultimate determiners, of their children’s education, and we choose to empower them” (Keung Hui & Guinassi, 2025). Others who have voted against the bill have pushed back by labeling it as a false narrative. Senator Lisa Grafstein, a Wake County Democrat shared “There’s a narrative out there that librarians suddenly who we all grew up, you know, learning from and being guided by that somehow they’ve turned evil and they’re trying to harm children” (Keung Hui & Guinassi, 2025). Will parents/guardians place restraints on access to materials needed for high quality literacy instruction or will they create partnerships with educators who stand in solidarity with culturally responsive teaching practices?

            Concern has also been raised surrounding student participation in classroom discussions and activities that could place a substantial burden on the student’s religious beliefs. While the separation of church and state has been prioritized in public education for many years, this policy places a thorough angle on the perspective of stakeholders in literary discussions. Shared literacy experiences create a space for students to deeply reflect on their learning and engage with peers who may have similar and different takeaways from assigned readings. Discussing similarities and differences in views and beliefs is where conversations tend to become sensitive topics, and these topics must now be evaluated before they are introduced in a classroom setting. Depending on how sensitive a subject is to a parental guardian, they may choose to remove their child from the discussion, and the teacher will be tasked to provide the student with an alternative assignment that aligns with the standard course of study.

Implications on Student Learning

            Student learning outcomes are largely impacted by this policy in two ways. The instructional time/administrative load dedicated to curating catalogs and alignment or tension with current Science of Reading reforms. Some teachers have already expressed that the catalog process will divert major time and attention from core literacy planning (Keith, 2025). Sharing this information with the public is a favorable act, however, the groundwork of sorting through libraries that contain hundreds of books before students can access them will take more than a little time. An additional concern at large is a disconnect between the current push in Science of Reading principles and book censorship. While success with early foundational literacy skills may continue to improve, there is fear that text-rich outcomes such as vocabulary, background knowledge, and oral language skills may considerably plummet (Rash & Rash, 2024). Breadth of knowledge and vocabulary volume are deeply enriched with access to a wide variety of texts.

Conclusion

          As districts are aiming to be proactive in enacting House Bill 805 policies, we must consider possible ramifications or success stories that could be a result of this new policy. Contrary to the risk of narrow exposure to a variety of texts, positive home-to-school relationships could also arise under this legislation. This action ultimately gives parents the power to approve or deny their child’s access to a substantial literacy education. What parents choose to do with this initiative will determine the likely outcomes of a lifelong literacy education.

References

Governor Stein takes action on 12 bills. (2025, July 3). NC Governor. https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2025/07/03/governor-stein-takes-action-12-bills

House Bill 805 / SL 2025-84 (2025-2026 session) – North Carolina General Assembly. (n.d.). https://ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/h805

Keith, R. (2025, August 29). NHCS teachers scramble to comply with new classroom library law. WHQR. https://www.whqr.org/local/2025-08-28/nhcs-teachers-scramble-to-comply-with-new-classroom-library-law

Keung Hui, T., & Guinassi, L. (2025, June 20). NC lawmakers could create religious exemptions policy for school assignments. The News & Observer. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article308920355.html

Rash, M., & Rash, M. (2024, August 2). ‘Dedication of our teachers’ praised in an update on the state’s science of reading journey. EdNC. https://www.ednc.org/dedication-of-our-teachers-praised-in-an-update-on-the-states-science-of-reading-journey/

Sarabi Kearney is a 25-year-old first-grade teacher currently residing in Greensboro, NC. She was born and raised in Vanceboro, NC and is a homegrown East Carolinian. Her passion lies in fostering a safe, culturally responsive learning environment for youth to thrive. She believes in implementing equitable teaching practices that support the development of each learner in meaningful and specific ways. She also believes that every child deserves access to high-quality literacy instruction, as it is the foundation for academic success and lifelong opportunity. 

Supporting MLs Through Disciplinary Literacy: A Practical Guide for Teachers

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by Carrie Rieder

You’ve learned about disciplinary literacy and are convinced that this is the best path of success for your students. You’ve been to professional development, read books, found this blog…you are all in! 

Or perhaps you are an administrator, embarking upon a school-wide plan to focus on disciplinary literacy. The first day of school arrives, and you greet students as they come through the door. As you smile and say hello, inwardly you realize that you might have forgotten about one not-so-small thing: several of your students are new to the country and have only just  begun learning English. 

Your anxiety increases when you have a conversation with your ESOL teacher and she explains that one of the students only attended school sporadically, and had no formal education for the past two years during the family’s transition to the United States. 

What now? You’ve planned so many exciting, challenging lessons centered around the specific characteristics of your content language. Can the students even learn that? Should you just give them something else? Do nothing at all?

 I’m here to tell you that  not only is it possible, but it is beneficial and necessary to teach disciplinary literacy to your newcomer multilingual learners (MLs)

I’ve been working with and living beside multilingual learners of all ages and language levels for 20 years. For the past four years at Carolina High School, I have focused on newcomer MLs and SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education). As a co-teacher, and now a sheltered class teacher,  I’ve used many strategies that teach and expose my students to the disciplinary literacy required in English Language Arts.

 Accommodating for these students doesn’t have to be time-consuming or daunting. I can give you insight into the best mindset and strategies to use in general education classes to ensure that every student in the room can access what is taught.

Accommodation is not “dumbing-down”

As educators, we know that we are expected to teach with rigor and high expectations. Accommodating lower-level MLs in your classroom does not remove rigor or high expectations. MLs are still expected to do challenging work, achieve success, and grow academically. The only thing you are lowering is the language load. 

You might be familiar with cognitive load theory. The application of cognitive load theory to teaching means that teachers need to design lessons that reduce confusion and overwhelm so that students can focus on actually understanding and learning content. 

For MLs, this means reducing the amount and complexity of the language so that students can focus their energy on learning new concepts or practicing skills. We are not changing the destination—-we are simply paving the road.

Accommodations—-often outlined in  ML language acquisition plans—-are guidelines for engaging MLs in disciplinary literacy at their level of English language proficiency. They are not a rigid set of rules. These supports allow the MLs to reach the same standards as English-proficient students. Many states even include “best practice” strategies that work for all students—-because good teaching is good teaching.

Accommodating for your MLs can feel overwhelming. Language acquisition plans can seem lengthy or vague. I encourage you to start your mindset shift by reading an ML language acquisition plan, start to finish—-not just the list of accommodations. Doing this will open your mind to what it really means to support MLs in your classroom.

Accommodation is not an afterthought

Planning a unit takes time and attention to detail. I often see teachers get to the end of a unit plan and realize that they must accommodate for their MLs. After investing so much energy into the core content, there’s little left to adapt it. The result? A translated test or reliance on digital translation tools.

But if your goal is to teach the language of your discipline, translation won’t be enough. It won’t help students develop the academic language needed to access the content. Not to mention—-this assumes a high level of native language literacy, that students may not have. There is a better way.

The best way to accommodate is to start from the beginning—-by pairing each standards-based learning target with a language target.

  • Learning targets focus on the knowledge or skills that students must master.
  • Language targets focus on the language students need to access and express that knowledge.

Together, they tell students what they are learning and how they’ll use language to show it. This is a key step in making disciplinary literacy accessible at any level of English proficiency.

Step 1: Accommodate Input

Students receive new information through instruction and texts. As you plan your unit, ask:

  • Where will ML students struggle with language?
  • How complex are the texts?
  • Which lessons or texts are essential for content mastery?

Feeling overwhelmed? Take a breath. Like riding a bike, the best way to learn to accommodate is to start—and keep trying.

Step 2: Accommodate Output

Once you have thought about how to scaffold input, turn to output —-how students will demonstrate understanding. This includes assessments, writing, and projects. Begin by:

  • Accommodating instructions.
  • Modeling expectations.
  • Using an adjusted grading rubric based on language level.

Accommodation does not have to be difficult

Creating Language Targets

My favorite way to create language targets is by using  AI  tools such as MagicSchool or Chat GPT. The key is crafting a simple prompt. Here’s an example:  

“Create a language target from this learning target [insert target] for a WIDA Level 2 English language learner. Include sentence frames.”

You may need to revise the AI output to best suit your needs—-but it’s a great place to start..

Accommodate Input: Lessons

Pre-teach vocabulary: 

Use your language and learning targets to create a list of 8-12 vocabulary words per unit. Avoid trying to teach too many at once. Use a pretest to narrow your list.

  • Create a word wall (physical or digital)
  • Create a glossary with native-language translations and student-friendly definitions
  • Refer to the word wall throughout lessons
  • Encourage students to use the word wall or glossary during class and assessments.

Add visuals:

Use pictures, charts, icons, or illustrations to emphasize meaning. AI tools can generate custom images.

Reduce cognitive load:

  • Give students a copy of your notes/slides (paper, digital, or both)
  • Encourage two language note-taking using resources like Read&Write or bilingual dictionaries
  • For higher level students, create fill-in the blank guided notes

Accommodate Input: Texts

Using grade-level texts is essential to ensure equitable access to rigorous content. When scaffolded appropriately, these texts allow MLs to develop the skills necessary to long-term success. Do not limit students with simplified or below-level texts.

Translanguaging:

Translanguaging harnesses the power of all of the student’s  languages to make learning more meaningful.

  • Allow students to annotate and summarize text in their own language.
  • Pair students with their native-language peers to discuss key points before sharing in English.
  • Encourage native-language drafting or brainstorming. 
  • Provide a native-language copy of side-by-side with English text (use a two-column table for display)
  • Offer native-language summaries (AI tools can generate these)

Accommodate Output: Assessments, projects, and writing

Instructions:

  • For lower level students, translate instructions yourself—-don’t rely on students to do it
  • Paste translations onto worksheets, post them in Google Classroom, or project them on your board
  • Review instructions—in English—before modeling

Modeling:

  • Always model tasks or show examples
  • Think-aloud while modeling
  • Show completed examples of writing or projects

Rubrics:

  • Use student-friendly rubrics aligned to their proficiency level
  • Include native-language translations of the criteria along with English
  • Use single-point rubrics for clarity

Sentence Frames and Stems:

  • Provide word or phrase banks for sentence frames
  • Use AI to generate frames and stems based on your learning and language targets

Multiple-Choice Tests:

  • For written response items, provide sentence frames with a wordbank.
  • Remove one incorrect answer choice
  • Repeat familiar vocabulary, language patterns, and visuals
  • Open-note tests

Accommodation is not a smooth road

This list will jump-start your dive into supporting disciplinary literacy for MLs. The first time you try something, it might not work perfectly. You may still see students struggle, even after accommodation. That’s okay.

Struggle is expected. You are lightening their cognitive load—-you cannot remove it entirely. The goal is to bring the content closer, so they can reach out and touch it, not jump and miss it altogether.

Sometimes a scaffold works like a charm—fantastic! But often, you will need to adjust. 

Keep trying, keep tweaking, keep going. 

You, and your students, will get there. 

 Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4
 Hakuta, K., Butler, Y. G., & Witt, D. (2000). How long does it take English learners to attain proficiency? University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute.

Carrie Rieder holds a Master’s in TESOL from Furman University and has over a decade of experience supporting multilingual learners. A certified Literacy Teacher and member of the Greenville County Impact Leadership cohort, she brings both academic and personal insight into language acquisition, shaped by raising bilingual children and living abroad. At Carolina High School, she teaches ESOL and sheltered English classes, working closely with colleagues to support the school’s high population of multilingual students.

Performing Poetry: How Music Shapes Poetic Analysis

Uncategorized, Webinar

Missed the live webinar? You can now access the recording of “Performing Poetry: How Music Shapes Poetic Analysis”! Held on April 24, 2025, this insightful session led by Catheryn Cofield explored the powerful connection between musical literacy and deeper poetic analysis for grades 6-12 educators. Discover practical strategies to illuminate complex elements of spoken word and poetry, such as cadence and structure, using the universal language of music. Learn how to reinforce key reading skills and enhance student engagement, as presented by music educator Catheryn Cofield. Click the link below to watch the recording and unlock new ways to connect your students with poetry!

About the Author

Ms. Colfield is a first-year teacher serving at Chester Middle School in Chester, SC. She graduated from Anderson University in 2024 with her bachelor’s in Vocal Music education and is currently serving as both a general music teacher and choir director at her school. She believes musical literacy is a key component of any competent music program and one of the greatest tools that a developing reader can have.

The Science of Reading: From Full-on Belief to Skepticism

Blog, Uncategorized

In 2021, while teaching 5th grade in an elementary school in North Carolina, the Science of Reading movement took over NC. From 2021 until 2023, I was required by the state to complete the two-year-long LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) program by Lexia Learning. While many teachers grumbled about the intensive training, I was often the positive one saying that I enjoyed the training and had learned so much from it. I was amazed at the story of how Mississippi drastically increased their reading scores after teachers completed this training and implemented it in their elementary classrooms. Hearing this information from esteemed scholars, I was optimistic about what this could do for NC schools. Unfortunately, I had fallen prey to the narrative that the LETRS way is THE only way.

Flash forward two school years, and I am now a Certified Reading Specialist working in a middle school with readers in grades 6-8. I earned a Master’s Degree in Reading and Literacy Education which taught me to research for myself. Through my program, I learned about the Reading Wars that have been going on for decades, which frequently change how reading is taught in elementary schools and how this feeds into middle school (like using the Science of Reading approach to help those who are not on grade level). However, before taking masters courses, I had not previously learned to question things and read about both sides, at least not when it came to recommended instructional practices. I listened to what I was told to do by my peers and administrators and went with it (and let’s be real, I still do in many ways since I want to keep my job, but I do it with a new outlook and include other practices, too). I trusted what I was told by those at higher levels than me, like most of us do. I think very highly of those who work above me and didn’t stop to consider that they were also doing what they were told.

So, what is there to question about the Science of Reading? Dr. Paul Thomas of Furman University states in his article series We Teach English in Times of Perpetual Crisis, that “Currently, no peer-reviewed, experimental/quasi-experimental studies show LETRS training improves student achievement in reading” (2024, pg. 16). Additionally, much of the research shared at the training connects to the founders and funders with only a few external data sources and studies. This is important if the goal is to say that one type of reading instruction, documented by the science of data exploration and analysis, is better than others.

That is not to say that LETRS is all bad. There are some GREAT pieces of information and strategies used in LETRS. For instance, LETRS taught me teaching cohesive devices to connect ideas in complex sentences, explicit vocabulary strategies, and comprehension strategies that can be used in upper elementary and middle grades. However, and this is a big revelation here, I have come to realize that this does not mean it is right for every student, in every classroom, across all grade levels. LETRS often provides a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching reading, and this is not an equitable way to teach all students who may or may not need all aspects of LETRS instruction. I also wonder about the types of texts emphasized in this program and how that impacts all students. Only using decodable texts that match a phonics lesson leaves out the opportunity for using culturally responsive texts that reach and reflect diverse students and their experiences, especially when thinking about this implemented through the middle grades. These lessons often do not consider linguistic diversity such as various dialects or accents, either. And, I dare say they even leave out our more advanced readers who do not need repetitive phonics daily. Therefore, I am learning how to question things, even when they sound good at first, and to explore potential biases with an awareness that I need to use critical literacy skills when I read articles and research all things connected to reading and the Reading Wars..

Through conversations about this topic with a friend, I started thinking about how I teach my ELA classes. Sure, there may be some strategies that LETRS taught me that are beneficial to some students, but there is much more that needs to be taught, especially at the secondary level. There are countless articles out there about the best way to teach reading (hence, the term ‘Reading Wars’ that indicates the back and forth of this), but the truly best way (in my humble opinion) is to take a little bit from everything. From my experience, teachers in the schools I have worked in ARE doing this! We read books, teach morphology, vocabulary, comprehension strategies, how to understand things in context, and more, intentionally thinking about the content and standard requirements and the students sitting in our classrooms. When it comes down to it, teachers are doing what they are supposed to be doing…which brings me back to the Science of Reading movement. One of Dr. Thomas’s main concerns with the Science of Reading is how it paints a narrative of ineffective teachers and takes away teacher autonomy. While the phonics-based LETRS, one enactment of the Science of Reading movement, may benefit K-2 classrooms, upper elementary may be better off using a more differentiated approach. Of course, it depends on the make-up of students in the classroom, and that’s where our teacher expertise comes in. We know our students. We know what works best for them, and we should be trusted to teach them in an equitable manner using a variety of approaches that cover all aspects of reading.

At this point, you may wonder why I wrote this blog post, as it shares my story of learning. I hope to encourage teachers to research for themselves when new policies and initiatives are introduced in their state. This is not to say to go against them but to teach with an outlook that understands both sides of the coin and multiple narratives regarding what works best for your students. Being informed on the good and the bad of policies set into place by others will allow us to teach with an equitable lens for all learners.

References:

Thomas, P.L. (2024, September). We teach English in times of perpetual crisis: The media continue to misread teaching reading and literacy. English Journal, 114(1), 14-19. https://publicationsncte.org/content/journals/10.58680/ej2024114114

About the Author

Olivia Moore works at East McDowell Middle School as a Reading Specialist. Her undergraduate and Master’s degrees are from East Carolina University – Go Pirates!! Her passion is reading, and she is determined to help all of her students feel confident with reading. Those who don’t enjoy reading just haven’t found the right book yet!

We Teach English in Times of Perpetual Crisis: Selling a Story of Reading (and Literacy)

Webinar

English-speaking countries are once again in the midst of another Reading War, and in the U.S., the “science of reading” (SOR) movement is taking center stage. This movement has led to intense media scrutiny of reading programs, teachers, and teacher education, as well as sweeping state-level legislation and mandates.

In our December 2024 webinar, P.L. Thomas explores the history of the Reading Wars, breaks down the key elements of the SOR movement, and highlights why these changes pose significant challenges for educators. From threats to teacher autonomy to the risk of overlooking individual student needs, this conversation is vital for all educators—not just those who teach beginning readers.

Watch the webinar below to better understand this pressing issue and its implications for the future of education.

About the Presenter

P.L. Thomas, Professor of Education (Furman University, Greenville SC), taught high school English in rural South Carolina before moving to teacher education. He is a former column editor for English Journal (National Council of Teachers of English) and author of How to End the Reading War and Serve the Literacy Needs of All Students (2nd ed.; IAP, 2022) and Teaching Writing as Journey, Not Destination: Essays Exploring What ‘Teaching Writing’ Means (IAP, 2019). NCTE named Thomas the 2013 George Orwell Award winner. He coedited (with Chris Goering) Critical Media Literacy and Fake News in Post-Truth America (Brill, 2018), receiving the 2019 Divergent Award for Excellence in 21st Century Literacies.

Follow his work @plthomasEdD and the becoming radical: https://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/

Webinar: We Don’t Talk About Grading

Teaching

Dr. Laura Boyle hosted our June webinar and expands on her recent blog.

We Don’t Talk About Grading

She has also provided her slide deck for easy access:

We-Dont-Talk-About-Grading-PPT12651Download

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Webinar: Do We Need to Take This Outside?

Teaching, Webinar

Ms. Kristie Camp is a PhD candidate who has taught English Language Arts for 26 years. Her webinar provides a picture of how to grow environmental literacy in an outdoor classroom.

Do We Need to Take This Outside?

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