Every student can and should be engaging with complex texts—with the right supports.
The leveled reading theory has been a widely accepted approach in education for years.
But is it as effective as it claims to be?
This theory suggests that teachers should give students texts that are at the right level for them to read. Teachers should also encourage students to read on their own regularly. By doing this, students will improve their reading skills and be able to move on to more advanced levels.
The science of reading has shown that students learn to read best with two types of texts. The first type is phonetically controlled texts, also known as "decodable" texts. These help with decoding and oral reading fluency. The second type is complex texts, which help build background knowledge and improve reading comprehension.
What is a complex text?
Complex texts offer students chances to engage with new concepts, vocabulary terms, knowledge demands, language features, and text structures. These texts are effective instruction's starting point—not the end goal.
To help students meet grade level standards, they need frequent opportunities to analyze, discuss, and writ about complex texts. This will ensure their understanding and mastery of the material. Providing these chances will also help students develop critical thinking skills and improve their writing abilities. By engaging with challenging texts regularly, students will be better prepared for academic success.
When we put a complex text in front of students, we don’t take the text away from them if they struggle. Instead, we can provide students with the support and instructional tools to better access and understand that text.
Students who have difficulty reading can benefit from tools such as reading out loud, audio books, and annotation. These tools can help them better understand texts at their grade level. Evidence shows that scaffolded teaching can help students learn important background information and words that are necessary for understanding what they read.
Why it’s important to build students’ background knowledge
For ELA teachers, unlocking the magic of reading for students is central to our mission. We cultivate students' comprehension skills by teaching them to dissect texts, identify main ideas, and find supporting details. While these skills are important, an ACT study revealed that background knowledge trumps comprehension strategies in tackling dense texts. This begs the question: isn't comprehension a skill students can learn and apply universally, like swimming?
As Hugh Catts argues in "Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension," comprehension isn't a neat, transferable skill like swimming. It's a symphony of interconnected knowledge and abilities, dependent on a rich foundation of background knowledge.
Imagine swimming in the ocean. While basic swimming techniques might keep you afloat, navigating the sea demands far more. You need an understanding of currents, tides, and potentially even marine life! Similarly, navigating complex texts requires students to draw upon knowledge such as historical context, scientific principles, cultural nuances, and literary conventions.
Here's how building background knowledge empowers our students as readers:
Bridging the gap. Background knowledge provides a familiar scaffolding to aid in meaning-making. Terms like "photosynthesis" or "French Revolution" become less intimidating when connected to existing understandings of plants or historical eras.
Making connections. Activating background knowledge enriches the reading experience by allowing students to connect the text and their own experiences. For example, an immigration story will resonate differently for a student familiar with cultural displacement.
Fueling inferences. Background knowledge equips students with the cognitive tools to make informed inferences and fill textual gaps. Understanding the concept of gravity makes it easier to grasp an astronaut's feelings while floating in space.
What do we need to do to support every student in accessing complex texts?
Engaging with complex texts shouldn't be a privilege. It should be a launchpad for every student's understanding. But how do we bridge the gap between challenging material and diverse learners?
The answer lies in a strategic three-pronged approach: a complex anchor text, an engaging task, and instruction that repeatedly returns to that anchor text.
The answer lies in a strategic three-part approach. This includes having a clear anchor text. It also involves providing an interesting task. Additionally, consistent instruction is important and should refer back to the anchor text.
Imagine a sturdy stone anchoring a ship in turbulent seas. Our anchor text should be just that—a captivating piece of writing overflowing with rich possibilities for interpretation. Choose a text that:
Demands multiple readings. Think literary fiction, poetry with layered imagery, or historical narratives with conflicting viewpoints. Each encounter should reveal new depths and challenge students to revise their understanding.
Allows students to build on prior knowledge. Select a text that resonates with students' existing knowledge and experiences. For instance, a poem about immigration could connect to personal stories or historical studies.
As an example, consider Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise.” Its evocative language and enduring message about resilience offer endless avenues for interpretation.
Students can connect the poem's themes to their own experiences with overcoming challenges. They can also explore the historical contexts of oppression. Additionally, they can analyze literary devices like metaphors and similes.
A map without directions is just a pretty chart. Our task prompt serves as a compass, guiding students through the text with a clear purpose that demands knowledge and skill. Craft prompts that:
Go beyond basic comprehension. Instead of asking students to summarize the plot, ask them to conduct standards-based work. This can include analyzing how an author uses figurative language to develop a theme. They can also explore how an author develops their ideas through particular sentences, paragraphs, or portions of text.
Your grade-level standards are your best reference to identify how your students can deeply engage with complex texts.
Use information-rich anchor texts that require background knowledge. Give students guidance on using their knowledge of history or literature to understand the anchor text and answer questions. For instance, a prompt analyzing "Still I Rise" could require students first to leverage their knowledge of the civil rights movement to understand the literal meaning of Angelou’s poem before they analyze its themes.
Such a prompt could look like this:
After reading “Still I Rise,” write a literary analysis in which you analyze how Maya Angelou’s word choice impacts tone and develops a theme over the course of the poem. Support your discussion with evidence from the text/s.
Think of instruction as a lighthouse, guiding students back to the text's richness after each exploration. How can you bring back students to the anchor text? By designing lessons that revisit the anchor text with new lenses.
After students read the anchor text, they should explore more texts through reading, research, and discussion. This will help them understand the context better and gain insight into the genre and language structures used. Developing a deeper understanding of the historical, cultural, and/or conceptual context is important. This allows students to return to the anchor text with new knowledge to help them understand and analyze its meaning more deeply.
For example, following an initial read of "Still I Rise," engage students in a debate about the poem's message.
For more background on the poem, watch "Eyes on the Prize" (PBS), a documentary series that explores the Civil Rights Movement. Show clips about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington (where Angelou spoke!), and the Selma Marches. These illuminate themes of struggle, resilience, and collective power.
Students can hear Maya Angelou talk about her life and experiences with racism in a recording from the Library of Congress. This recording is called "A Conversation with Maya Angelou."
These sources help students better understand the poem's emotions and recognize Angelou's strong dedication to social justice.
We can help students conquer complex texts one assignment at a time. All it takes is a worthwhile anchor text, a clear driving task, and instruction that connects to existing knowledge and builds new knowledge. Our students need the tools to successfully navigate these rich worlds and discover the transformative power of complex literature.
Knowledge oceans, skill currents: Rethinking reading instruction
While traditional comprehension strategies remain valuable tools, we must prioritize knowledge building. Actively supporting students in developing knowledge prepares them to dive headfirst into any complex text. They can confidently navigate the currents of information and emerging with strong comprehension.
Let's move beyond teaching students to swim in kiddie pools. Let's equip them with the knowledge and skills to conquer the vast oceans of complex texts that lie ahead of them.
Want to learn more about using complex texts in your ELA classroom? Watch the webinar “Closing the Knowledge Gap: Engaging Every Student with Complex Texts” I co-presented.
Megan Jensen is a former reading specialist with experience developing K-12 writing instruction and blended professional development for adults across the United States, as well as literacy and library programming abroad. Her work continues to uphold her belief that every student can learn and that there is transformative power in supporting students in reading and writing about their worlds. She holds a B.A. in English from UCLA and an M.A. in International and Comparative Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Explore more related to this authorWhen we put a complex text in front of students, we don’t take the text away from them if they struggle. Instead, we can provide students with the support and instructional tools to better access and understand that text.
Megan Jensen, Director of Literacy Impact
