Nowadays, matching texts to readers is a common practice in the classroom. As the authors of the article, 'Let's Start Leveling about Leveling,' Kathy Glasswell and Michael Ford explain that while attaching a level to every text that students encounter is a good idea, there are high risks for this idea to go bad (208). In order to minimize the potentially harmful effects of such rigid approaches to leveling out, Glasswell and Ford indicate 5 key principles for using leveled texts appropriately in the classroom:
1. Leveling takes a complex idea and makes it too simple.
2. Leveling takes a simple idea and makes it too complex.
3. Reading levels are not the same as reading needs.
4. Progress does not equal proficiency.
5. Readers have rights.
Just by reading the titles of these principles, one can see that the decisions and factors that go into choosing leveled books can be daunting. Luckily, there are some teaching strategies that the authors of the article have matched with these principles (215).
Principle #1:
- "Include a range of topics and text styles that will engage your reader."
-"Encourage students to read texts that interest them."
Principle #2:
-"Choose authors during author studies who write at multiple levels."
Principle #3:
-"Establish cross-age grouping arrangements that can provide mutual benefits for children at different levels."
Principle #4:
-"Adjust group rotations so you are meeting more often with children who have the greatest needs."
Principle #5:
-"Ensure that students (especially those who struggle) are provided with opportunities to engage in cognitively demanding work in reading."
Choosing leveled texts does not have to be daunting when these teaching strategies are kept in mind. Also, just as with anything,
workshops are especially helpful.
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