In this review, Freddy Hiebert examines the standard intervention for secondary students lacking automaticity—repeated oral reading—and the limited evidence for its impact on silent reading comprehension. She then presents an alternative approach using texts where the core 2,500 most frequent word families in written language comprise the majority of content.
The authors examined a set of rare words from narrative and expository texts aimed at Grades 1, 3, and 5. The purpose of the study was to determine the proportions of rare words that occurred across grade levels and genres, as well as to examine the features of rare words that occurred in these elementary texts.
Supporting early readers means not only selecting texts at an appropriate level but also selecting texts of the appropriate text type. While necessary, decodable texts may not be sufficient for the full development of reading skills. Texts without phonetic control—non-decodable texts—may also provide a benefit.
To be prepared to teach reading, teachers must learn what makes a text complex: how text features contribute to text complexity. They must also learn how to locate and select appropriate texts for various pedagogies and know how to differentiate based on individual readers’ needs and interests.
Reading scores for the lowest-performing students have plummeted to historic lows. Misunderstandings of text complexity have contributed to this achievment gap.
Dr. Elfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert shares tips on using an AI assistant to select words from narrative text for more effective vocabulary instruction.
As we embrace AI’s strengths in educational content, we must also champion human storytelling that truly speaks to children’s hearts and minds.
Illustrations are not merely decorative elements in children’s literature. They are often powerful motivational tools that transform the reading experience.
TextProject CEO Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” H. Hiebert, explores the opportunities to use AI to help strengthen vocabulary instruction and enhance students’ literacy skills.
Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert delivered a keynote address during the Reading Hall of Fame Mentoring session organized by the Literacy Research Association on December 5, 2024.
