Frankly Freddy

The Power of Text Sets: Freddy Talks with the Melissa & Lori Love Literacy Podcast

July 11, 2025

TextProject founder and CEO Dr Elfrieda (Freddy) Hieberts joins Melissa and Lori of the Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcast to talk about her life’s work: the importance of texts in reading instruction.

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Freddy joins host Lindsay Persohn on a new episode of Classroom Caffeine podcast!

June 17, 2025

TextProject founder and CEO Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert joins Lindsay Persohn of the podcast Classroom Caffeine to discuss language, learning to read, and authentic interactions with interesting texts.

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New podcast: Linking Automaticity, Vocabulary, and Text With Dr.Freddy Hiebert

June 11, 2025

Jake Downs, host of the Talking Literacy podcast, welcomes guest Dr. Freddy Hiebert, a renowned literacy researcher and CEO/Founder of TextProject. The conversation covers topics such as the importance of automaticity, the core vocabulary, reading volume, and shifts in text complexity over the decades.

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Making sure the books check every box: Preservice teachers learning to select texts for reading instruction

April 2, 2025

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.

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How Misunderstandings of Text Complexity May Have Widened the Achievement Gap

February 19, 2025

Dr. Elfrieda H. (Freddy) Hiebert

Reading scores for the lowest-performing students have plummeted to historic lows. Misunderstandings of text complexity have contributed to this achievment gap.

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Using AI to Teach Word Networks

January 30, 2025

Dr. Elfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert shares tips on using an AI assistant to select words from narrative text for more effective vocabulary instruction.

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The AI Story Problem: Why Stories for Children and Adolescents Still Need Human Writers

January 29, 2025

As we embrace AI’s strengths in educational content, we must also champion human storytelling that truly speaks to children’s hearts and minds.

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The Power of Pictures: Nurturing Young Readers’ Motivation

January 14, 2025

Illustrations are not merely decorative elements in children’s literature. They are often powerful motivational tools that transform the reading experience.

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Webinar: The New Science of Vocabulary: AI-Enhanced Approaches to Word Selection

December 12, 2024

TextProject CEO Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” H. Hiebert, explores the opportunities to use AI to help strengthen vocabulary instruction and enhance students’ literacy skills.

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Terminology, Texts and Teachers in an AI World

December 9, 2024

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.

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