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When Aspirational Benchmarks Become Public Verdicts: Revisiting NAEP Proficiency
March 6, 2026
What does NAEP Proficiency actually represent? Is it intended to describe what is developmentally appropriate for most eighth graders, or does it represent a more ambitious target? Ambitious goals are essential—they push systems forward. But when aspirational benchmarks are misread as diagnostic norms, high expectations become public condemnation.
From Reluctant to Engaged: Open-Access Text Sets That Transform Adolescent Readers
March 3, 2026
While pundits paint dire pictures of 2024 NAEP results for 8th and 12th grades, the reality is more nuanced: many teens simply haven’t read enough to develop automatic, proficient reading. Current interventions mistakenly attribute problems to decodingRead More »From Reluctant to Engaged: Open-Access Text Sets That Transform Adolescent Readers
Flattening the Developmental Staircase: Lexical Complexity in Elementary Reading Texts Across Six Decades
February 18, 2026
This study examined how the lexical complexity of elementary reading textbooks has changed over six decades, finding that the issue is not declining rigor, but rather compressed progression.
Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Reviving Freddy’s Favorites
February 10, 2026
At TextProject, we believe that literacy is the gateway to agency. But beyond the mechanics of reading lies the why: the stories that stay with us, the books that make us look at a common bird or a quiet hobby and see something profound. I amRead More »Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Reviving Freddy’s Favorites
Why Knowledge Matters from Day One
January 22, 2026
Even at the earliest stages, TextProject texts support knowledge acquisition as well as word recognition. Our resources, including those for beginning readers—BeginningReads and TopicReads-Primary— ensure students master decoding through meaningful content. Instead of repetitive nonsense, a TextProject text states: “A hat has a brim. A brim of a hat blocks the sun.”
Introducing TextProject’s StoryLabs: Building the Reading Fluency Adolescents Need
October 22, 2025
llenge is real: too many adolescents lack reading automaticity. They can decode words, but they don’t read fluently enough to lose themselves in a story or power through challenging text. This isn’t about ability—it’s about practice. And traditional fluency passages? Boring, disconnected, and utterly uninspiring.
Why Every Minute of Reading Matters
August 19, 2025
When it comes to silent reading, volume matters. Even ten additional minutes for silent reading per day can shape whether students develop the automatic, flexible reading skills they need for lifelong learning.
The Power of Text Sets: Freddy Talks with the Melissa & Lori Love Literacy Podcast
July 11, 2025
Freddy shares her expertise on understanding text features and the vital role of repetition in vocabulary acquisition. The conversation highlights how background knowledge supports comprehension and the thoughtful development of decodable texts to support early readers
How Misunderstandings of Text Complexity May Have Widened the Achievement Gap
February 19, 2025
Reading scores for the lowest-performing students have plummeted to historic lows. Misunderstandings of text complexity have contributed to this achievment gap.
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.