Featured Post
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
The challenge 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.
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.
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.
The Science of Word Zones: How Big Data is Building Better Readers
November 5, 2024
Unlike the strict vocabulary limits of the past, scaffolded texts use language research to create rich learning opportunities. At their core is the organization of words into morphological families – groups that share the same root. This structure comes from analyzing large collections of texts to identify the word families that occur most often at different grade levels.