TextProject president and CEO Elfrieda H. (Freddy) Hiebert blogs about important issues in reading research and practice.
Frankly Freddy entries (published from 2005 to 2014) have been sorted into five topics of literacy learning and instruction. Click here to download the ebook!
Climbing the Staircase of Automaticity: Why Volume and Design Matter in Adolescent Reading
March 11, 2026
It is hard to become automatic at something you do rarely. We know this in every domain of life. You don’t become fluent on the piano by practicing once a week. You don’t develop a reliable tennis serve by picking up a racket once a month. Reading is nRead More »Climbing the Staircase of Automaticity: Why Volume and Design Matter in Adolescent Reading
Not Zero: Why Adolescent Reading Interventions Should Start Where Students Are
March 10, 2026
Too many reading interventions send adolescents back to the beginning—as if a thirteen- or seventeen-year-old were encountering print for the first time. But adolescent readers who score below Proficient are not at zero. When we begin where students actually are, we align practice with theory—and give adolescents the forward momentum they deserve.
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.”
What Characterizes Effective Texts for Beginning Readers in the Quasi-Regular Orthography of English?
January 6, 2026
By mapping the 2,000 most frequent words in English onto the d-ELP (Developmental English Lexicon Project) difficulty scale, we can create texts that repeat critical patterns while maintaining genuine meaning for young readers.
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.
Webinar: Using AI to Select, Teach, and Assess Word Knowledge
August 8, 2025
Join TextProject CEO Freddy Hiebert on August 12 at 5:00 p.m. ET for a live webinar exploring how AI can enhance word selection, teaching strategies, and assessment practices. You will gain practical insights you can apply right away!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.