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 decoding rather than insufficient reading practice, then compound the issue by providing tedious texts and activities that further disengage reluctant readers. This presentation introduces open-access text sets that simultaneously develop automaticity with core vocabulary while building critical background knowledge and student interest. Multiple text sets, all available for free, will be described, and participants will also be guided in using AI to generate additional texts for their students.
TextProject CEO Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” H. Hiebert will present “From Reluctant to Engaged: Open-Access Text Sets That Transform Adolescent Readers” at the California Association of Teachers of English 2026 Conference on Friday, March 6.