TextProject president and CEO Elfrieda H. (Freddy) Hiebert blogs about important issues in reading research and practice.
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
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.
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.