Text Complexity

Does One Size Fit All? Exploring the Contribution of Text Features, Content, and Grade of Use on Comprehension

Mesmer, H. A., Hiebert, E. H., Cunningham, J. W., & Kapania, M. (2020). Does one size fit all? Exploring the contribution of text features, content, and grade of use on comprehension. Reading Psychology. 1-32

Does Text Complexity Matter in the Elementary Grades? A Research Synthesis of Text Difficulty and Elementary Students’ Reading Fluency and Comprehension

Amendum, S.J., Conradi, K., & Hiebert, E.H. (in press). Does Text Complexity Matter in the Elementary Grades? A Research Synthesis of Text Difficulty and Elementary Students Reading Fluency and Comprehension. Educational Psychology Review.

Investigating the Validity of Two Widely Used Quantitative Text Tools

Cunningham, J.W., Hiebert, E.H., & Mesmer, H.A., (2018). Investigating the validity of two widely used quantitative text tools. Reading and Writing, 31(4), p 813-833. 

An Analysis of the Text Complexity of Leveled Passages in Four Popular Classroom Reading Assessments

Toyama, Y., Hiebert, E.H., & Pearson, P.D. (2017).  An analysis of the text complexity of leveled passages in four popular classroom reading assessments. Educational Assessment, 22(3), 193-170.

The Texts of Literacy Instruction: Obstacles to or Opportunities for Educational Equity?

Hiebert, E.H. (2017). The texts of literacy instruction: Obstacles to or opportunities for educational equity?  Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice, 66(1), 117-134. 

Third Graders’ Reading Proficiency with Texts Varying in Complexity and Length: Responses of Students in an Urban, High-Needs Schools

Mesmer, H.A.E., & Hiebert, E.H. (2015). Third graders’ reading proficiency with texts varying in complexity and length: Responses of students in an urban, high-needs schools. Journal of Literacy Research, 47(4), 473-504.

The State of the Field: Qualitative Analyses of Text Complexity

Pearson, P.D., & Hiebert, E.H. (2013). The State of the Field: Qualitative Analyses of Text Complexity. (Reading Research Report 13.01). Santa Cruz, CA: TextProject, Inc.

For access to articles and reports published by TextProject’s founder, Elfrieda(Freddy) H. Hiebert, prior to 2010, visit: