How to Choose Texts for Students




When planning a content-based lesson, consider the following items to make the best selection for your students:
  • Check out the Appendix A of the CCSS; there are some fabulous suggestions for all grade levels.
  • Determine the quality of the text. Why did the author choose to write this piece? Does it have multiple layers of meaning?
  • Do the students need more or less prior knowledge than they already have to tackle this text?
  • What types of vocabulary will the students be encountering in the text?
  • What is the Lexile of the text?
  • Is the text developmentally, emotionally, and socially appropriate for your students?
  • Throughout the year, you should be measuring your students' reading levels and progress on tested items.
  • Teach shorter text that students can read and reread in a relatively short amount of time.
  • Include different types of texts—expository, literary nonfiction, etc.—in your selections.
  • Make sure that all questions are text-dependent.
  • Give students the opportunity to compare and contrast texts on a similar topic.
  • Make sure that your questions follow a logical sequence.
Remember, you're the expert in the classroom. You know what your students need to be doing each and every day.

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Click Here for a Text Features Worksheet/Poster

After students have read the article and analyzed the text features using the worksheet, ask them the following:






 

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