Research-Based Comprehension Support With Non-Controlled Texts

While based on decades of research, the term Science of Reading has become mainstream over the last few years. Most of the attention it receives comes under the context of phonics— and specifically the use of decodable texts as part of a systematic and explicit foundational skills curriculum. But we hear less about how the Science of Reading encompasses more than foundational skills.

A research-based approach extends far beyond the ability to focus on specific foundational skills, such as decoding words, and includes practices that support the growth of reading comprehension skills. Many text types, including non-controlled texts, which are written without regard to phonics patterns or other decodability factors, can support research-based approaches to developing comprehension skills. As you and your classroom embark on the critical learning-to-read journey, we’d like to show you how non-controlled texts can help.

Matching Texts to Purpose

Non-controlled texts should never take the place of decodable texts in early literacy education. Instead, they can co-exist with decodables and support reading comprehension skills through a variety of implementations. As students progress in their mastery of phoneme-grapheme mapping, more options for different types of texts open up to them.

• Shared Reading: Research indicates that explicit instruction is an essential component that builds more proficient readers. In shared reading, teachers and students share responsibility for navigating the text. Teachers can use non-controlled texts to explicitly model print concepts, fluency, and close reading skills in whole-class or small-group settings.
• Small-Group Reading: More challenging texts, rather than texts that are fully decodable, are appropriate for small group reading sessions with a teacher where there is the opportunity for discussion, questions, and scaffolding. This is the time when a teacher is close by to provide support, challenge, and keep things moving.
• Independent Reading: Students benefit from reading texts on their own that are at or near their reading level—texts they can engage with without feelings of frustration or comprehension struggles. Additionally, by pairing text with audio support, like the Listen option available in the Raz-Plus^® book library, students can read along with more advanced, complex texts, scaffolding their comprehension.

Building Knowledge Using Authentic Texts

Reading comprehension is closely tied to students' ability to bring background knowledge to a text. Students build knowledge by reading "content-rich nonfiction," which leads to deeper knowledge of the world, new vocabulary, and increased understanding of texts. This knowledge-building can happen through read-alouds, shared reading experiences, small-group reading, and independent reading. As students build knowledge about a topic, they will often be able to read texts that surpass their independent reading levels.

Closing Learning Gaps

Research shows that students reading below grade level need access to grade-level material rather than below-grade-level material to catch up. A landmark report by The New Teacher Project indicates that remediating by providing struggling students with below-grade level material reinforces the achievement gap. Instead, providing access to grade-level resources and texts, along with support and scaffolds to make up the difference, can help accelerate students into grade-level work.

Increasing Reading Volume

Students need to work with a wide variety of texts, and a lot of them, to develop their comprehension skills. Though teachers may consider text complexity, topic, reading level, or targeted comprehension skills, the bottom line is that students need to read often, and they need to read a variety of texts. We also know that student choice is a significant internal motivator. When provided with an extensive library of texts spanning many topics, students can choose texts at their reading level that appeal to their interests and keep reading relevant and engaging.

Supporting Vocabulary Acquisition

The link between vocabulary development and reading comprehension is well documented. Students need to acquire the skills that will help them determine the meanings of new words, leading to better overall reading comprehension. The books available in Raz-Plus include an emphasis on story-critical and academic vocabulary, and can be used to teach students new or challenging words in real time. To help this come to fruition, teachers are able to preview a text to determine which words to target or which students can benefit from book glossaries while reading independently.

Easily Integrate the Science of Reading

When incorporating the Science of Reading into your literacy instruction, having ample and varied non-controlled texts can make a significant impact when it comes to keeping students motivated and excited to learn while reinforcing important literacy skills. If you are currently searching for a solution that will provide you with a library of texts to choose from, we have just the thing! Raz-Plus, our comprehensive solution for K-5 literacy instruction, offers thousands of texts and resources and provides you with everything you need to support research-based literacy instruction.