What the Research Says about Difficult Texts with Kristin Conradi Smith, John Strong, & Steve Amendum

Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ™

Episode 230

In this episode, we discuss this article and the vital role of difficult texts with three experts: Kristin Conradi-Smith, John Strong, and Steve Amendum. They explore how thoughtful scaffolding and motivation help students confidently tackle challenging materials, clarifying the difference between text complexity and text difficulty.

Listeners will hear practical strategies for assessing student needs and differentiating instruction, ensuring every learner can thrive. We also discuss key literacy components including activating prior knowledge, the importance of decodable texts in early grades, and the power of read-alouds for K-1 students.

Drawing from research, expert guests highlight ongoing developments in understanding text complexity and stress the need for strong professional learning opportunities to equip educators with effective tools. This conversation is packed with insights and actionable ideas for supporting diverse learners on their reading journeys.

Resources

• Supporting Elementary Students' Reading of Difficult Texts
• Read, Stop, Write Intervention
• Text Structures PDF Cheat Sheet
• Check out our guests' in this book, Handbook on the Science of Literacy in Grades 3-8 (John - Chapter 20; Kristin & Steve - Chapter 8)
• Kristin's Article - It's not just about skills: Adopting a motivation-informed approach to instruction with adolescents
• Listen to No More Strategy of the Week and read the article that inspired the podcast.

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.
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Chapters

1. Challenging the Text-Level Matching Myth (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Text Complexity vs. Difficulty (00:09:44)

3. Supports for Reading Complex Texts (00:16:46)

4. Differentiating Support, Not Texts (00:27:33)

5. Research Developments Since 2018 (00:40:39)

6. Episode Closing and Resources (00:51:21)