This session focuses on one of the biggest questions in literacy right now: when and how students—especially struggling readers—should engage with grade-level texts.

It matters more than ever as districts shift toward rigorous standards while still needing practical ways to support access. You’ll see how to balance complexity, scaffolding, and instructional goals so students can build knowledge and literacy without falling behind.

What You’ll Learn

• Why grade-level text matters—and how access to it drives stronger reading growth over time.
• How to define text complexity beyond Lexile using qualitative and reader-based factors.
• Ways to scaffold complex texts so all students can engage without lowering expectations.
• How to use multiple text levels to build knowledge and accelerate comprehension.
• What research says about struggling readers and why ability-level text alone isn’t enough.

Key Themes Discussed

• Text complexity is multidimensional (quantitative, qualitative, and reader factors all matter).
• Scaffolding—not simplification—is the goal when supporting access to grade-level texts.
• Knowledge building drives comprehension and must be intentionally planned through text sets.
• Instruction should be text-centered rather than skill-isolated or standards-first.
• All students benefit from productive struggle when paired with the right supports.

Who Should Watch This Webinar?

This webinar is designed for:

• District and school administrators.
• Literacy and curriculum leaders.
• Instructional coaches and intervention specialists.
• K–12 educators supporting diverse and multilingual learners.
• Teams implementing or refining core literacy instruction.

Meet the Speakers

Jennifer Serravallo, Literacy Consultant and Author (The Reading Strategies Book; The Writing Strategies Book).
Dan Cogan-Drew, Cofounder and Chief Academic Officer, Newsela.