Chapter 16

CCR Reading Anchor

Standard 10: Text Complexity
Rebekah Jewell & Amelia Summersbee

What is text complexity?

Why is text complexity important?

What does CCR Reading Standard 10 mean?

What is it?
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently
and proficiently.
Focus on two reading skills:
1. The ability to read and comprehend complex literary texts independently and
proficiently.
2. The ability to read and comprehend complex informational texts independently
and proficiently.

What are complex texts?

Complex Literary Texts
Include use of ambiguous language in literary devices, complex and subtle
interactions among characters, challenging vocabulary, and vague messages
and meanings within the text.
Complex Informational Texts
Include a large amount of data, present vague/difficult concepts, and use
higher level vocabulary.

How do the CCS build to CCR Anchor Standard 10?

Staircase of complexity
End of 1st grade: students must be able to read grade-appropriate complex
texts.
2nd through 4th grade are divided into grade bands (2nd & 3rd, 4th & 5th).

First stage (2nd & 4th): students will need scaffolding to read and comprehend complex texts.

Second stage (3rd & 5th): students should be able to independently read and comprehend
complex texts.

Dimensions of Text Complexity

Three dimensions:
1. Qualitative dimension
How much of the language is conversational and how much is academic?
Is the language literal or figurative?
2. Quantitative dimension
Refers to the measured reading level of the text.
Syntactic complexity, sentence structure and word length.
3. Reader and task considerations
Refers to students abilities, experiences, interests, and motivation for
reading.

Navigating Text Complexity

Supporting Students Reading Below Text Complexity

Expectation
Three considerations relating to text complexity:
1. A students ability to read complex texts does not always develop in a linear
fashion.
2. Additional support is needed for students that read well above and well below
grade-band level.
3. Most students need scaffolded instruction to master the higher levels of text
complexity.

CCSS 10 for Reading Literature in Grades K-12

Reading Complex Literature- 2nd Grade Example

Students are introduced to cinquain poetry with the explanation:
Cinquain poems have five lines that follow a very definite order:
One noun
Two describing words for noun
Three describing words for noun
Four describing words for noun
One noun
The class will then read the following cinquain poem about knights:
Knights
Armour ,shields
Fighting, charging, slaughtering
Worried, delighted, brave, fearsome
Crusaders
They will then practice creating their own cinquain poems using a specific cinquain template (can be found at
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/curriculum/elem/2nd/arts/poetry_temp2nd.htm)

CCSS 10 for Reading Informational Text in Grades K-5

Reading Complex Informational Text- 5th Grade

Example
-Perform a close reading of the article Your Amazing Brain, by National
Geographic.This article describes the amazing attributes of the human brain,
comparing its features to everyday objects.
-Have students complete a Venn diagram comparing the human brain to different
technologies of their choosing (i.e. light bulb or computer).

Supporting Skills and Strategies for CCSS 10

All the skills and strategies from Reading Literature/Informational Text Standards 19 must be taught and integrated.

Integrating Other ELA Standards with Reading

Literature Standard 10
Reading Literature Standard 1: Reading narrative text closely.
Reading Literature Standard 2: The ability to retell a literary text and
determine the authors message or theme.
Reading Literature Standard 3: The ability to describe characters, settings,
and events in a story or drama, drawing on specific text details.
Reading Literature Standard 4: Authors choice and use of words in a literary
text.

Integrating Other ELA Standards With Reading

Literature Standard 10 (cont.)
Reading Literature Standard 5: Terms that are relevant to literary texts (e.x.
chapter, scene, & stanza).
Reading Literature Standard 6: Point of view.
Reading Literature Standard 7: How the illustrations in a complex text or a
multimedia version of the text can help establish mood, tone, and meaning.
Reading Literature Standard 9: Comparing and contrasting.
Writing Standard 1: Write an opinion about a topic or text and support their
point of view.

Integrating Other ELA Standards With Reading

Literature Standard 10 (cont.)
Speaking & Listening Standard 1: Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions.
Speaking & Listening Standard 2: Listening to a text read aloud or a
multimedia presentation of the text.
Language Standard 4: Determining or clarifying the meanings of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases.
Language Standard 5: Vocabulary standard that refers to descriptive use of
language.

Integrating Other ELA Standard With Reading

Informational Text Standard 10
Reading Informational text Standard 1: Closely reading an informational text.
Reading Informational text Standard 2: The ability to summarize the main
idea and supporting details.
Reading Informational Text Standard 3: Describing the connections and
relationships among people, events, ideas, and pieces of information in a text.
Reading Informational Text Standard 4: Use of words and phrases in an
informational text.

Integrating Other ELA Standard With Reading

Informational Text Standard 10 (cont.)
Reading Informational Text Standard 5: Use of text features and text
structures.
Reading Informational Text Standard 6: Point of View.
Reading Informational Text Standard 7: How images in a text can help
establish key ideas.
Reading Informational Text Standard 8: Authors reasons and evidence in
informational text.
Reading Informational Text Standard 9: Comparing and contrasting two
informational texts on the same topic.

Integrating Other ELA Standard With Reading

Informational Text Standard 10 (cont.)
Writing Standard 1: Writing opinions and supporting point of view with
reasons.
Speaking/Listening Standard 1: Engage in collaborative discussions.
Speaking/Listening Standard 2: Listening to a text read aloud.
Language Standard 4: Clarifying the meanings of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases.
Language Standard 6: Vocabulary standard.

Text Complexity Video

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/assess-text-complexity-parcc#

Technology Resources to Teach Standard 10

Pearson Reading Maturity Metric: paste in a passage between 20-2,500
words, press the Analyze button, and a text complexity report is produced.

http://www.pearsonassessments.
com/automatedlanguageassessment/products/100000021/reading-maturity-metric-rmm.
html#tab-details

Text Compactor: shortens lengthy primary resources and informational texts to

assist struggling readers (great for differentiation!).

http://textcompactor.com/

Other Resources to Teach Standard 10

JuicyStudio: a text complexity scale that counts the number of 1, 2, 3, and 4
syllable words are in a text to determine its readability.

http://juicystudio.com/services/readability.php

Interactive Text Complexity Planning Template: provides a PDF for planning

for complex texts in the classroom

http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/conpro/engla/Documents/Interactive%20Roadmap%
20Template.pdf

Lesson Plan for Standard 10: 2nd Grade

Standard:
LAFS.2.RI.4.10- By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts,
including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 23 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
Instruction:
The teacher will introduce the informational text What Magnets Can Do by Allan
Fowler. The text will be presented to the class using the document camera.
As the class reads the text together, they will record what they learn about objects
made of matter being attracted to magnets on a T chart. The teacher will display
her T chart on a chart in front of the classroom, while students are provided with
their own individual T charts.

T Chart Example
Object

Attracted/Not Attracted to Magnet

Nail

Attracted

Dice

Not Attracted

Lesson Plan for Standard 10: 2nd Grade

Guided Practice:
Students will be provided with copies of What Magnets Can Do and will work in
groups to record more examples on their T Chart.
Independent Practice (Formative Assessment):
Teacher will provide individual copies of the informational picture book, What
Makes a Magnet, by Franklin Branley. Students will be provided with a new T
Chart where they will record whether or not certain items are attracted to a magnet.

Differentiation
ELLs:
Content: Students will be placed in the front row so that they can clearly see the
pictures in the read aloud book. Teacher will model how to complete the T Chart
for the students.
Process: The T Chart will be partially completed for these students. They only must
write A (for attracted) or N (for not attracted).
Product: Students will be provided with Magnetic and Non-Magnetic, by Angela
Royston, which is a picture book with very little words. ELLs will be provided with a
partially completed T Chart (similar to process) that requires them to write either A
or N for each object provided.

Differentiation
Struggling Students:
Content: Students will be provided with the objects from the book and are required
to write either Attracted or Not Attracted.
Process: Students will only be required to read 2 additional pages from What
Magnets Can Do and will be provided with the items to be glued onto their T
Charts.
Product: Students will be allowed to work in pairs to read 3 pages from Magnets:
Pulling Together, Pushing Apart by Natalie Rosinsky. With a partner, they will cut
and glue the items for the T Chart in the correct locates.

Differentiation
Advanced Students:
Content: Students may go online to http://www.sciencekids.co.
nz/gamesactivities/detectivescience/magnets.html and research different materials
that are/are not attracted to magnets and record them in their T Charts.
Process: Students will be provided Magnets by Ann Schreiber, which is more
complex and will be required to complete their T Charts.
Product: Students will be provided with a graphic organizer and given the option to
research how magnets are used in the production of electricity, junkyards, etc.

Lesson Plan for Standard 10: 4th grade

Standard:
LAFS.4.RL.4.10- By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including
stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 45 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Instruction:
The purpose of this lesson is to identify the authors voice by looking at the words
and phrases used throughout a poem.
The teacher will begin by reading the poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes in
Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes. During the reading, the teacher will note
the words tacks and splinters, and comment on the phrase life aint no crystal
stair.

Lesson Plan for Standard 10: 4th Grade

Guided Practice: Students will read Aunt Sues Stories by Langston Hughes,
identifying the authors voice by using words and phrases from the poem. Students
will complete a graphic organizer where they will record specific words and
phrases on one side and the feeling the words elicit on the other side.
Example: summer nights on the porch and cuddles a brown-faced child elicit the
feeling of comfort and love.
Independent Practice: Students will create their own poem, using specific words
and phrases to create a specific feeling. Students will eventually exchange their
poems and their peers will identify their voice from the poem.

Differentiation
ELLs:
Content: Students will be provided with a translated version of Mother to Son by
Langston Hughes.
Process: Students will be provided with a translated version of Aunt Sues Stories
by Langston Hughes and will be allowed to draw how the poem makes them feel,
which relates to the authors voice.
Product: Students may write their poems in their L1 and illustrate images to go
along with their words/phrases.

Differentiation
Struggling Students:
Content: Students will be provided with a completed bubble map as a resource that
better organizes the authors voice from Mother to Son by Langston Hughes in
the middle bubble with supporting words/phrases in the outside bubbles.
Process: Students will only be required to read the first stanza of Aunt Sues
Stories and will be provided with a graphic organizer that contains framed
sentences.
Product: These students only need to write a 1 stanza poem and may illustrate their
feelings to very convey their voice.

Differentiation
Advanced Students:
Content: These students will be asked to relate Mother to Son, by Langston
Hughes, to their own life and will be given the option to draw a picture to illustrate
the poem.
Process: These students will be given The Trumpet Player, by Langston Hughes,
which is more complex and requires deeper thought to uncover the authors voice.
Product: I will require these students to use more figurative language throughout
their poetry, and they will be given the option to illustrate their poems when they
are done.

Questions/Comments?