English Language Development

Figure 5.3. Associated Ranges from Multiple Measures for the Grades Four and Five Text

Complexity Band

ATOS

(Renaissance

Learning)

Degrees

of

Reading

PowerP®

Flesch-

Kincaid

The Lexile

FrameworkP®

Reading

Maturity

SourceRater

4.97–7.03 52–60 4.52–7.74 750–1010 5.42–7.92 0.84–5.75

Source

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. n.d. “Supplemental

Information for Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy: New

Research on Text Complexity, 4. Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Quantitative measures provide a first and broad—and sometimes inaccurate—view on text
complexity. Teachers should examine closely qualitative factors, such as levels of meaning, structure,
language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands of the text. Texts that have multiple
levels of meaning, use less conventional story structures (such as moving back and forth between
different characters’ perspectives), employ less common language, and require certain background
knowledge are more challenging to readers, and therefore considered more complex text. (See figure
2.8 in chapter 2 of this ELA/ELD Framework.) Readability formulae cannot provide this information.

The complexity of a text for readers also depends upon their motivation, knowledge, and
experiences and upon what students are expected to do with the text (in other words, the task).
When determining the complexity of the text and task for students, teachers should examine the
text and consider the task carefully with their students in mind. In other words, the difficulty of a
text or task is relative to the reader. Teachers identify which aspects of a text or task are likely to be
challenging for which particular students and provide instruction and support accordingly. They guide
students to independence in making sense of challenging text; they do not simply tell students what a
challenging text says. See the discussion of text complexity
in chapter 2 of this ELA/ELD Framework.

All students should be provided the opportunity to
interact with complex text and be provided instruction that
best supports their success with such text. Ample successful
and satisfying experiences with complex text contribute to
students’ progress toward achieving the overarching goals
of ELA/literacy and ELD instruction depicted in figure 5.1.
Figure 2.10 in chapter 2 of this ELA/ELD Framework provides
guidance for supporting learners’ engagement with complex
text, including additional considerations that are critical for
meeting the needs of ELs. Figure 9.14 in chapter 9 adds
information about supporting students who are experiencing
difficulty with reading, thus ensuring that they, too, have
opportunities to engage successfully with complex text.

Importantly, students read and reread complex (and
other) texts for different purposes: to trace a line of argument, identify details that support an idea,
learn new content, or determine how an author uses language to evoke emotions from the reader
or to convey meanings in other intentional ways. They at times skim for a broad sense of the text
and the features it employs; they at times “race” through and “devour” a text that captivates their
imagination or interest; they at times read slowly and deliberately to analyze ideas and language in

Importantly, students read and

reread complex (and other)

texts for different purposes:

to trace a line of argument,

identify details that support

an idea, learn new content, or

determine how an author uses

language to evoke emotions

from the reader or to convey

meanings in other intentional

ways.

Grades 4 and 5 Chapter 5 | 401