Part of the In-Crowd: Multilevel Reading so Everyone Can Join In

Eletu, Olu. "Alphabet, Children." March 17, 2015.
Retrieved from https://stocksnap.io/photo/Q5FJUK9OFH

No one likes to feel left out. And for children, many of who want nothing more than to achieve the status of “fitting in”, this is an especially concerning matter. You want to wear what your friends are wearing, have the same toys and gadgets that your friends have. So what do you do as a self-conscious child when for whatever reason, be it giftedness, a learning disability, whatever, you find yourself ahead or behind the pack? You feel awkward, like something is wrong with you. As educators, we can help with that. No, we probably can’t convince a student’s parents to get them those Nike shoes that everyone else in the class has, or those special edition, holographic Pokemon cards, but what we can do is help students feel included in classroom activities, even if the student might be reading at a grade or two below or above the rest of the class.

How do we do this?

By introducing multilevel reading in the classroom.

Catherine Cornford at University of Ottawa wrote a brief, but helpful research monograph about multilevel reading called “What Works? Using Multilevel Texts—Supporting Literacy in the Inclusive Classroom.” In it, she argues that one of the reasons for lack of student engagement in reading is that the text is either too easy or difficult and provides some useful suggestions to how educators can incorporate multilevel texts or scaffolding into the classroom so students can read and learn together, regardless of reading level. You can download the PDF here.

So how could multilevel fiction help?

Multilevel fiction may be written at different levels of complexity, so students can all be reading the same story. They may also use multiple genres or writing styles to communicate information, for example, one version of the text is in verse and another version is in prose. Some texts may even use fiction and non-fiction, for example incorporating a narrative and informational text. The Ontario curriculum’s Reading strand expects students read and understand a variety of texts, literary, graphic, and information, and to understand how different text forms and stylistic elements help communicate meaning. Studying a multilevel text exposes students to multiple writing genres and styles, thus giving them versatility in their reading comprehension.

Can I still be inclusive even if the text isn’t designed to be multilevel?

Even if a text isn’t specifically multilevel, teachers can still be inclusive with reading in the classroom. One of the ways to do that is through reading buddies, where a teacher would pair up students of different reading levels and abilities to participate in a shared reading activity. This can give a student of a lower reading level exposure to a more challenging text, but with some guidance along the way. The student of the higher reading level still benefits, because one consolidates knowledge through explaining it to others.

In summary

We all have different skill sets and aptitudes and in the inclusive classroom, there’s no reason why we have to segregate students based on their reading level. Providing a narrative that scales according to reading level makes all students feel like they’re part of the group and can increase reading engagement. I get so excited when I see students interested in what they’re reading and eager to share what they’ve read with their peers. I think everyone should have that opportunity, whether they’re reading Seuss or Shakespeare.