Research & approach
Don't lower the text, sharpen the supports.
Growing Literacy Co. creates practical literacy tools for secondary students who need meaningful access to complex reading, not a lower ceiling.
Challenging text with purposeful support
Timothy Shanahan's writing on complex text informs the way these resources keep meaningful reading at the center while adjusting the support around it. That support may include vocabulary help, fluency practice, rereading, attention to sentence meaning, and focused background knowledge.
Clear, explicit instruction
Anita Archer and Charles Hughes describe explicit instruction as clear, systematic teaching that includes modeling, guided practice, frequent student response, timely feedback, and cumulative practice. Those principles shape the predictable routines and gradual release built into Growing Literacy Co. resources.
The classroom still matters
Research informs the design. Classroom realities shape the delivery. Teachers still decide what their students need, which supports to provide, and when those supports are ready to fade.
Sources
- Timothy Shanahan, “Eight Ways to Help Kids Read Complex Text”
- Timothy Shanahan, “Letting the Text Take Center Stage”
- Anita Archer and Charles Hughes, Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching
- Archer and Hughes, official sample chapter
These sources inform the instructional approach. Their inclusion does not mean the authors have reviewed or endorsed Growing Literacy Co. products.