Reading between the lines – Supporting literacy text sets and explicit instruction.
The use of complex texts for learning is a well-established pedagogical practice, and therefore, the selection of appropriate texts is an integral part of teaching and learning. Traditionally, textbooks and single origin resources have been a staple in classrooms, but the use of a singular resource can be problematic in an environment with significant variation in literacy levels and background knowledge (Cervetti & Hiebert, 2019; Lupo et al., 2019). This concern is because disparity between various students’ abilities can limit learning outcomes because access is an issue. As a constructivist approach to learning and an extension of literary learning, text sets are an effective pedagogical practice that supports student learning and develops literacy capacity in a diverse classroom. The efficacy of this classroom practice can be further supported with explicitly taught ‘reading for meaning’ strategies as it increases the number of access points students have to the text and therefore, positively impacts literacy, reading comprehension and learning outcomes.
Learning through the Library 