Engaging reluctant readers since 2012!
It is valuable when a Hi-Lo book series inspires journaling. As a teacher, journaling has always been a key tool for me to use to engage my students in writing. However, it was not always easy to find thought provoking starters that would inspire them to write meaningful entries. I remember when I presented my…
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I’m excited to offer a Hi-Lo book series that reflects diversity. Teachers are challenged with providing their students with literature that not only reflects their students’ diverse backgrounds, but also exposes their students to other ways of thinking and other cultures. When I set out to write the Hi-Lo series, The Way I See It,…
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It is often a challenge to find Hi-Lo books that offer appropriate and meaningful text for the High School grade level. What does it mean for a book to have “appropriate and meaningful text”? As a teacher, I encountered texts that drew plot lines around cliché themes for teens. Themes that seemed age appropriate, but…
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Teachers of reluctant readers face many challenges. One of those challenges may seem minor to some, but it is still very important. Namely, they want to provide struggling readers with material around which they can build meaningful discussions. Teachers seek out Hi-Lo books that build on previous knowledge. For reluctant readers, this means the stories…
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Hi-Lo readers are the toughest audience because they will often give up on a book after the first page. If it doesn’t grab them, they are done! Hi-Lo readers want a good story, but don’t want or need all the extra fluff. They want a story that gets to the point, but still doesn’t fall…
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Reluctant readers are not stupid. In fact, they recognize “dumbed down” books. This is a highly offensive phrase used when discussing the structure of Hi-Lo books. It also shows a lack of understanding of the purpose and process of writing effective Hi-Lo books. Is it a surprise when reluctant readers don’t want to read those…
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Reading fluency plays a key role in reading comprehension. So how do we strengthen reading fluency? As a teacher of struggling readers, I learned that this did not mean that only those who could read fast were good readers. Speed was not the most important factor. In fact, I discovered a key habit that was…
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Does it upset some struggling readers when their book is written on a lower reading level? I get it, if it does. But those thoughts only hold reluctant readers back. We must directly teach that reading levels are not a measure of self-worth or how smart someone is! Reading levels only inform readers were they…
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I want to tell you a little bit about what reading Hi-Lo books means. Hi-Lo books, also known as High-Low books, can play a key role in developing reading fluency. Fluency means that you can read better and faster AND understand what you have read. A Hi-Lo book is a book or a reading section…
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