Reading Road Trip S4 E3: Scaffolding Complex Text with Dr. Sarah Lupo
Jul 14, 2025
Join Dr. Sarah Lupo, an Associate Professor of Literacy Education at James Madison University, as she delves into enhancing adolescent literacy across subjects. She identifies five key challenges in understanding complex texts and offers research-backed strategies for scaffolding instruction. Dr. Lupo emphasizes the importance of connecting literacy to students' identities and communities while navigating text complexity. Discover practical tools, like double entry journals and collaborative reading techniques, to elevate comprehension in every classroom.
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Home Language Boosts Literacy
- Dr. Lupo shared her experience teaching language learners to write in their home languages to support English learning.
- She encouraged integrating students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds to enhance content understanding and engagement.
Link Learning to Community
- Design projects that connect classroom learning to solving real community problems.
- Ask students to share their work in meaningful ways to enhance purpose and relevance.
Purpose Drives Text Selection
- Text complexity is nuanced, not just grade-level scores.
- Purposeful learning and knowledge-building drive effective text selection beyond standardized measures.
