Text Complexity In Education

In the article, The effect of syntax and lexical complexity on the comprehension of elementary science texts” the author Diane Arya examines the challenges educators must face when integrating literacy into the content area of science based on text complexity. Science unlike other content areas utilizes a reader’s experienced prior knowledge. Experiences are critical when comprehending scientific text; “ science texts provide readers with a purpose for reading and additional exposures to key science concepts that lead to deeper conceptual understanding.” The authors of “ Stuents Close Reading of Science Text” are in agreement of the diffculut level of language utlize in scientic texts; “ the language used in some science texts far exceeds
Syntax traditional is look at in psychological terms as “ the longer the sentence, the greater the likelihood the multiple discrete ides, called propositions are embed in it.” In most cases this is the truth; however in science-based text the reader is also left to string a series of short sentences together resulting in a cohesion model. This model leads the reader to pull on their ability to utilize other strategies such as cause and effect, problem-solution, or sequence. Text complexity is not always based off of sentence
How is close reading instruction effected specifically by science text? The article “ Students Close Reading of Science Texts” sheds light on answering this specific question. In order to understand how to incorporate science texts into close reading one must understand what close reading is; “ close reading represents one type of classroom reading in which a small or large group of students “ have a go at a text. Students become the primary investigators of the text and its meaning. During close reading, students explore the deep structures of a text identifying the “ bones of the passage.” ( content article). An educator might shy away from utilizing science text with close reading, however the text complexity of science text can be challenging in support of Diana Arya findings in the article “The effect of syntacila and lexical complexity on the comprehension elementary science text” Scaffolding reading provides a reader with intentionally strategies to use each time the text is reread. As students are exposed to a new layer of understanding to deepen their knowledge of a specific topic cooperative groups create space for discussion groups and the organization of information. This strtegt is congruent with the structec presented by Hurst and Pearman in the article “ Teach Reading? But I am not a Reading Teacher.”