Preparation and use of reading material written at more than one level of difficulty

Abstract

This internship was motivated by a desire to find a solution to the problem of teaching reading effectively in classrooms where a wide range of reading ability exists. The solution proposed, explored, and evaluated during this internship involved leaving the classes intact and using reading material with identical content but written at more than one level of difficulty. -- Material written at more than one level of difficulty was provided by rewriting existing material to a lower level of difficulty and using this material together with the original material. The use of this material was explored in a classroom situation. This approach was then evaluated by examining the feasibility of classroom teachers rewriting existing material and thus providing two levels of material with identical content for use in the classroom, the original and the rewritten. The advantages of using reading material of identical content but written at more than one level of difficulty in a classroom situation and the effects that this approach had on students were also investigated. -- Given the limitations of this report, there is clear indication that the rewriting of existing reading materials to a lower level of difficulty by classroom teachers is feasible, that use of this material together with the original has many advantages when used in a classroom situation, and that there are benefits to students when this approach is used to provide for the range of reading ability in a classroom.