Engaging reluctant readers since 2012!
Reluctant readers want their books to reflect their lives. Just like other teens, they want to find answers to tough questions. In order to meet this need, I have written Hi-Lo books that address sexual harassment and assault. In my experience, I have seen and experienced the large grey area everyone calls, “But I didn’t…
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It is important for Hi-Lo books to address racism and stereotyping. Although struggling readers may need books written on a lower reading level, they still need a challenge. I want to invite reluctant readers into the discussion. So why address racism and serotyping? Unfortunately, it happens every day. Through working with students with diverse backgrounds,…
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I believe that there is a need for Hi-Lo books to address depression and suicide. Struggling and reluctant readers need to read stories that challenge their perspectives and make them think. Low reading level does not mean the readers can’t tackle tough subjects. When I set out to write Ozzie, the first book in The…
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Teachers who work with struggling or reluctant readers need to teach how to abandon books. This is something I feel strongly about as a former teacher. However, I also draw from my own personal experience as a struggling reader. Growing up as a struggling reader, I thought that if I started a book, it meant…
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If I can impact one reader at a time to build their reading fluency to a point where they seek out other literature, then I have done my job. Why did L.B. Tillit start writing Hi-Lo books? This is a great question! I have a very good reason for why I began writing Hi-Lo books.…
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No struggling reader will ever read a classic if they are not interested in reading at all. Struggling readers must connect with the text. This statement may seem simple enough. However, it took me a while to learn. When I taught in an alternative school, I thought I could bring the same great literature with…
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I focus on activating curiosity as I develop the plot so that predicting and inferring are natural outcomes. It can be a challenge to help struggling readers predict and infer based on what they have read. As a teacher I realized that my reluctant readers avoided predicting or inferring if they did not care about…
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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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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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