Engaging reluctant readers since 2012!
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 writing Hi-Lo Books for English Second Language Learners. Why is that? Although I was born in the USA, I grew up in Switzerland and learned to read and write in German first. It wasn’t until 3rd grade that I was introduced to reading and writing in English. By then, I was very…
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In my last blog, I shared that I was introduced to adolescent literature in college as part of a class. Up until that point in my life I struggled with reading because I learned to read and write in German first. But once I was in college, something began to change. The transformation began in…
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It was a complete accident that I learned the one thing about reading that impacted me the most as a writer. Hi-Lo books intentionally build reading fluency! Although, at the time, I didn’t have a clue it was happening to me. I grew up learning to read and write in German, although we spoke English…
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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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