Using an Expanded Text Complexity Guide to match picturebooks with learners’ reading proficiencies.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Using an Expanded Text Complexity Guide to match picturebooks with learners’ reading proficiencies.
Authors:	Alruthaya, Salma¹, Mantei, Jessica², Kervin, Lisa³, White, Sonia L. J.⁴
Source:	Literacy Learning: The Middle Years. Feb2026, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p53-70. 18p.
Subject Terms:	Picture books, Reading, Teaching aids, Middle school students, *Teaching
Abstract:	Text complexity guides support teachers to match students with reading material aligned with their reading proficiency. While the complexity of a text has been primarily measured through a linguistic lens, multimodal texts, such as digital and print-based picturebooks, place additional reading demands on readers, who must interpret and integrate information from words, images, design, layout and other modes to construct meaning. This paper shares findings from a study that extended a widely used text complexity framework (Pinnell & Fountas, 2007) to incorporate a multimodal perspective, enabling a broader evaluation of text demands. To examine the practical value and classroom relevance of this expanded guide, the researchers matched students with a multimodal picturebook and used eye movement and miscue analysis to analyse their reading processes. These assessments provided insights into how readers navigated the text and responded to a point identified as potentially demanding by the Expanded Text Complexity Guide. The study’s significance lies in offering teachers a framework to support the selection of picturebooks for teaching and assessment purposes. It also offers practical guidance for identifying the features of a text that may require instructional scaffolding, especially when supporting middle school readers engaging with multimodal texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Text complexity guides support teachers to match students with reading material aligned with their reading proficiency. While the complexity of a text has been primarily measured through a linguistic lens, multimodal texts, such as digital and print-based picturebooks, place additional reading demands on readers, who must interpret and integrate information from words, images, design, layout and other modes to construct meaning. This paper shares findings from a study that extended a widely used text complexity framework (Pinnell & Fountas, 2007) to incorporate a multimodal perspective, enabling a broader evaluation of text demands. To examine the practical value and classroom relevance of this expanded guide, the researchers matched students with a multimodal picturebook and used eye movement and miscue analysis to analyse their reading processes. These assessments provided insights into how readers navigated the text and responded to a point identified as potentially demanding by the Expanded Text Complexity Guide. The study’s significance lies in offering teachers a framework to support the selection of picturebooks for teaching and assessment purposes. It also offers practical guidance for identifying the features of a text that may require instructional scaffolding, especially when supporting middle school readers engaging with multimodal texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	13205692