Raising the Bar: Scaffolding Students into Complex Texts
- DocHolbrook
- Aug 17
- 6 min read
As many schools shift to the science of reading, they’re adopting knowledge-building programs that intentionally incorporate rigorous, complex texts. For many teachers, this is a major change from past practices—where lessons often relied on listening to stories or assigning simplified versions of texts to “meet students where they are.”
These new programs are powerful for many reasons, but one stands out: they remove the day-to-day burden of figuring out “What will I teach tomorrow?” and instead allow teachers to focus on a more important question:“ How will I help my students access this information?”
Because programs are designed for use in any school, in any state, they weren’t written specifically for our students. That’s where our expertise comes in. Our role is to make the information and topics relevant to the students in front of us—without lowering the bar.
The Problem with “Making it Easier”
Two of the most common workarounds I see in classrooms are:
Swapping challenging grade-level texts for “leveled” or overly simplified versions.
Using audiobooks instead of having students read the text themselves.
While both approaches may come from a place of wanting to help, they remove the productive struggle necessary for growth. Complex texts—when scaffolded effectively—are what build vocabulary, background knowledge, and the capacity for higher-level thinking.
Understanding Cognitive Load
Cognitive load refers to the amount of information working memory can process at one time.
When students lack background knowledge to connect new learning to something they already know, cognitive load increases, which can lead to:
Retaining only fragments of the information.
Seeing the new learning as isolated rather than connected.
Spending mental energy on basic comprehension instead of deeper analysis.
Failing to commit new knowledge to long-term memory.
Why this matters: If we want students to analyze, compare, and think critically, we must reduce unnecessary cognitive load by building background knowledge up front and making explicit connections as they read.
The Importance of Background Knowledge
Research is clear: background knowledge plays a critical role in reading comprehension. Hugh Catts (2021) notes that comprehension is not simply a function of decoding skills but also the reader’s knowledge base.
One famous example is the “baseball study” (Recht & Leslie, 1988), which found that students with high knowledge of baseball understood a baseball-related passage far better than those with low knowledge—even if the “low-knowledge” group were stronger decoders.
The implication is clear: if students don’t have the knowledge they need to make sense of a text, we must build it before (and while) they read.
Teaching for Transfer
Our ultimate goal isn’t just for students to understand this text—it’s for them to apply the knowledge and concepts in other contexts.
How to Teach for Transfer:
Build deep domain knowledge, not isolated facts.
Provide varied opportunities to apply concepts in different contexts.
Make cross-disciplinary connections explicit.
Use essential questions to drive learning.
Using Essential Questions to Anchor Learning
Essential questions turn a unit into an investigation rather than a checklist.
Benefits:
Anchor learning: Keep the question visible throughout the unit as a compass for discussion.
Guide discussions: Use it to frame debates, writing prompts, and reflections.
Encourage reflection: Revisit at the end—how has thinking changed?
Promote critical thinking: Encourage students to ask related questions.
Guide assessment: Design projects and essays that address the question directly.
Unpacking the Essential Question:
Identify the big idea or concept behind it.
Make it relevant by connecting it to students’ lives and current events.
Use it as a thread across reading, discussion, and assessment.
Making Topics Relevant: A Real Example
This year, we’re trialing new books in our middle schools. One of the first is Red Scarf Girl, a memoir set during China’s Cultural Revolution.
When I first read it, I realized I knew very little about the Cultural Revolution myself. I could, however, connect parts of the story to other historical events I knew—like the Holocaust—drawing parallels between state control, persecution, and the impact on individuals and families.
But what about our students? Many have never studied the Cultural Revolution. Some have also missed extended time in science or social studies because earlier reading instruction focused narrowly on skills like “finding the main idea.” Without prior exposure to world history, Red Scarf Girl can feel distant and inaccessible.
So the question becomes: What is an English teacher to do? How do we help students access and connect with complex texts—especially when they know little or nothing about the topic?
Essential Questions for Red Scarf Girl and How to Unpack Them
Essential questions help frame Red Scarf Girl as more than just a story—they turn it into an investigation into ideas that matter beyond the classroom. They keep students focused on the “big picture” while they grapple with complex text and historical context.
Examples:
How do societies decide what’s fair?
What does it mean to be loyal?
Unpacking the Question: How do societies decide what’s fair?
Identify the Concept: Justice, fairness, and decision-making in communities.
Make Cross-Connections: Compare how fairness is defined in 1960s China, during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and in students’ own communities today.
Tie to the Text: In Red Scarf Girl, examine how government rules and class status shaped ideas of fairness.
Student Relevance: Ask students to reflect on situations where rules or policies in their own lives felt fair or unfair.
Assessment Connection: Have students create a position statement or project arguing how fairness should be determined in society.
Unpacking the Question: What does it mean to be loyal?
Identify the Concept: Loyalty as a value—who or what we are loyal to, and why.
Make Cross-Connections: Explore loyalty in literature, history, and current events.
Tie to the Text: Discuss Ji-li’s loyalty conflicts—family vs. government—and the consequences of her choices.
Student Relevance: Have students share examples of loyalty dilemmas they’ve faced or witnessed.
Assessment Connection: Students write a reflective piece or debate taking a side in a loyalty conflict, supporting their position with evidence.
Classroom Tips for Using These Questions:
Post them in a visible spot throughout the unit.
Refer back during discussions, activities, and writing assignments.
Revisit at the end of the unit: “Has your answer changed? Why?”
Encourage students to generate related sub-questions they want to explore.
Building Background Knowledge on the Cultural Revolution
Objective: Equip students with essential historical context so they can comprehend and connect with the memoir.
Step 1 – Short, Accessible Explanation (5 min)
“From 1966–1976, China’s leader, Mao Zedong, launched a movement to change the country’s culture and ideas. Young people called the Red Guards were encouraged to challenge traditions, criticize elders, and promote the government’s beliefs. Many families lost jobs, were separated, or faced public humiliation.”
Step 2 – Visuals and Multimedia (10 min)
Short (3–5 min) video with propaganda posters, Mao’s speeches, and images of students in red scarves.
Photo gallery walk with captions to spark curiosity.
Step 3 – Vocabulary in Context (10 min) Pre-teach key terms (propaganda, revolution, Red Guards, Four Olds, class status) with visuals and analogies.
Step 4 – Connections to Familiar Events (5 min) Briefly compare to:
U.S. Civil Rights Movement (youth activism)
Historical or modern examples of censorship
Step 5 – Pre-Reading Engagement (10 min)
Role Play: Distribute fictional “identity cards” with different class statuses; introduce rules that advantage some and disadvantage others.
Prediction Questions: “What would you do if your government told you to give up your family’s traditions?”
Connecting Themes to Students’ Lives
Objective: Help students see universal human struggles in Red Scarf Girl and apply them to their own experiences.
Step 1 – Lesson Hook (5 min)Ask: “What would you do if your school told you to turn in your best friend or family member for breaking a rule—even if you thought it was unfair?”
Step 2 – Then & Now Chart (10–15 min)
Theme | Ji-li’s World (1960s China) | Our World Today |
Loyalty vs. Pressure | Loyalty to family conflicted with loyalty to Mao | Peer pressure, loyalty to friends |
Unfair Treatment | Families targeted for class background | Bullying, discrimination |
Influence of Authority | Government control of education & media | Rules/policies in schools or community |
Courage and Choices | Risk of speaking out against the party | Risk of speaking up against injustice |
Step 3 – Discussion (10 min)Discuss how these themes show up in students’ lives or current events.
Step 4 – Reflective Writing (10 min) Prompt: “Describe a time you had to choose between following the rules and doing what you believed was right. What influenced your decision?”
Conclusion
We don’t raise achievement by lowering the bar. We raise it by giving students the scaffolds, background knowledge, and relevance they need to meet rigorous expectations.
Programs give us the framework; teachers provide the bridge. And while we may not get to choose every text or topic we teach, our job is to connect the dots for students. When no dots exist, we build them—through intentional relevance, background knowledge, and the belief that every student can access challenging, meaningful texts.
See you next Sunday!
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References
Catts, H. W. (2021). The simple view of reading: Advancements and false impressions. Remedial and Special Education, 42(5), 263–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932520984757
Center for Professional Education of Teachers. (n.d.). Tackling complex texts. Teachers College, Columbia University. https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/news-press/tackling-complex-texts
Jiang, J. (1997). Red scarf girl: A memoir of the Cultural Revolution. HarperCollins.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2020). Incorporating knowledge of communities into practice. Young Children, 75(5). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/dec2020/incorporating-knowledge-communities
Recht, D. R., & Leslie, L. (1988). Effect of prior knowledge on good and poor readers’ memory of text. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(1), 16–20. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.80.1.16
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