Support for selecting an anchor text
Goals of this module
While working through this mini-module on selecting a high-quality anchor text, educators will:
- Examine the alignment of their anchor text with their standards
- Evaluate if the text is of appropriate complexity for their students
- Analyze supplemental resources that will support students
- Connect all instructional components by ensuring aligned assessments
Defining an anchor text
What is an anchor text?
The anchor text is the main text that will be used to teach content to your students. While texts can take on many forms (images, videos, charts, diagrams and etc), a literacy-based lesson seeks to use complex texts that increase student exposure to at-grade level reading opportunities.
This text should be aligned to the content standards, evaluated for appropriate complexity, supported by supplemental materials and assessed for student comprehension.
A high-quality anchor text is worthy of multiple examinations and will be the key to a successful lesson or unit. Taking the time to select an anchor text is one of the most important steps.
Selecting an anchor text
Review the document, Anchor Text Qualities, which highlights four important questions to support choosing a high quality anchor text, including:
Is your anchor text aligned to your standard?
What is the complexity of your anchor text?
What supplemental resources exist (or need to be developed) that will help your students access the text with increasing independence?
How will you assess your students’ understanding of the anchor text?
The document above is just a starting place. It is best understood along with a 20-minute Narrated Video of Anchor Text Qualities, which provides a deeper dive into the selection of strong anchor texts.
