Kids Are a Product of Their Opportunities

Are your students stuck in a reading rut? In this episode, we explore how expanding text formats—not just genres—can unlock

• engagement,
• reduce boredom,
• and create richer reading opportunities for all learners.

Use your summer freedom to rethink what counts as reading and prep for a year of curiosity, creativity, and real growth. Ideal for K–5 teachers seeking responsive, student-centered literacy practices.

Episode Notes:

Have you ever looked around your classroom and felt like something was missing?

Maybe your highest readers aren’t growing.
Maybe your students are disengaged.
Maybe you’re caught in the rut of sameness—where reading is defined by a basal, a video, or another paragraph on the projector.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.

Summer is the perfect time to reset. With the curriculum paused and creativity on high alert, it's your chance to reimagine what reading looks like for your students—and for you.

The Problem Isn't Always Skill. It's Opportunity.

When students seem bored or stuck, we often reach for interventions or new programs. But what if the issue isn’t ability or behavior... but opportunity?

What if the texts we put in front of students don’t reflect their interests, their curiosities, or their lived experiences?

In this episode of the podcast, we’re rethinking the idea of "text."
Not just books. Not just passages. But formats—ways that words and sentences show up in the world.

A Simple Summer Challenge

To get started, try this:

1. Write down three students you’ve taught.
   Next to each name, list one or two of their top interests.
   Then, brainstorm a list of possible text formats that match those interests.

   For example: Johnny loves construction. He might enjoy

   • DIY home guides

   • Local construction news

   • Tool catalogs

   • How-to websites

   • Email exchanges or letters about building projects

2. Make a list of everything you read in a day.
   Think beyond books: recipes, menus, texts, newsletters, blog posts, instructions, social media posts, comment sections...

3. Challenge yourself to brainstorm 50 different text formats.
   See how many ways people engage with print in real life. You’ll quickly see how narrow classroom texts can feel in comparison.

Why It Matters

When students experience more variability in what they read, it leads to:

• Reduced boredom

• Increased engagement

• More authentic reading experiences

• Better options for take-home texts

• Clearer mentor texts for writing

• A stronger connection between reading and the real world

By the end of the summer, you’ll be equipped with a refreshed mindset—and practical ideas to reach every reader in your room, from the highest flyer to the most reluctant learner.

A Responsive Teacher's Superpower

Whether you're planning whole-group lessons, small-group instruction, or one-on-one reading conferences, expanding your text formats gives you a powerful tool: choice.

And choice creates opportunity.
And opportunity? That’s what helps kids grow.