Selecting Appropriate Text for Adolescents With Disabilities

Teachers of students with disabilities are required to provide instruction that aligns with the Common Core State Standards, including close reading of complex text. However, teachers often struggle with how to select text for students with disabilities who may be reading below grade level. They often wonder whether they are allowed to use below-grade-level text and how to move toward using more complex text over time. The Common Core State Standards offer a set of guidelines for text selection. In this article, we review the guidelines and explain how teachers of students with disabilities may use them to select appropriate text for their students.