Differentiated social reading with Subtext

Make the most of Subtext’s capacity for differentiated reading

A-reading we will go, A-reading we will go, hey ho the dairy-o, a reading we will go!

Ahem.

We’re going to take a look at the free iOS app Subtext, which provides a host of tools that let you empower readers in your classroom while providing them with maximal scaffolding for success. Subtext was really designed to differentiate the process of close reading, letting readers respond to stories with comments and even photos uploaded from their Camera Roll.

Two other huge benefits of the Subtext app are that you, as the educator can set up virtual reading groups within your classroom and you can also pull webpages and pdfs into Subtext, to capture the types of digital texts that a lot of 21st century learners like to read. Let’s go through how to get set up with Subtext.

Create reading groups in Subtext

Subtext is a very friendly app, and creating your groups is as simple as the touch of a button:

Integrate it with Newsela to look at lexile levels

Newsela‘s a favorite online tool of mine that lets you choose different lexile levels on the same news story for different readers. You can also choose news stories based on specific Common Core goals you’re trying to work with in your reading group. It lets your students set reading targets and craft “I Can” statements. And when you integrate Newsela with Subtext, the toggling of lexile levels is in fact entirely invisible for your readers.

Now let’s pull it all together: here’s my comprehensive how-to screencast, showing how to make the most of the full range of Subtext’s features, including working with groups, toggling different lexile levels for learners and saving pdfs and webpages into Subtext for your class to work with. Enjoy.