What are Hi-Lo books?
Hi-Lo books have a high (or advanced) interest level but low readability that helps older struggling readers stay motivated because they are reading something they can relate to.
Who need Hi-Lo books?
Hi-Lo books are beneficial for children who struggle with reading because the books include content that a child of a specific age can relate to, while the information is written at a lower grade level. In addition to a lower vocabulary level, Hi-Lo books also feature shorter sentences containing simpler structures and fewer clauses, shorter chapters, and larger text. Oftentimes, Hi-Lo books use sentences that focus more on action and less on description. They also use illustrations to help engage a child in the books.
Why some children/young adults need Hi-Lo books?
If struggling readers don’t read, they only fall further behind. We need to break that cycle, and that means presenting them with something that they will want to read.
Now, if anyone is given a book that is too young for them, the book comes across as patronising and insulting – a definite switch-off. Giving them a book they can’t read is an instant demotivator too… Put the two together, you’ll see a book is only going to succeed with a struggling reader if it is both age-appropriate and accessible.
Most books out there don’t do that – they’ll be either too hard to read or too babyish in their appeal – but high-low books do…
That’s why they’re so important.
