2024 RISE Conference

It is often challenging for teachers to grow gifted and advanced readers. Infusing depth, integrating complexity, and adding abstractness are strategies for cultivating growth and challenging and engaging our gifted and advanced readers. Most educators use the terms depth and complexity interchangeably. Through this session, participants will learn the differences between depth and complexity and experience first-hand how to add these differentiation features to any piece of text. We will read a short complex piece of literature and the strategies will be modeled, then participants will have a chance to practice in the session. Hands-on practice and active engagement will empower participants to apply these practices immediately! Session takeaways will include collaborative Google Docs built within the session that contain depth questions and questions that integrate complexity. They will also have access to the slide deck with embedded resources, including Literary Analysis Wheels and Cross-Impact Matrices. This engaging session specifically aligns to the CCS Strategic Plan goal of Learning & Teaching and increasing access to advanced academic opportunities for all students. The high-level strategies shared during this session are low-prep and yield maximum impact for diverse learners. Additionally, they are not just for gifted and advanced learners; they can cultivate growth in all learners by providing multiple entry points for learners to access rigorous content and engage in critical thinking.