Text sets can be used with technology to create an environment supporting vocabulary development through the use of multiple texts at increasingly complex levels that benefit learners. Studies have demonstrated that using coherent text sets is more effective in developing the vocabulary and knowledge and also preparing the students for new texts over a similar topic. Both topic-specific and broad knowledge is essential for reading comprehension ( Lupo et al., 2018) . As a result, the background allows the readers to make inferences, which are very useful in comprehension, memory, and thinking. Text sets, therefore, gives prior knowledge of a specific area of study, which brings a greater impact on reading comprehension.
Using test sets together with sound instructional strategies helps develop the ability of the students to read and develop higher levels of thinking ability critically. Teachers are in continuous efforts to find the best approach to engage the learners in regards to text analysis and methods to develop and use text-dependent methods and questions for integrating more sophisticated texts, and for effective alternative strategies to empower the students learning comprehension. A perfect example of an instructional strategy created based on reading comprehension research revealing the significance of vocabulary, background, and knowledge is text sets. Text sets are a collection of texts that are primarily focusing on a specific topic. These may include different genres like nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, and may contain media like maps, blogs, and art.
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Task cards are an example of classroom organizational formats for instructional objectives used in text sets. Task cards, like learning stations in the classrooms, allows the teacher to provide the students with a wide range of content. The teacher can also organize the students in a small group of activities to answer the task cards. The teacher can be creative with this and make available several varieties of task cards to individuals and groups. First, the teacher identifies specific tasks from textbooks ( Cervetti, Wright, & Hwang, 2016) . Second, the teacher prints and laminate the cards with each card to have a particular task or question. Lastly, the teacher needs to set up stations in the classroom and group the students to rotate over these cards and perform the tasks.
The comprehensive instructional practices can be applied with text sets and websites through graphic and semantic organizers. Graphic organizers demonstrate the relationships and concepts between ideas in a text or through diagram illustrations. The graphic organizers include webs, graphs, maps, clusters, and charts. Irrespective of the labels, graphic organizers can be useful to the students in focusing on concepts and their relationships.
Websites and text sets can be used to develop the learners’ metacognitive skills in reading. Metacognition is thinking about one’s thinking ( Lupo et al., 2018) . Good student readers implement metacognitive approaches to think about their reading and to take control of their reading. Before reading, a metacognitive reader may clarify his or her objective or reading and take a preview of their reading. When reading the text, they monitor how well they understand and adjust their speed accordingly and fix areas of problems. They then check their understanding of the text after reading.
How text sets and websites can be used to incorporate instructional practices useful in developing authentic English uses to help ELLs in learning content and academic vocabulary: The teachers need to learn about writing the objective for every content for every lesson in language that the ELLs can have a proper understanding. When the lessons end, the learners need to be asked whether the objective was met.
Text sets can be used to demonstrate an understanding of the differences and similarities between second language reading and home language development. Text sets can be used to support listening to language, telegraphic speech, and babbling before learners can form sentences. For older students, more advanced text sets can be adopted in enhancing their ability.
References
Cervetti, G. N., Wright, T. S., & Hwang, H. (2016). Conceptual coherence, comprehension, and vocabulary acquisition: A knowledge effect?. Reading and Writing , 29 (4), 761-779.
Lupo, S. M., Strong, J. Z., Lewis, W., Walpole, S., & McKenna, M. C. (2018). Building background knowledge through reading: Rethinking text sets. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy , 61 (4), 433-444.
