Sparking Curiosity: How to Engage Students in "Hard to Read" Content

In this episode, Dr. Roberta Lenger Kang sits down with Dr. Adele Bruni Ashley and Dr. Jen Gowers to discuss Literacy Unbound, an initiative designed to transform the way students engage with complex, "hard to read" texts. The conversation explores how to move away from rigid, traditional literary analysis toward a model of collaborative artistry and creative remixing. Through multiple entry points and "taming" intimidating texts, stories that seem far away become personally relevant and accessible to all learners. Participate in this year’s institute: https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/literacy-unbound-2026.html We’re proud to make this content free and accessible to all. If you find value in our episodes, please consider donating to support and sustain our efforts: https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/giving.html