Whole Texts vs. Excerpts: Finding the Balance

I’m often asked: Why do so many English language arts curricula include excerpts? Shouldn’t students just read whole books?

It’s an important question—one that educators, parents, and policymakers have all wrestled with. Advocates of whole books say that excerpts can fragment comprehension or dilute the emotional journey of a story. Others argue that excerpts allow students to experience a greater range of voices, topics, and genres.

Lately, this question has taken on a new urgency. As conversations continue about what students are reading, how often they’re reading, and to what extent they’re reading full works, many schools are reexamining how to balance depth with variety.

So which is it? The truth, as it often is in education, is that it’s not an either/or.

Kids should absolutely be reading whole books. Full-length stories give students the chance to engage deeply with characters, plot, and theme—not to mention build stamina that sustains lifelong reading. That’s why nearly 80% of the texts in HMH’s Into Reading are full-length picture books and chapter books.

But just because whole books are wonderful and important, that doesn’t mean excerpts can’t spark discovery.

Some whole books can take up most, or even all, of an instructional unit, which can be challenging when a student isn’t connecting with the text or when the class needs to build a specific skill. If the only option is to stay with the one long book for weeks, those students may disengage, and teachers may lose opportunities to target foundational skills, vocabulary, or background knowledge.

Thoughtfully chosen excerpts can help fill those gaps, offering a meaningful, challenging reading experience that supports both comprehension and curiosity. When we include an excerpt in HMH Into Reading, it’s because it serves a specific instructional purpose. It might help students focus on a particular skill, build background knowledge, or encounter a new genre, topic or perspective.

And this is why it can’t be an either/or conversation. Students need both whole books and well-chosen excerpts.

For example, in a third-grade module on animal behaviors, students might read an informational article, a piece of narrative nonfiction, and a work of fiction—all exploring the same topic from different angles. In another unit, they might read Rosie Revere, Engineer or an excerpt from Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table—each selected to build specific skills while inspiring curiosity. This variety helps students compare, analyze, and connect ideas across text types.

This intentional mix also supports skill development in ways that a steady stream of long novels alone may not. This intentional mix also supports skill development in ways that a steady stream of long novels alone may not. Because excerpts can be chosen to highlight a specific genre, structure, or language feature, teachers can zero in on targeted skills like analyzing informational text features, working with multisyllabic words, or exploring narrative point of view. And, as I explained in the EdWeek piece, thoughtfully curated excerpts help students to build background knowledge by encountering a wider range of topics and formats within a single unit. That range strengthens the stamina and comprehension strategies required for whole-book reading, while still giving students meaningful, engaging entry points.

By weaving in excerpts alongside full-length books, students encounter a richer tapestry of stories, settings, and perspectives. Ultimately, both whole books and excerpts have a place in helping students become confident, curious readers—and in reminding them that every text, long or short, opens a new way of seeing the world.

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