Using Companion Texts to Widen Student Perspective Across the Curriculum

Abstract

This article is based on an unexpected experience between a grandfather (William Bintz, the first author) and his six-year-old granddaughter. This experience sparked a collaborative inquiry project that explored companion texts as a new way to develop paired texts. The purpose of this article is to share examples of companion texts and instructional strategies to use across the curriculum. We begin by describing four theoretical frameworks underpinning the notion of companion texts. These include the concept of paired text, the benefits of paired text, the process of intertextuality, and reader response theory. Next, we describe companion texts as a new way to pair texts and include a rationale for the development and use of companion texts across the curriculum. Then, we share samples of instructional strategies that teachers can use with companion texts to widen student perspectives and enrich knowledge across the curriculum. We end with concluding thoughts.