AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. AdLit.org is an educational initiative of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital, and is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation.

Previewing Texts in Content Classrooms

Previewing chapters before reading is a powerful way to get readers prepared for the material.

Learn more >

The Beauty of Words Is Magic

Jason Reynolds shares how he soaked up words and their power and beauty through rap lyrics, inspiring him to begin writing poetry.

Watch now >

Author Study Toolkit

As you think about your instructional year, consider doing an Author Study with your students. Author studies give students the chance to take a deep dive into an author’s life and works.
Learn more >

Inference and Informational Text

Inferencing is something we do all the time, but often students don't realize this is a skill they naturally use. Watch this 6th grade teacher model the excercise.

Watch now >

Origami Yoda Master

Get to know Tom Angleberger, the creative mind behind the Origami Yoda series as well as other delightfully funny stories for kids.

Watch now >

Featured Strategy

Story Maps

Story Maps teach students to work with story structure for better comprehension. This technique uses visual representations to help students organize important elements of a story. A graphic organizer helps students summarize the main ideas, characters, setting, and plot of an assigned reading.
See strategy >

Featured Resource

The Benefits of Using Podcasts in the Classroom

A teacher shares his success in using podcasts to improve literacy skills in the classroom, in this blog post from Common Sense Education. Learn more about how reading along with a podcast builds confidence and literacy and keeps students engaged.

Assistive Technology 101

Assistive technology is any kind of technology that can be used to enhance the functional independence of a person with a physical or cognitive disability. Get the basics in this fact sheet.

Blog: School Matters

ExtraOrdinary Districts Need Extraordinary School Leaders. How Do We Get Them?

If principals are key to school and district improvement, then how do we ensure that principals are prepared to improve schools so that all children — no matter their background — learn and succeed?
Read »

Featured Glossary Term

Grapheme

A letter or letter combination that spells a single phoneme. In English, a grapheme may be one, two, three, or four letters, such as e, ei, igh, or eigh.
View glossary »