Skip to main content

AdLit News Headlines

AdLit gathers interesting news headlines about literacy, middle grade and YA books, best practices in instruction, and other key topics related to middle school and high school teaching and learning.

Get the headlines sent to you weekly!

To receive the week’s stories, sign up for the AdLit Weekly Headlines —it’s free!

Note that links may expire after a week or so, and some websites require you to register first before seeing an article. AdLit does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in outside publications or their websites.

Inspiration From Outside of the Classroom: An Afterschool Program That Motivates Students to Write (opens in a new window)

International Literacy Association

December 06, 2024

Sometimes as educators, you need to look outside of the classroom and beyond the walls of the school to find people who can inspire students and yourselves as teachers in ways you could not have imagined. This was the case for one middle school teacher, Idella, who created an after-school writing program that stemmed from a larger learning community of teachers who meet monthly with professors from a local university to discuss best practices in writing pedagogy.

Jacqueline Woodson on Navigating Book Bans and Staying Resilient in 2025 (opens in a new window)

Literacy Hub

December 06, 2024

A MacArthur fellow and former Young People’s Poet Laureate, Woodson is the author of more than forty books for children, adolescents, and adults. She has multiple Newberys and a National Book Award (for the memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming) under her belt. And despite finding her work on banned book lists in Florida and Texas, she has no plans to flinch—let alone slow down.

3 Ideas To Make High School More Meaningful (opens in a new window)

Forbes

November 19, 2024

It’s time to reimagine what high school can provide to students and to embrace a modernized set of pathways and graduation expectations. A range of efforts are underway in states and communities across the country to transform high schools. Here are three promising strategies that are emerging from that work.

12 Science Fairs Open To High School Students (opens in a new window)

Forbes

November 08, 2024

Science fairs offer a platform for students to study any topic they are interested in and present their findings to an audience. They are a fantastic opportunity for high school students to explore their scientific interests and showcase their ideas. Participating in a science fair involves advanced planning and staying up-to-date with their deadlines is essential. Here are some science fairs that offer students a chance to showcase their scientific talents.

22 Fiction and Nonfiction Books About Voting and Elections for Children of All Ages (opens in a new window)

School Library Journal

November 01, 2024

For youngest readers, stories of small children accompanying caregivers to the polls and of animal elections help introduce this civic duty. Titles for slightly older kids show characters taking a more active role by paricipating in the process themselves at a local level and seeing the impacts. Books for teens explore the complicated issues around voting. And a good sampling of nonfiction titles for all ages help readers better understand the past, present, and future of the process.

Three AI Tools That Can Foster Student Agency (opens in a new window)

International Literacy Association

November 01, 2024

As we explore ways to empower students and foster engagement in literacy instruction, it is essential to consider how innovative tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI), can play a pivotal role. AI offers educators new opportunities to personalize learning experiences, promote student choice, and streamline the creation of a diverse range of activities.

Many Middle School Students Struggle to Read Well, Study Shows (opens in a new window)

EdSource

November 01, 2024

Plunging literacy rates in the wake of the pandemic are drawing more attention to the lack of adolescent reading proficiency. National tests from 2022 showed grim declines in eighth graders’ reading skills. However, experts have long known that many older students lack a strong foundation in reading skills such as phonics, grammar and vocabulary. 

What Role, If Any, Should Phonics Play in a Middle School or High School? The Answer May Surprise You (opens in a new window)

International Literacy Association

October 25, 2024

Research shows little benefit from phonics instruction in Grades 2 through 12. However, more recent studies show that students who fall below a decoding threshold fail to benefit from other kinds of reading instruction. This exploration of the evidence suggests that these students are likely to need support in the reading and spelling of multisyllabic words and words with common morphological elements. Explicit instruction with a focus on the decoding, spelling, and meaning of such words would make a lot of sense.

Goodwill Created a New High School for Dropouts − It Led To Better Jobs and Higher Wages (opens in a new window)

The Conversation

October 25, 2024

In 2010, with the help of per-pupil funding from the state, the nonprofit opened The Excel Center, a tuition-free high school tailored for adults. The charter school offered flexible schedules, free on-site child care, transportation assistance and a life coach. Thirteen years later, research by my team at the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities shows that The Excel Center is a success.