Black male high school teacher helping Black male student in class

Curriculum & Instruction

We now know a lot about effective adolescent literacy instruction, including how to identify at-risk children and how to intervene effectively. The articles in this section offer information on what effective instruction looks like — in the classroom, throughout a school, and district-wide.

Videos

Take a peek inside an 8th grade reading intervention class where students are improving their literacy skills and will to read.

As a mother, author, and friend of teachers, Judy Blume knows that communicating through books with kids—and adults—can serve as an effective and loving way to breach difficult topics.

Common Core encourages students to ask “what’s the evidence?” Author and historian Marc Aronson says reading across texts is key.

Articles

School-Wide Reform

What Principals Can Do to Help Students Become Good Readers

School administrators have a critical leadership role to play in helping students become good readers. This article suggests seven key action steps on how principals and other administrators can create a school framework for success.

Curriculum & Instruction

Use Cooperative Learning Groups to Engage Learners

When teachers structure cooperative learning groups as part of the overall reading program, they also open the door to a multiple intelligences approach to literacy, which is inherent in cooperative learning.

Blog Posts

Blog: Shanahan on Literacy

Does text structure instruction improve reading comprehension?

Meta-analyses indicate that it is effective to teach kids about multiple text structures, and that text structure instruction is particularly potent when writing, graphic organizers, and guidance on watching for “clue words” are included

Blog: Shanahan on Literacy

Does Close Reading Reject the Science of Reading?

I want kids to be close readers … I think teachers should strive to accomplish the standards their states have established. But take a gimlet-eyed look at what it is that you are teaching. Is it really close reading?

Expert Q&A

Using Underlining
Strategies to Understand the Question
Sustained Silent Reading

Research, Reports & Guides

What Is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does It Matter?
Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents: Rethinking Content-Area Literacy
Disciplinary Literacy Strategies in Content Area Classes

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