Adolescent Literacy Essentials
In This Article:
In the first few years of elementary school, nothing is more important than for students to master the basics of literacy, from sounding out letters and words to reading and understanding whole passages and books. Unless students can read-ideally by the time they finish the 3rd grade-they will be unable to move ahead with any other part of their formal education.
But while students may need the basics of literacy, the basics aren't all they need, not if they're going to be prepared to meet the demands of college, work, and life in 21st century America.
As they proceed through middle and high school, students must learn not just to read 3rd grade texts but also to comprehend, analyze, and discuss the increasingly difficult materials they encounter in their science, history, math, English, and other classes. They must learn to write clear, compelling texts of their own. And they must learn to communicate effectively for many different audiences, both in and outside of school, using all sorts of tools, from pen and paper to the spoken word to the latest electronic media.
As important as it is to teach students to read in grades K-3, it is every bit as important to help them build upon that foundation in grades 4-12, so that they develop the more sophisticated reading and writing skills that are the true measure of the educated individual, the skilled worker, and the capable citizen.
