About Adolescent Literacy
Too many kids in the United States aren't learning to read critically, write persuasively, or communicate effectively. According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progress, some 33% of 4th graders and 26% of 8th graders can't read at the "basic" level. Fortunately, in the last few years, researchers and policymakers have begun to give the adolescent literacy crisis the attention it demands, and the articles below provide an introduction to their work.
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Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas: Getting to the Core of Middle and High School Improvement
Every content area, from chemistry to history, has unique literacy demands: texts, knowledge, skills. But how are these critical literacies learned, let alone taught?
Reading Next
Millions of today's adolescents lack the reading skills demanded by today's world. The impending crisis — millions of under-literate young people unable to succeed economically and socially — requires an immediate response. This report outlines 15 key elements of effective adolescent literacy programs, and recommends that schools use a mix of these elements, tailoring the combinations to the needs of individual students.
Adolescent Literacy: Where We Are Now?
This essay summarizes adolescent literacy interventions and trends, and its relation to dropout rates.
Adolescent Literacy: We've Been Waiting For This Moment
Three critical factors optimize student progress in adolescent literacy: 1) using multiple research-based interventions over a sustained period of time, 2) teaching interventions with fidelity and intensity, and 3) ensuring that instruction is coordinated across teachers and settings.
Adolescents and Literacy: Reading for the 21st Century
This report reviews and analyzes existing research on effective literacy instruction and the impact of successful literacy programs for students in grades 4-12.
A Conceptual Model of Adolescent Literacy
A graphic representation of four sectors — perceptions, achievement, programs, and demographics — that influence adolescent literacy. A glossary of the conceptual model's components is included.
Enhancing Outcomes for Struggling Adolescent Readers
With so much required of high schools today, there is little time or money to spend on the students who are lacking fundamental skills. This article presents important factors leading to success for struggling adolescent readers, taken from successful reading programs.
A Closer Look: Closing the Performance Gap
The performance gap — what students are expected to do versus what they can do — is compounded each year a child falls short of acquiring expected skills. As a result, underachieving high school students are at great risk for academic failure, discouragement, and disengagement. This article offers a framework to support adolescent literacy that ties improved student outcomes to an instructional core and an infrastructure core.
Using Student Engagement to Improve Adolescent Literacy
For struggling adolescent readers, creating student interest is as vital as teaching language skills.
Ten Myths About Learning to Read
There are many beliefs and a great deal of dogma associated with reading acquisition, and people are often reluctant to let go of their beliefs despite contradictory research evidence. Here are 10 of the most popular and most potentially pernicious myths that influence reading education.
