Most Recommended Content

National Council of Teachers of English

21st Century Literacies

Because success with technology depends largely upon critical thinking and reflection, teachers with relatively little technological skill can provide useful instruction. But schools must support these teachers by providing professional development and up-to-date technology for use in classrooms.

Cynthia Shanahan

Using Multiple Texts to Teach Content

Each of us, every day, has to contend with multiple messages or texts—in the news, over the Internet, in our workplace, in books, and in conversation. Making sense of these sometimes conflicting messages is critical. But without being explicitly taught how to do so, students can have trouble synthesizing multiple texts—gathering facts without keeping an eye toward the different perspective of each. This Learning Point Associates article offers a case study and guidelines for using multiple texts in the classroom to increase the critical thinking and academic sophistication of older students.

Keith Lenz, Donald D. Deshler

The Content Literacy Continuum: A Framework for Improving Adolescent Literacy

The Content Literacy Continuum (CLC) is a tool for enabling teachers and administrators to evaluate literacy instruction/services offered within a school and to formulate a plan for improving the quality of those services. This article describes the CLC’s five levels of service, along with practice examples and the teacher’s role at each level.

Robin Fogarty

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. This article offers guidance on Literature Circles and Cooperative Tear, two cooperative learning strategies supported by research.

Texas Education Agency

The Components of Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Effective vocabulary instruction begins with diverse opportunities for word learning: wide reading, high-quality oral language, word consciousness, explicit instruction of specific words, and independent word-learning strategies. This article explains how these opportunities can be created in the classroom.
High school student struggling with reading

Louisa Moats

When Older Students Can’t Read

When a student’s reading comprehension is more impaired than their listening comprehension, inaccurate and slow word recognition is the most likely cause. 

Camilla A. Lehr, David R. Johnson, Christine Bremer, Anna Cosio

What Do We Know About Who Drops Out and Why?

Students decide to drop out for many reasons. This overview classifies the reasons as either status (e.g., age, socioeconomic status, geographic region or mobility) or alterable (e.g., grades, disruptive behaviors, school climate, attitude toward school). Recognizing the difference between variables is critical to designing effective interventions.

Rosemarye Taylor

Developing “Student-Owned” Vocabulary

Students should learn specific vocabulary and academic language to comprehend content text, but they should also become independent in understanding and owning vocabulary. This article offers tips for developing students’ “vocabulary ownership.”

Project Appleseed

Parent Involvement Checklist

Does your school do a good job of reaching out to parents? Use this checklist to evaluate and improve parent-school partnerships.

Robin Fogarty

Teach Vocabulary by Building Background Knowledge

Students need to develop an extensive vocabulary to read with fluency. In turn, fluency in reading leads to increased comprehension. Fluency also comes from the written language of the reader since the student writes words he or she knows. Increased comprehension enhances the written language of the learner.

National Summer Learning Association

Finding a Great Summer Program: A Checklist for Parents

Early and sustained summer learning opportunities lead to higher graduation rates, better preparation for college, and positive effects on children’s self-esteem, confidence, and motivation. High-quality summer programs keep students engaged in learning, teach them new skills, allow them to develop previously unseen talents, and foster creativity and innovation.
Linda Sue Park

Historial Fiction, Fiction

Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park, an award-winning Korean American author of children’s historical fiction, has been an avid reader and writer her entire life. In fact, she began poetry and story writing before kindergarten at the age of four.

Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement

Professional Learning Communities

Professional learning communities (PLC) establish a schoolwide culture that develops teacher leadership explicitly focused on building and sustaining school improvement efforts. Generally, PLCs are composed of teachers, although administrators and support staff routinely participate. Through participation in PLCs, teachers enhance their leadership capacity while they work as members of ongoing, high-performing, collaborative teams that focus on improving student learning.

Achieve, Inc.

Making College and Career Readiness the Mission for High Schools

To close the gap between what is expected of a high school graduate and what the world beyond high school demands, state leaders will need to develop coherent policies that equate earning a high school diploma with being prepared for the demands of college and the workplace.
Mixed race high school girl laying on floor of library reading graphic novels

Books and Authors

Here you can find diverse fiction and nonfiction books, meet some of your favorite middle-grade and YA authors, dig into our book discussion guides, or explore our step-by-step author study toolkit.

Male Latino teacher discussing assessment results with male Latino student

Literacy Assessment

Every school should do an initial screening to check on student reading skills at the beginning of each semester or school year. And every teacher should continue to check on students’ progress throughout the year, in order to see whether those kids need more ongoing support.

Learning Point Associates

What Are the Key Elements of Student Engagement?

As part of their series to help schools understand the federal No Child Left Behind Law, Learning Point Associates describes the four key elements of student engagement — student confidence, teacher involvement, relevant texts, and choice among texts and assigments.
Diverse book covers collage

Diverse Books Project

Kids need diverse books — places where they can find themselves, see reflections of themselves, and see worlds different from their own. Browse our collection of books and resources for families and schools.