In this concise, thought-provoking book, prominent researchers analyze existing knowledge on adolescent literacy, examine the implications for classroom instruction, and offer specific goals for future research. The volume reviews cutting-edge approaches to understanding the unique features of teaching and learning in secondary schools. Particular attention is given to how teaching literacy across disciplines can improve students' content-area learning, and the book includes chapters dedicated to literacy in math and science classrooms. Also addressed are key findings and unresolved questions regarding fluency instruction, struggling adolescent readers, responding to the literacy needs of African American adolescents, and literacy coaching.

"This rich resource walks middle and high school literacy leaders through a comprehensive process for conceptualizing, initiating, and, most important, sustaining a schoolwide literacy learning program. The authors clearly know teachers and schools, and their reality-tested tools will prove invaluable in guiding and supporting middle and high school literacy leaders." —Doug Buehl Author, Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning A systemic and sustainable approach for improving adolescent literacy and learning! Taking the Lead on Adolescent Literacy provides educational leaders with a user-friendly and comprehensive planning process for developing a new literacy initiative—or for dramatically enhancing a current plan--that has the power not only to raise student performance levels but also to positively impact graduation rates, employability, and higher education success. Using a five-stage framework that has been field-tested nationwide for more than a decade, the authors provide an array of resources to guide in-depth planning, implementation, and monitoring to ensure sustained results, supported by examples from literacy-rich schools, checklists and assessments, and a glossary of terms. Each stage in the process builds upon a school or district′s existing capacities and focuses on six detailed rubrics that can be implemented at every stage to help ensure long-term success: Student motivation and engagement Literacy across the content areas Literacy interventions Literacy-rich environment, policies, and culture Parent and community involvement District support of school-based efforts Helping educators build the critical skills in students for communicating and making meaning within an increasingly complex world, this book shows how a sustained focus on literacy can serve as a powerful lever for school improvement.

Helping coaches to define their roles, this resource provides practical tools and guidance about decision-making, design needs, professional development for teachers, collaborative relationships, and helping teachers use data.

Adolescent Literacy in the Era of the Common Core provides school leaders, teachers, and others with strategies and best practices for advancing adolescent literacy in the classroom. Exceptionally clear and accessible, the book addresses a full range of topics in this vitally important field, including disciplinary literacy; vocabulary instruction; classroom discussion; motivation and engagement related to digital literacy; the use of multiple texts; and writing to learn. This book presents “usable knowledge” of the highest order and of immediate value to school leaders and teachers. It will be required reading for all educators concerned with promoting and furthering adolescent literacy today.

The first comprehensive research handbook of its kind, this volume showcases innovative approaches to understanding adolescent literacy learning in a variety of settings. Distinguished contributors examine how well adolescents are served by current instructional practices and highlight ways to translate research findings more effectively into sound teaching and policymaking. The book explores social and cultural factors in adolescents' approach to communication and response to instruction, and sections address literacy both in and out of schools, including literacy expectations in the contemporary workplace. Detailed attention is given to issues of diversity and individual differences among learners. Winner--Literacy Research Association's Fry Book Award!

"Secondary teachers will find that this superb resource informs the teaching and learning of their students and provides many research-based strategies to enhance reading comprehension and written language in every area." —Johneen Griffin, Director of Secondary Pupil Services Olentangy Local Schools, Lewis Center, OH "Sejnost and Thiese address the national literacy crisis with a practical guidebook that meets the needs of adolescent learners by focusing on the literacy skills needed for the 21st century. The strategies engage learners and create independence in content-area reading." —Rusti Russow, Director of Teaching and Learning Kankakee School District, IL Increase adolescent learners′ success in all content areas! Responding to the challenges associated with teaching middle and high school students, this resource offers specific strategies teachers may use to incorporate reading, writing, and critical thinking throughout content instruction to increase learning. With step-by-step instructions, a wealth of examples, and numerous student reproducibles, the book presents an approach that secondary teachers can implement across all content areas. Roberta L. Sejnost and Sharon M. Thiese focus on research-based practices that increase comprehension and learning while meeting standards, including: Techniques that foster the acquisition and retention of specialized and technical content vocabulary Processes to help students better comprehend narrative and expository texts Approaches to help students use writing and speaking to process their new knowledge and make it their own Techniques for promoting the literacies needed to effectively use various media sources Methods for scaffolding instruction for students with special needs Building Content Literacy is an ideal resource for delivering developmentally appropriate learning experiences and strengthening adolescent′s academic achievement in every content area.

The young and adolescents are an epitome of change, hope and progress. The lives of adolescents are subject to global challenges faced by information and technological revolution, changing markets and globalization, and specific changes taking place in family dynamics, cultural traditions, religious beliefs and other socialization practices. This book on Adolescence Education assumes importance in view of the likely impact of acquired skills and behaviours during this period on an individual’s prospects in adulthood. This book is an attempt to understand the broader context in which adolescent lives are embedded. The theoretical perspective presents a multi-disciplinary view of adolescence that helps to understand the evolution of the concept of adolescence. Presenting an elaborate account of adolescence as experienced by young in India and highlighting the challenges that emerge as a result of dynamic changes in society, the attempt is made to identify the emerging issues and concerns that impact the lives of adolescents and provide a perspective to adolescence education. The historical account presented helps to build an understanding of the various socio-cultural forces that led to the emergence of the existing Adolescence Education Programme (AEP). The text presents the key features of the present AEP that are imperative for its successful implementation. The UN and civil society initiatives are mapped with a view to locate the characteristic features and thrust of various interventions. The text gives some gleaning insights from available evidences regarding execution of various existing adolescent programmes, and existential realities of adolescents’ lives. The book is intended for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of Education, Psychology and Sociology. Besides, the book is equally beneficial for the students opting for Psychology at their +2 level.

This theoretical and practical guidebook prepares reading specialists and literacy coaches to develop and teach reading and language arts at the school and district levels. Using current information on the standards for literacy professionals, the text incorporates significant developments in intervention, assessment, adolescent literacy, and multiple literacies. Vogt and Shearer explore the expanding roles and responsibilities of reading specialists and their impact on instructional practice. The full-featured and distinctive Third Edition offers opportunities for flexible teaching approaches as well as substantive coverage and tools such as the function of the literacy coach in Response to Intervention (RtI), guides to needs assessment and two-year plans, the advancement of professional development communities, portfolio and self-assessment projects, and companion materials that include key terms, recommended readings, chapter vignettes, and online resources.

The Self-Directed Learning Handbook offers teachers and principals an innovative program for customizing schooling to the learning needs of individual students-- and for motivating them to take increasing responsibility for deciding what and how they should learn. Whether the students are struggling or proficient, the program is designed to nurture their natural passion for learning and mastery, challenging them to go beyond the easy and familiar so they can truly excel. The program can be introduced in stages in any middle or high school classroom and enables students of diverse abilities to design and pursue independent course work, special projects, or even artistic presentations, community field work or apprenticeships. Using this approach, the students take on an increasingly autonomous, self-directed role as they progress. The heart of the program is the action contract (or learning agreement) whereby the student sets challenging yet attainable goals, commits to a path for achieving them, and evaluates the results. Special emphasis is placed on developing skills and competencies that can serve the student well in his or her academic and career endeavors.

Literacy lies at the heart of student understanding and achievement. Yet too many educators mistakenly assume that the reading, writing, speaking, and thinking skills that students developed in elementary school are sufficient for the sophisticated learning tasks they face in middle and high school. The result? Disappointing test scores, high dropout rates, and students unprepared for higher education, citizenship, and the world of work. Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy: An Implementation Guide for School Leaders presents a structured approach to using literacy as a lever for overall school improvement. Literacy instruction is not an "add-on," authors Judith L. Irvin, Julie Meltzer, and Melinda Dukes insist; it's an ongoing essential. All adolescent students, no matter what their level of achievement, can benefit from direct instruction in reading, writing, speaking, and thinking. And all secondary school leaders can improve students' literacy and learning by following the five action steps outlined in this book: (1) develop and implement a literacy action plan, (2) support teachers to improve literacy instruction, (3) use data to make curricular decisions, (4) build capacity for shared leadership, and (5) creatively allocate resources to support the literacy plan. The book also offers strategies to help educators integrate literacy and learning across the content areas, provide targeted interventions for students who are struggling the most, and develop a supportive school environment that involves parents, community members, and district leaders. Practical tools, helpful resources, and vignettes based on the authors' extensive work in school districts nationwide make this an indispensable guide for principals, central office administrators, literacy coaches, department chairs, and other school leaders committed to helping students succeed.