Adolescent Literacy
Explore resources designed to improve literacy instruction in middle and high school.
- View a visual diagram of all four practices
- Watch a topic overview and download planning templates
- Listen to an expert
Explore the subtopics below to learn more about the recommended practices:
To learn more about the research underlying these practices, view the IES Practice Guide, Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices.
Explicit Vocabulary-Teaching Strategies
Adolescent Literacy > Vocabulary Instruction > Learn What Works
Dr. Curtis describes explicit vocabulary instruction and provides classroom examples, talks about key strategies students can learn to make them independent vocabulary learners, and explains why it...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Visual Diagram: Adolescent Literacy
Adolescent Literacy > Overview & Tools
This diagram serves as a visual overview of four recommended practices based on the Improving Adolescent Literacy Practice Guide. The diagram can be used by presenters or professional developers to...
Resource Type
Visual Diagram
High School Literacy Intervention
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > See How It Works
Hear Judith Hamilton explain how one high school uses a schoolwide, data-driven process to identify reading needs and plan tiered classroom and supplemental interventions, and the role of reading...
Resource Type
School Example
Safety Nets for Struggling Readers in High School
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > See How It Works
A principal and reading specialist describe a comprehensive approach for identifying student needs and providing interventions, such as reading skills classes focused on decoding. Related...
Resource Type
School Example
Benchmark Assessment and Data-Sharing
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > See How It Works
Faith Giddens, curriculum planner and testing coordinator, describes how school staff collaborates to design interventions based on assessment results, team reviews of student work, and data-driven...
Resource Type
School Example
High School Academic Literacy Intervention Class
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > See How It Works
Morgan Hallabrin describes the approach of her intervention class, including modeling comprehension, vocabulary strategies, and student goal-setting. View two related sample materials, ACCESS Class...
Resource Type
School Example
Using Metacognitive Logs in Science
Adolescent Literacy > Text Discussion > See How It Works
In this astronomy lesson, a teacher uses a two-column metacognitive reading log to help students organize their questions and observations. Listen to how she evaluates student learning through log...
Resource Type
School Example
Student-Driven Discussions in Social Studies
Adolescent Literacy > Text Discussion > See How It Works
Listen to a teacher talk about how she scaffolds text discussion using pair-share, small group discussion, and large group share-out activities. Hear her description of the gradual release of...
Resource Type
School Example
I Do, We Do, You Do: Scaffolding Reading Comprehension in Social Studies
Adolescent Literacy > Comprehension Strategies > See How It Works
Sixth-grade teacher Megan Montgomery scaffolds reading comprehension for her students using a spoke diagram graphic organizer of the social studies text. View the sample material, Classroom "Do...
Resource Type
School Example
Literature Circles in High School
Adolescent Literacy > Text Discussion > See How It Works
Ninth-grade Humanities teacher Rebecca Wieder describes how she facilitates literature circle discussions. Wieder's students discuss a novel in groups where each plays a role: summarizer,...
Resource Type
School Example
Building Academic Literacy Through Text Discussion
Adolescent Literacy > Text Discussion > See How It Works
Listen to high school English teacher Jim Burke describe the importance of providing opportunities for adolescents to discuss text. He explains how he establishes a supportive environment for...
Resource Type
School Example
Reciprocal Teaching in High School
Adolescent Literacy > Comprehension Strategies > See How It Works
Teacher Suzanne Herko describes how she teaches her Humanities students about the strategies and structures of Reciprocal Teaching. Watch students discuss literature in small groups while playing...
Resource Type
School Example
