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.
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 Vocabulary in Middle School Math Class
Adolescent Literacy > Vocabulary Instruction > See How It Works
In this video, math teacher Maureen Ferry talks about how she uses vocabulary games and journals to help students develop an understanding of new words. View the related sample material, Middle...
Resource Type
School Example
Effective Strategies That Boost Reading Comprehension
Adolescent Literacy > Comprehension Strategies > Overview & Tools
This multimedia overview highlights key research findings and specific practice implications for comprehension strategy instruction. Related Files: Transcript
Resource Type
Overview
Conducting a Self-Assessment of Adolescent Literacy Intervention Opportunities
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > Overview & Tools
Principals and reading specialists are encouraged to use this tool to assess the status of their school’s adolescent literacy intervention opportunities for the purpose of strengthening the...
Resource Type
Tool
Learning Together About Tiered Instruction for Struggling Readers
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > Overview & Tools
Use this in-service planner to organize a session for teachers to learn about the role of assessment, importance of using explicit comprehension strategies, and planning interventions matched to...
Resource Type
Tool
Using Data: Student Work Review and Planning Protocol
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > Overview & Tools
This protocol can be used by reading specialists and language arts coordinators to help teachers review student progress and use data to plan instructional interventions for struggling...
Resource Type
Tool
Assessments
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > See How It Works
This table lists assessments used by Dr. Don Deshler and his colleagues to evaluate the progress of students in their programs for reading interventions for older adolescents. The assessments are...
Resource Type
Sample Material
Planning for Student Success
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > See How It Works
Pocomoke Middle School uses a collaborative assessment approach to ensure high-quality, schoolwide literacy instruction, team monitoring of student progress, and ongoing data sharing among teaching...
Resource Type
Sample Material
ACCESS Class Weekly Record and Program Overview
Adolescent Literacy > Intensive Intervention > See How It Works
A school teacher uses this template designed by Jim Burke to help students who struggle with reading get organized, motivated, and set weekly academic goals. Learn more about her approach in the...
Resource Type
Sample Material
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
