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Home > Maine Improving Schools Professional Development Series > Maine Teleconference on Adolescent Literacy

MAINE TELECONFERENCE ON ADOLESCENT LITERACY

Nancy.Shanklin@cudenver.edu; http://www.literacycoachingonline.org

Director, Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse, a joint project of the International Reading Assoc. & National Council of Teachers of English

Visions for Adolescent Literacy

  • Need to draw upon uses that adolescents make of literacy in their own lives & cultures
  • Need to mirror & prepare students for uses of literacy in adult life
  • Need to be embedded across all academic disciplines
  • Need clear Gr. 6-14+ articulation

What does it mean to navigate text?

  • Reading in academic disciplines is more than just reading across paragraphs of text
  • Reading is often linked to higher level discussion, writing, &/or "doing"
  • ˇStudents need to figure out how reading & writing & significant, independent, learning relate
  • Being a second language learner adds another dimension

Math Teachers need to help adolescents to:

  • Understand and use text structures as they read
  • Assess the literacy demands of applied mathematics problems - especially vocabulary and syntax
  • Understand the way logic and reasoning are used in mathematics
  • Engage in active math learning through dialogue, discussions, and group projects
  • Model strategies or represent mathematical ideas in a variety of modes (symbolic, graphic, written)

Science Teachers need to help adolescents to:

  • Develop concept maps
  • Identify cause-effect relationships and use such knowledge to make predictions and explain multiple experiments
  • Sequence scientific information or events in "real-time" temporal, causal, or a history-of-science order
  • Analyze various hypotheses, arguments, points of view, and perspectives about scientific issues
  • Write clear lab reports
  • Engage in higher level discussion

Social Studies Teachers need to help adolescents to:

  • Match instructional methods to the dominant pattern of text structure for a given reading
  • Model how patterns of argument and rules of evidence are used in social studies
  • Model active learning strategies that promote discussion and dialogue such as visual discovery, problem-solving group work, and use of technology resources
  • Know and model strategies for interpreting maps, charts, etc. 

English Teachers need to help adolescents to:

  • Match reading strategies to dominant patterns of text structure for any given reading
  • Learn methods and strategies to engage in active learning, including expressing and defending points of view and participating in discussions through role plays, think-pair-share, jigsaw, fishbowl, writing, etc.

Elective Teachers need to help adolescents to:

  • Help students learn to use and improve their literacy skills as they apply them to life applications 
  • Help students to model, integrate, fluently use literacy strategies learned in all content areas 

Concepts Teachers can enact around Adolescent Literacy & the Academic Disciplines

  • Think about building background knowledge and vocabulary before students read materials
  • Make a variety of reading materials and levels of materials on a topic available for students to read; build in choices for students; think about uses of technology for reading materials
  • Be sure that there is time built in for reading; model and read yourself as part of this time; include comprehension strategies to your academic area
  • Help students learn to hold, record, and represent their thoughts and questions in a variety of ways
  • Engage students in enactments and open-ended discussions of what they read
  • Base decisions on student data

A Literacy Coach needs to work with many people

  • School principal
  • School Literacy Leadership Team
  • Department Chairs
  • Other key personnel - ELL specialists, Special Education specialists, counselors, after school programs, etc.
  • Content teachers from all academic disciplines (not just English, Reading, or ELL)

What practices are literacy/instructional coaches employing?

  • Study Groups
  • Action Research (including Lesson Study)
  • Demonstration/Lab Classrooms
  • One-on-One Classroom Coaching
  • Peer Coaching

A Short Bibliography of New Works on Adolescent Literacy, and ELL, and Literacy/Instructional Coaching

Adolescent Literacy

  • Beers, K,, Probst, R., & Rief, L. (Eds.). (2007). Adolescent literacy: Turning promise into practice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
  • Daniels, H. & Zemelman, S. (2004). Subjects matter: Every teacher's guide to content-area reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
  • Daniels, H., Zemelman, S., & Steineke, N. (2007). Content-area writing: Every teacher's guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
  • Fisher, D., Brozo, W., Frey, N., & Ivey, G. (2007). Fifty content area strategies for adolescent literacy. Boston: Pearson.
  • Gallagher, K. (2003). Reading reasons: Motivational mini-lessons for middle and high school. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
  • Heller, R. & Greenleaf, C. (2007). Literacy instruction in the content areas: Getting to the core of middle and high school improvement. Washington, DC. Alliance for Excellent Education. www.all4ed.org
  • Marzano, R. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
  • NASBE Study Group on Middle & High School Literacy (2006). Reading at risk: The state response to the crisis in adolescent literacy. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Boards of Education.
  • James R. Squire Office for Policy Research (2006). NCTE principles of adolescent literacy reform: A policy research brief. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
  • Reading for what? Preparing students for college, careers, and life after high school. [Special Issue] (2007). Education Week, 26(40).
  • Robb, L. (2003). Teaching reading in social studies, science, and math. NY: Scholastic.
  • Sturtevant, E., Boyd, F., Brozo, W., Hinchman, K., Moore, D., & Alvermann, D. (2006). Principled practices for adolescent literacy: A framework for instruction & policy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. 
  • Torgesen, J. K., Houston, D. D. , Rissman, L. M., Decker, S. M., Roberts, G., Vaughn, S., Wexler, J. Francis, D. J, Rivera, M. O., Lesaux, N. (2007). Academic literacy instruction for adolescents: A guidance document from the Center on Instruction. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/Academic%20Literacy.pdf
  • Wilhelm, J. (2007). Engaging readers and writers with inquiry. NY: Scholastic.

English Language Learners

  • Francis, D., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. (Under cooperative agreement grant S283B050034 for U.S. Department of Education). Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL1-Interventions.pdf
  • Francis, D., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for Serving Adolescent Newcomers. (Under cooperative agreement grant S283B050034 for U.S. Department of Education). Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL2-Newcomers.pdf. Recommendation for Serving Adolescent Newcomers (ELLs)

Literacy/Instructional Coaching

  • Burkins, J. (2007). Coaching for balance. How to meet the challenges of literacy coaching. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
  • Casey, K. (2006). Literacy coaching: The essentials. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
  • International Reading Association. (2006). Standards for middle and high school literacy coaches. Newark, DE: Author. http://www.reading.org/downloads/resources/597coaching_standards.pdf
  • Killion, J. & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the lead: New roles for teachers and school-based coaches. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.
  • Knight, J. (2007). Instructional coaching: A partnership approach to improving instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
  • Larner, M. (2007). Tools for leaders: Indispensable graphic organizers, protocols, and planning guidelines for working and learning together. NY; Scholastic.
  • Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse. http://www.literacycoachingonline.org
  • Puig, E. & Froelich, K. (2006). The literacy coach: Guiding in the right direction. Boston: Pearson.
  • Self-assessment for MS and HS literacy coaches. (2007). Http://www.literacycoachingonline.org
  • Toll, C. (2006). The literacy coach's desk reference: Processes and perspectives for effective coaching. Urbana, IL: NCTE.