WEBVTT

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[Music] Welcome to the overview

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on Improving Adolescent
Literacy.

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As a district superintendent,

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I know that today's global
information economy requires our

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students to have far more
advanced literacy skills

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than those required of
any previous generation.

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We have seen that reading
ability is important not just

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in English class but also
is key to understanding

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and comprehension in
every subject area.

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Many of our students in grades 4

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and above are not acquiring the
advanced literacy skills they

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need to succeed.

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They struggle with
understanding difficult text,

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mastering vocabulary, and
sharing ideas with others.

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Some of our students are simply
slipping through the cracks

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and falling several
grades behind

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because of difficulties
with reading.

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Results of the 2007
National Assessment

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of Educational Progress
are alarming.

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Sixty-nine percent of 8th-grade
students fall below the

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proficient level
in their ability

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to comprehend the meaning of
text at their grade level.

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I'm a high school principal, and
I worry that even our students

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who are average readers
may be currently unprepared

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for the literacy demands
of work and college.

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As students in grades
4 and above continue

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to fall below proficient levels
in reading, research suggests

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that educators need to
pay serious attention

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to the challenges of
improving reading instruction

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in upper elementary,
middle, and high schools.

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Reading instruction should be
a formal part of the curriculum

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in the upper grades
rather than decreasing

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as students move
beyond third grade,

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as typically happens in schools.

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I want to help my students but
I'm a 9th-grade math teacher,

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not a reading teacher.

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I don't have the time
to teach literacy skills

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in addition to my math lessons.

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What can I do?

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Fortunately, there is
a lot teachers can do.

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Although many teachers in grades
4 through 12 feel unprepared

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to teach reading or don't think
it's their responsibility,

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every teacher plays
an important role

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in helping adolescents attain
higher levels of literacy.

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Adolescent literacy experts
have identified specific

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instructional practices
that teachers can do

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to support literacy
in their classrooms

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and administrators can use

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to support a schoolwide
literacy program.

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1. Provide explicit vocabulary
instruction and strategies

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to help students become
independent vocabulary learners.

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2. Provide direct and
explicit comprehension

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strategy instruction.

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3. Provide opportunities
for extended text discussion

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and student engagement.

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4. Monitor progress with
screening assessments

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and provide intensive
intervention

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for struggling readers.

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Underlying these four
recommendations is the idea

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that students need to
be motivated and engaged

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with learning to make progress.

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Teachers can engage students
by establishing meaningful

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and engaging content
learning goals,

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providing a positive
learning environment,

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making literacy experiences more
relevant to students' interests,

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and building in instructional
conditions such as self-directed

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and collaborative learning to
increase reading engagement.

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Let's take a closer
look at each practice

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and how they all can improve
literacy instruction starting

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in grade 4 and continuing
through high school.

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First, explicit vocabulary
instruction needs to be a part

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of classroom lessons in all
content areas, not just taught

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in reading and language classes.

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My 11th-grade students have
a difficult time learning the

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terms in our science text.

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I give them quizzes but they
quickly forget what these terms

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mean and how to use them.

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I want to help but don't
know what I can do.

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There are several
things teachers can do:

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Incorporate vocabulary
instruction

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into regular lessons;
provide direct instruction

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in word meaning and how
to use components of words

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to derive their meaning; give
students practice through oral

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and written activities,
for example,

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during group discussions and
through online resources.

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Students also need to learn
and practice strategies

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that will make them
independent vocabulary learners.

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Second, teachers need to
use explicit instruction

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to teach comprehension skills.

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Teaching comprehension
is the job

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of our language arts teachers.

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I'm a 6th- grade
social studies teacher.

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Why do I need to
teach comprehension

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if they're already doing it?

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Students need to develop skills
for understanding a variety

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of texts, and content teachers
can add to this variety.

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Content-area teachers
can use textbooks

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or other materials appropriate
for the reading levels

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of their students to
teach specific strategies

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such as questioning
and summarizing.

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All teachers can provide
direct and explicit teaching

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of comprehension strategies,
which involves teacher modeling,

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thinkalouds, and
explanations of the use

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and purpose of strategies.

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Students also need
many opportunities

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to practice their
newly learned skills.

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By providing different
types of texts,

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content-area teachers can
help students see a range

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of applications for their
comprehension strategies.

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Providing guided and
independent practice

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in content-area classrooms adds
different types of opportunities

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for practice beyond
what students receive

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in their language arts classes.

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Third, teachers need
to offer opportunities

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for extended text discussion
and student engagement.

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In my 10th-grade
history class, I lecture

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and my students have a
lot of reading to do.

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We don't have much time to
talk in our short classes.

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How would that help anyway?

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Discussing text helps
students understand what they

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are reading.

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It gives them a chance to
consider different points

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of view and practice making
inferences and connections.

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Teachers can facilitate
text discussions

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by offering engaging
reading materials

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and developing questions

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to stimulate multiple
interpretations

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or controversies, and providing
a task or discussion format

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to structure small-group
student discussions.

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The last practice differs

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from the first three
instructional recommendations

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by stressing the need
for a schoolwide program

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to provide intensive
instructional interventions

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for struggling students.

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We have a special needs
program in our middle school

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to provide supplemental services
to students who are reading two

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to three grade levels
behind their peers.

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Should we be doing more?

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That depends on whether
the program is a good match

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for the instructional
needs of all students

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who struggle with reading.

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Different tiers of
intervention are probably needed

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because struggling students
have varying levels of need

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for instructional
intensity and focus.

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Adolescents one or two grades
behind will need different kinds

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of support and instruction
from those

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who are several grades behind.

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All students should be
screened for reading proficiency

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and matched with the
appropriate intervention.

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It's clear to me

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that content-area teachers
throughout our district need

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to be given a more integral
role in the literacy instruction

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of our adolescent students.

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Schools can improve
students' achievement

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by providing teachers with
the knowledge, skills,

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and support they need

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to effectively integrate
vocabulary, comprehension,

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and text discussion strategies

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into their ongoing
classroom lessons and units.

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By offering a schoolwide
program of literacy instruction

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with tiered interventions
and promoting teamwork

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and collaboration
between classroom teachers

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and reading specialists, schools
can help all students achieve

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the higher levels of
literacy skills they need

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to understand complex text.

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You will find materials on this
site for each of these practices

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that will help you
work with your staff

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to build adolescent literacy.

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Each practice includes tips to
help district staff, principals,

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and teachers plan for and carry
out the recommended reforms.

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If you are unfamiliar
with the practices,

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begin with the multimedia
overview

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and expert interviews
in Learn What Works.

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See how schools have
implemented these practices

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in See How It Works.

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Use the tools in Do What Works

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to explore what your
school is already doing well

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and what you can focus on next.

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Remember, there are
materials here for educators

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at all levels of experience.

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Explore them for yourself and
then use them as you begin

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to implement these
research-based practices

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for improving adolescent
literacy instruction

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at your school.

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[Music]