Improving Adolescent Literacy: Content Area Strategies at Work

This book helps teachers to infuse literacy instruction into all content areas. The authors present a rich panoply of engaging instructional strategies that research has shown to be effective for improving reading and writing in middle and secondary school students. After discussing common questions asked by content area teachers, a full chapter is devoted to each of eight strategiesanticipatory activities, read-alouds/shared reading, questioning, notetaking/notemaking, graphic organizers, vocabulary instruction, writing to learn, and reciprocal teachingcoupling discussions with examples from the author's own research in a diverse, urban secondary school. Features a common structure for presenting each strategy1) scenario of a teacher using the strategy; 2) rationale for the strategy and its supporting research; and 3) descriptions of how the strategy works and authentic examples of the strategy in use. Additionally, in order to meet the challenge of today's inclusive, multicultural classrooms, the book presents only those strategies that have been proven effective with all learners - including struggling readers and those for whom English is not their first language.

Douglas Fisher is Professor of Teacher Education at San Diego State University and the Director of Professional Development for the City Heights Educational Collaborative.