The Knowledge Loom: The Practices

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Adolescent Literacy in the Content Areas

Four Key Components of the Adolescent Literacy Support Framework

Key Component A -- Motivation:
A successful adolescent literacy initiative takes into account the diverse cultural, linguistic, social, and emotional needs of adolescents.
The following are promising practices related to Key Component A.
Making Connections to Students' Lives
Having Students Interact with Each Other and with Text
Creating Responsive Classrooms

Key Component B -- Strategies:
A successful adolescent literacy initiative uses research-based approaches that meet the needs of diverse adolescent learners.
The following are promising practices related to Key Component B.
Roles of the Teacher
Reading and Writing
Speaking and Listening
An Emphasis on Thinking
Creating a Student-Centered Classroom

Key Component C --Across the Curriculum:
A successful adolescent literacy initiative supports reading and writing across content areas.

The following are promising practices related to Key Component C.

Vocabulary Development

Understanding Text Structures

Recognizing and Analyzing Discourse Features

Supporting the English classroom through literacy development

Supporting the math classroom through literacy development

Supporting the science classroom through literacy development

Supporting the social studies classroom through literacy development

Key Component D -- Organizational Support:
A successful adolescent literacy initiative relies on key organizational structures and leadership capacity.

The following are promising practices related to Key Component D.

Meets the goals for adolescents in that particular community and its various constituents.

Articulates, communicates, and actualizes a vision of literacy as a priority.

Utilizes best practices in the area of systemic educational reform.

Is defined in a way that connects to the larger educational program.

Involves ongoing support for teacher professional development.

Has a clear process for program review and evaluation.

[Click here for a graphic of these components.]

Lifelong literacy is a continuum of development, and the "ongoing literacy of adolescents is just as critical and will require just as much attention, as that of beginning readers" if we expect them to engage in learning tasks that involve higher order thinking skills across the content area (Commission on Adolescent Literacy, 1999).

Sustained gains in student performance depend on initiatives that are school-wide or district-wide in design and implementation--a major challenge and a recognized necessity. Such initiatives are complex and synergistic endeavors that need thoughtful coordination across departments and curricular areas. The success of an adolescent literacy initiative depends on educators who can put distinct and overlapping key components into practice.

Why is it necessary for the entire high school to tackle ongoing support of adolescent literacy head-on?

For a quick overview of this issue, read the brief synopsis of why it is essential to successfully support adolescent literacy development throughout the content areas at the high school level.