Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise Into Practice

A study guide is available for this title. Click here to download (PDF, 117KB).

This is the time to think boldly about adolescent literacy. So much of what we know about adolescents and their learning has changed in the last decade, and since then both the world of education and the world at large have become very different places. Adolescent Literacy convenes a conversation among today's most important educational thinkers and practitioners to address crucial advances in research on adolescent learning, to assess which of our current practices meets the challenges of the twenty-first century, and to discover transformative ideas and methods that turn the promise of education into instructional practice.

In Adolescent Literacy renowned educators Kylene Beers, Bob Probst, and Linda Rief lead twenty-eight of the most important and widely read educators across the country in a conversation about where we are in the teaching of literacy to adolescents and how best to move forward. From researchers to classroom teachers, from long-treasured voices to important new members of the education community, Adolescent Literacy includes the thoughts of central figures in the field today. Adolescent Literacy discusses the most provocative issues of our time, including: English language learners struggling readers technology in the classroom multimodal literacy compelling writing instruction teaching in a "flat world" young adult literature. Each of its chapters builds on the previous to create a unified story of adolescent literacy that will help all middle and secondary teachers and administrators envision literacy instruction in exciting new ways. In addition Adolescent Literacy'sassessment rubrics for teachers, administrators, and staff developers make it an ideal resource for schoolwide and districtwide professional development, while its accompanying study guide is perfect for small-group discussions. Now is indeed the time to create a powerful vision of how to teach adolescents. The research on their learning has reached a critical mass, modern technology has allowed them to engage in a far wider range of literate behaviors than ever before, and their world has become increasingly connected, increasingly competitive, and increasingly polarized. Read Adolescent Literacy, consider the thoughts of leading educators, and join a conversation about what it means to teach and learn in this dynamic new environment. And do it soon, because the need to turn education's promise into classroom practice has never been more urgent.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0325011281
• ISBN13: 9780325011288
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.4" x 9.2"
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 12

Customer Reviews

Inspired to think in new ways

I have never made as many notes in the (wide) margins of a book as I did in this one. The ideas are forward-thinking, asking what literacy will mean in 30 years, and the text itself is conversational, allowing for me to respond. This text is the 31 ice-cream flavors of literacy, each one different and compelling in its own right. I highly recommend this book not only to Language Arts teachers, but also to teachers of content!

This book could change the way you teach

The ideas in this book can and will revolutionize the way we teach. If I could afford to buy this book for every teacher - I would!

Dinner Party with the Literacy Stars

ADOLESCENT LITERACY is rightfully compared to a dinner party attended by the brightest stars in literacy research. It is also similar to attending an NCTE Convention and meeting all those writers you love to read when it comes to books about teaching. Kylene Beers, Robert Probst, and Linda Rief (no lightweights themselves!) invited over 30 writer/researchers to contribute their latest thoughts on the conundrum of literacy in the 21st century. The result? Let's just say you'll be too satisfyingly full to bother with dessert. The book offers neat features that enhanced its reading. Their are the usual sidebars highlighting key text, but also commentary by the editors, who lead you to other chapters where other writers tackle similar topics. Thus, if you have a key interest, you will be able to jump about the book with ease and compare the different takes offered by various writers. I also liked how each chapter provided a list of books written by the chapter's author; if you really liked a particular chapter, you could therefor seek out more complete information in the form of a book. Web sites are also provided in this text, and most of them are from established (and, for teachers, practical) sites. We all the know the dangers in publishing web site addresses -- they go dead in no time. This is not just theory you'll be reading -- there are lots of practical ideas as well. Probst's chapter gives ideas on how to encourage meaningful discussion, and even grade it. Janet Allen shows you how to teach vocabulary effectively. Tom Romano gives tips on joining your students in the writing process. And Harvey Daniels writes a hilarious chapter on the brutal lessons learned from taking home 100 journals to respond to (sounded good in theory until the journals held his weekend hostage!). The whole gamut is covered -- working with emerging technologies, using the power of inquiry through key questions (provided), helping underachieving students, learning from assessment so your teaching can change and improve based on the data, etc. The dessert (I was only kidding -- I couldn't resist) comes in the form of an afterword by Nancie Atwell. Overall, it's like a "Greatest Hits" book. Instead of buying 30 separate books that would take weeks and weeks to read, you get a chapter each from what these stars in the field of reading and writing literacy feel is MOST important for you to know. Add it to your "must have" list, read it, then share it with fellow teachers, English department heads, and your principal. As the book reminds us: "The times, they are a-changin'," and if you don't change with them, you'll be left in the proverbial dust.

Fantastic Reading

This book did not disappoint. Packed filled with engaging, persuasive and challenging arguments and current issues. Great to read over thirty literacy leaders share their views and philosophies. I could not put it down once I started reading. Essential for all reading teachers and reading coaches.