Adolescent Literacy

Comprehension & Vocabulary Instruction

Practice Guide Summaries from the Nebraska Department of Education, developed in partnership with REL Central at Marzano Research, are a series of condensed evidence-based practice guides from the What Works Clearinghouse for use by Nebraska educators.

• Comprehension Strategy Instruction provides information about direct and explicit instruction in comprehension strategies.
  Explicit Vocabulary Instruction should be integrated into all content areas to enhance students’ ability to construct meaning from texts.

Evidence-Based Practices for Vocabulary Instruction (The University of Texas at Austin, 2020) offers recommendations for teaching vocabulary and word meanings within context, specifically for adolescent learners.

Note: Although vocabulary instruction is important, there is limited evidence that direct teaching of word meanings alone significantly improves comprehension (International Literacy Association, 2016).

Speaking & Listening

Practice Guide Summaries from the Nebraska Department of Education, developed in partnership with REL Central at Marzano Research, are a series of condensed evidence-based practice guides from the What Works Clearinghouse for use by Nebraska educators.

• Effective discussion may involve constructing comprehension and exploring outcomes through cognitive engagement, as well as connecting personal knowledge with attentive listening to others.

Five Areas of Instructional Improvement to Increase Academic Literacy (Torgesen, 2007) emphasizes how increased quantity and quality of sustained discussion about reading content directly enhance students’ ability to think critically and learn from text.

Discussion Protocols (Teaching & Learning Lab, 2015) offer structured approaches to guide student responses to text while preserving autonomy and promoting authentic engagement.

Listening in on Student Learning (National Council of Teachers of English, 2019) provides educators with valuable insights into what students are learning and how they are learning it.

Roles of engagement: Analyzing adolescent students’ talk during controversial discussions (Al-Adeimi & Baumann, 2023) explores how classroom teachers can leverage students’ roles in discussion to promote diverse perspectives and deeper knowledge development.

Explicit Writing Instruction

Practice Guide Summaries from the Nebraska Department of Education, developed in partnership with REL Central at Marzano Research, are a series of condensed evidence-based practice guides from the What Works Clearinghouse for use by Nebraska educators.

• Using a Model-Practice Reflect instructional cycle is one of the most effective ways to teach writing.
• Integrating writing and reading into classroom instruction and assignments helps students internalize essential features that can strengthen their writing.

Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively (National Center for Education Evaluation, 2017) offers specific, evidence-based recommendations to address the challenges of teaching writing in grades 6–12.

The Writing Revolution (Hochman & Wexler, 2017) is a transformative resource that not only teaches writing explicitly but also provides a framework for improving student thinking, reading comprehension, and content mastery. It  emphasizes embedding writing within content instruction–such as history, science, literature–rather than teaching it in isolation.

The Writing Rope (Sedita, 2022) presents a comprehensive framework for effective writing instruction, including elements such as critical thinking, syntax, text structure, writing craft, and transcription.

Student Achievement Partners offers annotated writing samples that demonstrate the integration of content understanding and writing across the three major writing types: narrative, informative/explanatory, and argumentative/opinion.

The Nebraska Writing Project connects professional educators and writers, offering a repository of writing that enhances and celebrates writing classrooms and communities across the state.

The National Writing Project brings together educators, faculty, and writers nationwide to improve writing instruction, foster collaboration, and encourage reflection. It creates opportunities to reexamine perspectives and relationships through writing.

Collaboration Across Content

Disciplinary Literacy: A Shift that Makes Sense (Lent, 2017) honors content-area expertise by focusing on what students need to know and how to teach those skills while delivering subject-specific instruction.

What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy (National Institute for Literacy, 2007) addresses the urgent need for middle and high school teachers, administrators, and parents how to support immediate adolescents’ reading and writing skills.

Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom (Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators General Education Leadership Network Disciplinary Literacy Task Force, 2019), outlines key instructional practices for secondary classrooms.

Assessment & Intervention

Practice Guide Summaries from the Nebraska Department of Education, developed in partnership with REL Central at Marzano Research, are a series of condensed evidence-based practice guides from the What Works Clearinghouse for use by Nebraska educators.

• Intensive Interventions may be necessary to provide targeted literacy support for striving adolescent readers.

Nebraska’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (NeMTSS) Framework helps schools deliver the right interventions at the right time. This framework emphasizes the importance of strong Tier 1 core instruction for all learners promoting equitable access to high-quality instruction, evidence-based practices, and collaborative support.

Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Practice Brief (The Center on Instruction, 2008) offers evidence-based strategies tailored to the instructional needs of older students.

Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom Practices & Interventions (Institute of Education Sciences, 2008) presents practical strategies for teachers and specialists to enhance adolescent reading skills.

Primary Considerations for Adolescent Literacy (The Reading League, 2024) is a comprehensive resource designed to support educators in addressing the challenges of implementing interventions for older, striving readers.

Reading Science Considerations for Middle and High School Literacy Intervention (Petricone-Turchetta, S., 2021) explores how the Science of Reading can inform intervention and instruction at the secondary level.

Teaching Adolescents to Read: It’s Not Too Late (Moats, 2015) underscores the critical importance of providing interventions for all striving learners, regardless of grade level.